Difference between "살이 빠지다" and "살을 빼다".

여러분, 안녕하세요! I am Vaibhavi. This lesson is about the difference between "살이 빠지다" and "살을 빼다". These two expressions are often translated as 'to lose weight'. But they are differently used in context. Weight in Korean is “무게” and body in Korean is “몸”. Hence, to talk about body weight we use "몸무게". Weight is typically lost and gained in soft tissue, so 살 is used instead of 몸무게. As 살 means flesh, skin. 살이 빠지다 is typically used when weight is lost inadvertently/unintentionally. 빠지다 is a verb used when something falls, sinks, drops or is deflated. On the other hand, 살을 빼다 is typically used when weight is lost on purpose like by dieting or exercising. 빼다 is a verb used when somebody removes something from somewhere (as in, to remove weight from one’s body). Example: 나는 살이 많이 빠졌어 = I lost a lot of weight. 저는 살을 빼고 싶어요 = I want to lose weight.

I hope now the difference between 살이 빠지다 and 살을 빼다 is clear to you. I will see you soon in the next lesson.