부릉부릉 (bureung-bureung)

What it means

An engine revving — cars and motorbikes going VROOM VROOM.

When you'll see it

The classic scene is a biker revving the engine before taking off. But to Korean ears it also sounds a bit like baby talk — it's exactly what little kids say while pushing toy cars across the floor. So people sometimes use it cutely: '부릉부릉 가자!' is a playful way to say 'let's go for a drive.'

Where it shows up in manhwa

• A motorbike revs before a race
• A car starts on a cold morning
• A kid pushes a toy car across the floor

Examples

1. A: 주말에 뭐 해? B: 날씨 좋으면 부릉부릉 바다 가려고.

   A: Plans for the weekend? B: If the weather's nice, I'm gonna drive (부릉부릉) out to the beach.

2. 조카가 장난감 차 들고 하루 종일 부릉부릉 거리면서 돌아다녀.

   My little nephew runs around all day with his toy car going vroom vroom (부릉부릉).

3. 오토바이가 부릉부릉 시동을 걸더니 순식간에 사라졌다.

   The motorbike revved up (부릉부릉) and was gone in a second.