살살
sal-sal
Wash it, shut it, coax him — one word for 'easy does it'
The picture A hand with almost no weight in it, grazing a surface instead of pressing on it. 살살 is touching lightly with the force taken out; 세게 is pressing with force put in.
Where the picture shows up in 살살
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a touch that doesn't hurt
상처를 살살 씻어 주세요.
sang-cheo-reul sal-sal ssi-seo ju-se-yo
Please wash the wound gently.
Water only grazes the wound while the fingertips barely land on it
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a move that makes no noise
문을 살살 닫아 주세요.
mu-neul sal-sal da-da ju-se-yo
Please close the door quietly.
A hand holding the door all the way until it meets the frame
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a faint ache that lasts
배가 살살 아파요.
bae-ga sal-sal a-pa-yo
I have a dull ache in my stomach.
One spot in the belly tightening slowly, never sharply
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something giving way on its own
초콜릿이 입에서 살살 녹아요.
cho-kol-li-si i-be-seo sal-sal no-ga-yo
The chocolate melts right in your mouth.
The edge of the chocolate caving in on the tongue before any chewing
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words that coax instead of pull
아이를 살살 달래서 데려왔어요.
a-i-reul sal-sal dal-lae-seo de-ryeo-wa-sseo-yo
I coaxed the child and brought him along.
Crouching down to speak in a low voice instead of pulling the child's arm
All of it in one picture
살살 is one hand with the force taken out. On a wound it becomes washing that doesn't sting; on a door it becomes closing without a sound; inside the belly it becomes a faint ache that keeps going. In the mouth it becomes chocolate collapsing without a chew, and with a child it becomes coaxing instead of pulling.