Vocabulary
꿈쩍도 안 하다
not budge an inch
Meaning
Expression: “not budge an inch”. 꿈쩍도 typically combines with a negative predicate such as 안 하다.
Why this form?
움직이지 않다 — “not move”: ordinary negation of movement without the emphatic “not even slightly” implication.
꼼짝도 못 하다 — “be unable to budge”: emphasizes inability to move because of a constraint.
Natural usage
꿈쩍도 normally takes a negative predicate; in 꿈쩍도 안 해요, 도 reinforces the absence of even the slightest movement. One entry covers the expression.
Forms not to confuse
- 움직이지 않다
차가 움직이지 않아요. — The car isn’t moving.
- 꼼짝도 못 하다
무서워서 꼼짝도 못 했어요. — I was so scared I couldn’t move.
Examples
꿈쩍도 안 해요!!! — It won’t budge an inch!!!
문이 꿈쩍도 안 해요. — The door won’t budge.