팔짱을 끼다 (pal-jjang-eul ggi-da) – link arms with (somebody)/fold or cross one’s arms
If you realise, there are two (quite) different meanings to this phrase.
This phrase is a little tricky because it depends very much who your subject(s) is(are).
Another way to find out is to look out for this particle attached to the subject(s): 과/와 (with).
If there is no 과/와 attached to a noun, it is safe to say that the meaning is to “fold or cross one’s arms”.
However, if there is a 과/와 attached to one of the nouns in the sentence, it is most probably referring to the other meaning “link arms with (somebody)”.
Examples:
형과 여친은 팔짱을 끼다가 길에 걸 때 진짜 연인 커플 같네.
When older brother walks on the streets while linking arms with his girlfriend, they really look like a celebrity couple.
우리 아빠는 회사에서 다녀왔자마자 소파에 앉고 팔짱을 낀지 1시간 됐어.
The moment my Dad came home from his office, he immediately sat on the sofa and folded his arms for an hour.
