피곤해?
pigonhae?
The English phrase "are you tired?" is translated into Korean as 피곤해? (pigonhae?)
This phrase is used to ask if someone feels a need to rest or sleep.
Which one should you use?
While 피곤해? asks if someone is tired (lacking energy), 졸려? specifically asks if someone is sleepy (feeling the need to sleep).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For people you are not close to or who are older than you, use the polite form 피곤해요? In professional or very respectful settings, use the highly formal version 피곤하십니까?
How does it change in a sentence?
Dropping the question mark and using a falling intonation turns the question 피곤해? into the statement 피곤해, meaning "I am tired" or "You are tired".
How do you pronounce it?
pigonhae?
Did you know?
- In Korea, asking 피곤해? can sometimes be interpreted as a subtle way of suggesting that someone is acting out of character or behaving poorly due to exhaustion. It is often used as a polite way to address someone's irritability.
- The word 피곤 (fatigue) has its roots in Hanja, meaning the phrase is built from Chinese-derived characters. This makes it a more formal or 'academic' way of expressing tiredness compared to purely native Korean words for exhaustion.
- In many Korean office cultures, being 'tired' is sometimes viewed through the lens of 'hard work'. Expressing fatigue can be a way to signal how much effort you have been putting into a task.
Examples in context
- 피곤하지 않으세요?Are you not tired?
- 좀 피곤하지 않으십니까?Aren't you a bit tired?
- 피곤해?Are you tired?
- 피곤하지?Aren't you tired?
- 오늘 많이 피곤해?oneul mani pigonhae?Are you very tired today?
- 왜 이렇게 피곤해?wae ireoke pigonhae?Why are you so tired?
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Minji are walking home after work.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo민지야, 피곤해?Minji-ya, pigonhae?Minji, are you tired?
- 민지 Min-ji응, 조금 피곤해.eung, jogeum pigonhae.Yes, I'm a little tired.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo집에 가서 빨리 쉬자.jibe gaseo ppalli swija.Let's go home and rest quickly.
- 민지 Min-ji그래, 그러자.geurae, geureoja.Yeah, let's do that.
