Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 숨쉬다 | sumswida | [ˈsʰu(ː)mʃʰɥida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈsʰu(ː)mʃʰyda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 호흡(呼吸)하다 | hoheuphada | |
| 숨을 쉬다 | sumeul swida | |
| 마시다 | masida | [ma̠ɕʰida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The most common way to express the general act of breathing is through the verb 숨쉬다. In specific contexts involving air or gas, you may also see 마시다, which typically means 'to drink' but functions as 'to inhale' when applied to air. To describe the physiological process of respiration, such as during medical or scientific discussions, the term 호흡하다 is used.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 숨쉬다 is composed of 숨, meaning 'breath' and 쉬다, which can mean 'to breathe' or 'to rest' depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
숨쉬다 is the standard, everyday way to say 'to breathe'. In contrast, 호흡하다 is more technical or formal, often used in contexts like 'deep breathing exercises' or medical settings. Additionally, 마시다 is used specifically when you mean 'to inhale' or 'to breathe in' a substance like air.
How does it change in a sentence?
A very natural and common way to express the action of breathing is to use the phrase 숨을 쉬다, which adds the object marker 을 to the noun 숨.
How do you pronounce it?
sumswida
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 숨을 마시다 if you simply want to say 'to breathe'. This phrase refers specifically to the act of inhaling rather than the general cycle of breathing.
Did you know?
- The phrase 숨이 막히다 literally means 'breath is blocked', but it is used idiomatically to describe something so breathtakingly beautiful or shocking that you cannot breathe.
- In Korean, 'holding your breath' is expressed as 숨을 참다, where 참다 means 'to endure' or 'to tolerate'. This frames the act of not breathing as a test of patience.
- While 숨쉬다 is the common term, the formal 호흡하다 is derived from Hanja (Chinese characters). The characters 呼 and 吸 specifically represent 'exhale' and 'inhale' respectively.
Examples in context
- 공기를 마시다To breathe in airThis sentence shows how to express the act of inhaling air using 마시다.
- 의사는 환자가 제대로 숨을 쉴 수 있는지 확인해야 합니다.Doctors should check if patients can breathe properly.
- 지난 주 동안 폐렴으로 인해 숨쉬기가 어려웠어요.It was difficult to breathe last week due to pneumonia.
- 날씨가 정말 덥다. 숨 좀 쉬자.The weather is really hot. Let's take a breath.
- 수험생들은 마음의 안정을 위해 깊게 숨을 쉬는 것이 중요해.For test-takers, it's important to take deep breaths for mental stability.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breathe” translations and entries 숨쉬다, 마시다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
