Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 죽은 | jugeun |
| 죽었다 | jugeotda |
The word is used to describe someone or something that is no longer alive. Depending on the form chosen, you may be describing a state (adjective) or stating that the act of dying has occurred (verb). For highly formal, legal or medical contexts, the term 사망한 is used to mean 'deceased' or 'passed away'.
Which one should you use?
The form 죽은 functions as an adjective meaning 'died' to modify a noun, whereas 죽었다 is the past tense verb form used to state that someone or something has died or is currently dead. When you need to express 'to pass away' in a polite or honorific manner, especially when speaking about an elder or someone of higher status, use the verb 돌아가시다 instead of the blunt or neutral 죽다.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 죽은 is used as an adjectival form to modify a noun, such as a 'dead person'. The form 죽었다 is a verb form used to state that someone or something has died or is currently dead.
How do you pronounce it?
jugeun
Did you know?
- The honorific term for dying, 돌아가시다, literally translates to 'to have returned' or 'to have gone back', implying a return to an original state or place.
- In Korean, adding 겠다 to the root of 죽다 creates the phrase 죽겠다, which is frequently used to complain about a difficult situation.
- The word 죽은 is used in the term 죽은 소리, which literally means 'dead sound' but refers to a hollow or pointless argument.
Examples in context
- 내 친구와 가족들은 모두 죽었다.All my friends and family are dead.This sentence uses the verb form 죽었다 to describe the death of friends and family.Tatoeba #11106146 by intertime, translation #324425 by CK
- 신은 죽었다. 우리가 그를 죽였다.God is dead. We killed him.This sentence uses the verb form 죽었다 to state that a deity has died.Tatoeba #6464945 by dalgarak, translation #6379276 by RudeGuyGames
- 이 공포 영화에선 죽은 사람이 다시 살아나는 것이 가능하다.In this horror movie, it is possible for the dead to come back to life.This sentence uses the adjectival form 죽은 to describe people who are dead.Tatoeba #13142017 by SN_H, translation #2661872 by WestofEden
- 이 국가에서는 사망한 사람에 대한 헌화를 합니다.In this country, we pay tribute to the deceased.
- 그 영화 주인공은 죽었어요.The movie protagonist died.
- 그가 사고로 죽었다.He died in an accident.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Jihun are walking in a park and see a bird on the ground.
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈 씨, 저기 죽은 새가 있어요.Jihun ssi, jeogi jugeun saega isseoyo.Jihun, there is a dead bird over there.
- 지훈 Ji-hun정말이네요. 불쌍해서 어떡하죠?Jeongmal-ineyo. Bulssang-haeseo eotteok-hajyo?You're right. Poor thing, what should we do?
- 서연 Seo-yeon관리인에게 알려야 할 것 같아요.Gwanli-inege allyeoya hal geot gat-ayo.I think we should tell the caretaker.
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 제가 빨리 다녀올게요.Ne, jega ppalli danyeo-olgeyo.Yes, I will go quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dead” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
