Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 질투(嫉妬)하다 | jiltuhada |
| 시기(猜忌)하다 | sigihada |
The most common and universally understood word for jealousy in Korean is 질투(하다).
Which one should you use?
While both words relate to envy, 질투하다 is typically used for jealousy involving romantic rivals or personal feelings of being left out. In contrast, 시기하다 is more formal and often refers to envying someone's social standing, success or achievements.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the spontaneous feeling of becoming jealous, you can use the phrase 질투가 나다, which literally means "jealousy arises/comes out". If you want to emphasize the act of expressing or performing the jealousy, you can use 질투를 하다, which literally means "to do jealousy". Additionally, you can create a noun meaning a person who is habitually jealous by adding the suffix –쟁이 to the word, resulting in 질투쟁이.
How do you pronounce it?
jiltuhada
Did you know?
- While 질투하다 describes the feeling, Koreans often use the expression 배 아프다, meaning 'my stomach hurts', to describe the physical sensation of envy.
- In Korean pop culture and romantic dramas, 질투 is often framed as a 'cute' or 'endearing' sign of affection rather than a negative character flaw.
- The word 시기 (猜忌) contains Hanja characters that evoke the idea of 'looking at someone with suspicion and resentment', emphasizing the gaze of the envious person.
Example sentences for Korean are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jealous” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
