슬프다
seulpeuda[sʰɯɭpʰɯda̠]
The English word 'sad' can be translated into Korean as 슬프다 (seulpeuda) or 아쉽다.
Meaning: feeling sorrow (adj)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 슬프다 | seulpeuda | [sʰɯɭpʰɯda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 아쉽다 | aswipda | [a̠ʃʰɥip̚t͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [a̠ʃʰyp̚t͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
슬프다 is the most commonly used word for expressing sadness. Other ways to express related feelings include 속상하다 for feeling upset and 쓸쓸하다 for feeling lonely.
Which one should you use?
While 슬프다 refers to deep sorrow or sadness, 아쉽다 is used for a specific type of 'sadness' involving regret, feeling that something is lacking or being sorry that a situation is ending. 슬프다 is used for heavy, emotional sorrow (like mourning or heartbreak), whereas 아쉽다 is used for the 'sadness' of missing an opportunity or wanting something to last longer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The dictionary form 슬프다 changes to 슬퍼요 in the polite present tense. The past tense polite form of 슬프다 is 슬펐어요.
How do you pronounce it?
seulpeuda
Did you know?
- When a Korean person says they feel 아쉽다 about a meal, they are not sad, but are expressing that they wanted more of the delicious food.
- The word 아쉽다 can be used to describe a person who is 'lacking' or 'insufficient' in a certain quality, rather than just a feeling of regret.
- The word 아쉽다 is closely related to the Japanese word oshii, which also conveys a sense of something being regrettable or unfortunate.
Examples in context
- 제 가장 친한 친구가 떠났어요, 슬퍼요.My best friend left, I am sad.
- 학교 생활이 힘들어서 슬퍼요.School life is difficult, I am sad.
- 오늘은 내 생일인데 친구들이 아무도 축하해주지 않아서 슬퍼.Today is my birthday, but none of my friends wished me, I am sad.
- 시험에서 좋은 성적을 받지 못했어. 너무 우울해.I didn't get good grades in the exam, I am so sad.
- 영화가 너무 슬프다.yeonghwaga neomu seulpeuda.The movie is so sad.
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin are talking about a sad book.
- 민준 Min-jun수빈 씨, 이 책 읽어 봤어요?Subin ssi, i chaek ilgeo bwasseoyo?Subin, have you read this book?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 결말이 너무 슬프다.ne, gyeolmari neomu seulpeuda.Yes, the ending is so sad.
- 민준 Min-jun맞아요. 저도 많이 울었어요.majayo. jeodo mani ureosseoyo.That's right. I cried a lot too.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 감동적인 이야기였어요.jeongmal gamdongjeogin iyagieosseoyo.It was a truly touching story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sad” translations and entries 슬프다, 아쉽다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 슬프다, 아쉽다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
