Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 스트레스 | seuteureseu | [sʰɯtʰɯɾe̞s͈ɯ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 압박 | apbak | [a̠p̚p͈a̠k̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The word is used to describe emotional or psychological pressure. When expressing that you are experiencing stress, it is common to use the phrase 스트레스 받아 informally. You may also see the noun phrase 스트레스 해소 used to refer to stress relief or stress management.
Which one should you use?
스트레스 is a common loanword from English used to describe psychological or emotional stress in everyday conversation. In contrast, 압박 refers to the feeling of being pressured or the physical/psychological weight of a situation, often used in more formal or serious contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Korean, you do not 'have' stress (스트레스가 있다) as a state, but rather 'receive' it (스트레스를 받다) as an action or experience. To express the idea of relieving or blowing off stress, use the verb 풀다 (to untie/solve) in the phrase 스트레스를 풀다.
How do you pronounce it?
seuteureseu
Did you know?
- In Korean office culture, 스트레스 is often discussed alongside 화병 (hwabyung), a culture-bound syndrome described as 'fire disease' caused by suppressing anger.
- Korean speakers often use 스트레스 as a modifier for food, such as 스트레스 풀리는 맛 (a taste that relieves stress), typically referring to very spicy dishes.
- In casual slang, some people use the term 스트레스 만땅 to describe being 'full' of stress, using the Japanese-derived loanword 만땅 for 'full tank'.
Examples in context
- 스트레스의 일반적 원인은 업무와 인간 관계에 있어.Common causes of stress are work and human relationships.This sentence provides examples of common causes of 스트레스.Tatoeba #8361858 by Eunhee, translation #51878 by papabear
- 회사에서 일을 너무 많이 하고 스트레스를 많이 받았어요.I worked too much at the company and was under a lot of stress.This sentence describes a situation where someone 스트레스 was received due to working too much.
- 요즘 공부 때문에 스트레스가 심해요.yojeum gongbu ttaemune seuteureseuga simhaeyo.I am under a lot of stress lately because of studying.
Example conversation
Minji and Minjun are talking at a cafe.
- 민지 Min-ji민준 씨, 요즘 스트레스 많이 받아요?Minjun ssi, yojeum seuteurese mani badayo?Minjun, are you under a lot of stress lately?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 업무량이 너무 많아서 스트레스예요.Ne, eommuryangi neomu manaseo seuteureseueyo.Yes, the workload is too much, so it's stressful.
- 민지 Min-ji맛있는 거 먹으면서 스트레스 풀어야죠.Masinneun geo meogeumyeonseo seuteurese pulleoyajyo.You should relieve your stress by eating something delicious.
- 민준 Min-jun좋은 생각이에요, 민지 씨.Joeun saenggagieyo, Minji ssi.That's a good idea, Minji.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stress” translations and entries 스트레스, 압박, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
