성공
seonggong[sʰʌ̹ŋɡo̞ŋ]
The English phrase "success" is 성공 (seonggong) in Korean.
성공 refers to the achievement of one's aim or goal. While 성공 is a general term for success, if you want to specifically emphasize that success was achieved through dedicated effort and hard work, you might use the term 성취.
Meaning: achievement of one's aim or goal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun 성공 can be transformed into a verb by adding the suffix -하다, resulting in 성공하다 (to succeed). The past tense of this verb is 성공했다 (succeeded). To express the adjective "successful", you can use 성공적, which is often used with the verb -이다 (to be) to mean "is successful".
How do you pronounce it?
seonggong
Did you know?
- The second syllable in 성공, 공, is the same character used in the word for 'merit' or 'contribution', suggesting that success is viewed as a social reward rather than just a personal win.
- While 성공 is a neutral noun, using it to describe a person can sometimes sound overly dramatic or literary, as if you are describing a character in a novel.
- Because 성공 is a Sino-Korean word, it often appears in more formal settings like news reports or business speeches, whereas purely native Korean words might feel more colloquial.
Examples in context
- 교육이야말로 성공으로 가는 길이야.Education is the key to success.This sentence uses 성공 to discuss the path to success.Tatoeba #4739070 by kumdonghee, translation #545634 by darinmex
- 네가 성공을 못 하는 것을 내 탓으로 돌리는 거니?Are you blaming me for your lack of success?This sentence uses 성공 to discuss a lack of success.Tatoeba #8400604 by baehyunsol, translation #2057855 by CK
- 그는 종종 그의 성공을 그의 아내의 공으로 돌리곤 한다He often attributes his success to his wife.This sentence uses 성공 to attribute success to someone else.Tatoeba #6623339 by GanbareHigh3999, translation #293289 by tatoerique
- 선생님께서 성공을 이루셨습니다.The teacher has achieved success.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a recent business venture.
- 서연 Seo-yeon이번 사업은 성공했어?ibeon saeobeoneun seonggonghaesseo?Was this business a success?
- 민준 Min-jun응, 드디어 성공했어.eung, deudieo seonggonghaesseo.Yes, it finally succeeded.
- 서연 Seo-yeon정말 축하해, 민준아!jeongmal chukhae, minjuna!Congratulations, Minjun!
- 민준 Min-jun고마워, 서연아.gomawo, seoyeona.Thanks, Seoyeon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “success” translations and entries 성공, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
