이거 어려워
igeo eoryeowo
In Korean, "this is hard" is said as 이거 어려워 (igeo eoryeowo).
This is used to say that a task or problem is difficult to do or understand.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 이거 (this) and 어려워 (is difficult).
Which one should you use?
While 어려워 refers to the difficulty of a task or concept, 힘들어 is used when a situation is physically or mentally exhausting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The formal way to say 'This is hard' is 이것은 어렵습니다. The informal way to say 'This is hard' is 이건 어려워. Adding the suffix -요 to the end makes the phrase polite and suitable for speaking to strangers or superiors. The form 이것은 어렵습니다 is used in highly formal settings like news reports or presentations. When speaking with close friends, you can shorten the phrase to just 어려워.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 어려워 is the conjugated form of the dictionary stem 어렵다 (to be difficult).
How do you pronounce it?
igeo eoryeowo
Did you know?
- In Korean, saying something is 어려워 can be a polite way to decline a request without saying 'no' directly. It signals that the task is too burdensome to agree to without sounding confrontational.
- When a Korean speaker says 어려워 while staring at a menu or a map, they aren't always saying the content is hard to understand. It can be a way of saying they are 'struggling to make a decision'.
- If you want to say a problem is 'tough' in a way that requires grit, you might use 곤란하다. This suggests the difficulty is actually an 'embarrassing' or 'awkward' predicament.
Examples in context
- 이번 과제는 정말 어렵습니다.This assignment is really hard.
- 오늘 수업은 정말 어려워.Today's class is really hard.
- 이거 어려워.igeo eoryeowo.This is hard.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Minji are studying together in a library.
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지야, 이거 어려워.Minji-ya, igeo eoryeowo.Minji, this is hard.
- 민지 Min-ji어떤 부분이 어려워?Eotteon bubuni eoryeowo?Which part is hard?
- 도현 Do-hyeon전부 다 너무 어려워.Jeonbu da neomu eoryeowo.Everything is just too hard.
- 민지 Min-ji내가 도와줄게.Naega dowajulge.I will help you.
