속삭이다
soksagida[sʰo̞ks͈a̠ɡida̠]
Whisper in Korean is 속삭이다 (soksagida), meaning to talk in a quiet voice.
속삭이다 is used for literally speaking quietly and also figuratively for whispering sweet words or secrets to someone.
Meaning: talk in a quiet voice (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense is 속삭였다. The noun 속삭임, a whisper, is formed by adding a suffix to the stem 속삭이.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as soksagida.
Did you know?
- The sound of the word 속삭이다 is an example of onomatopoeia, where the repetition of the 'sok-sak' syllables mimics the rhythmic, breathy sound of actual whispering.
- While 속삭이다 describes the act of whispering, the noun 귓속말 literally translates to 'ear-inside-word', emphasizing the physical location of the secret.
- In Korean, whispering in a public or group setting can be viewed as more exclusionary or conspiratorial than it is in many Western cultures.
Examples in context
- 반 학생들은 속삭이기 시작 했습니다.Students in the class began to talk in a whisper.The verb appears as 속삭이기, a form used before the word meaning to begin.
- 사랑을 속삭이다To whisper sweet nothings (in a girl's ear)사랑을 속삭이다 uses the verb figuratively for whispering words of love.
- 친구에게 속삭여서 알려줬어.I whispered to my friend to let them know.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whisper” translations and entries 속삭이다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
