What mistake do English speakers make with 정?

정 is not just love or like. It's the accumulation of shared time and experience. Even someone you argue with can have 정 — sometimes you're attached to difficult relationships because of 정.

🎵 K-Culture B2 ✓ Native Reviewed

정

jeong

deep emotional bond / attachment / affection

Share on X

What it means

정 (jeong) is one of the most uniquely Korean concepts — the deep emotional bond and attachment that forms between people through shared experiences over time. Almost untranslatable.

Nuance & when to use

정이 들다 = to develop jeong / to become attached. 정이 많다 = to have a lot of emotional warmth (positive). 정때문에 = because of the bond/attachment. Koreans form 정 with people, places, and even objects. Leaving a place you have 정 with is described as 정이 많이 들어서 떠나기 힘들어 (hard to leave because of the attachment formed). 헤어지면 정 들어 = "you develop attachment when you separate" — the paradox of getting close when ending something.

Example sentences

정이 많이 들었어요. Jeongi mani deureosseoyo. I've grown very attached.

한국 사람들은 정이 많아요. Hanguk saramdeureun jeongi manayo. Korean people have a lot of warmth/jeong.

References Naver Korean Dictionary ↗ 국립국어원 표준국어대사전 ↗ Wikipedia ↗

Next lesson →

Ready to learn more Korean?

Get one free Korean lesson every day — straight to your inbox.

Get Daily Korean Free →

Free forever · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime

정

What it means

Unlock B2 Korean

More B2 lessons

Ready to learn more Korean?