💬 Phrases A2 ✓ Native Reviewed

힘들어

himdeulleo

It's hard / I'm struggling

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What it means

힘들다 literally means "power-difficult" — used to say something is hard, exhausting, or that you're having a tough time. One of the most emotionally important phrases in Korean.

Nuance & when to use

힘들어 (casual) / 힘들어요 (polite) / 힘듭니다 (formal). Can describe physical difficulty (일이 힘들어요 = work is hard) or emotional hardship (지금 많이 힘들어요 = I'm going through a lot right now). In K-dramas, 힘들어 is how characters show vulnerability.

⚠ Common mistake

힘들다 ≠ 어렵다 (difficult). 어렵다 = intellectually difficult. 힘들다 = physically/emotionally exhausting. A test can be 어려워요 (difficult). Life experiences are 힘들어요 (hard/tough).

Example sentences

요즘 너무 힘들어요. Yojeum neomu himdeuleoyo. I've been struggling a lot lately.
힘들어도 포기하지 마세요. Himdeuleo-do pogihaji maseyo. Even if it's hard, don't give up.
힘들면 말해요. Himdeurmyeon malhaeyo. Tell me if you're struggling.

See also

괜찮아요? 어려워요 피곤해요
References Naver Korean Dictionary ↗ 국립국어원 표준국어대사전 ↗
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More A2 lessons

이해가 안 돼요 ihaega an dwaeyo I don't understand 막내 maknae Youngest member (of a group/family) -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 -(eu)l su itda Can / Be able to
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FAQ

When is this used?

힘들어 (casual) / 힘들어요 (polite) / 힘듭니다 (formal). Can describe physical difficulty (일이 힘들어요 = work is hard) or emotional hardship (지금 많이 힘들어요 = I'm going through a lot right now). In K-dramas, 힘들어 is how characters show vulnerability.

What's a common mistake?

힘들다 ≠ 어렵다 (difficult). 어렵다 = intellectually difficult. 힘들다 = physically/emotionally exhausting. A test can be 어려워요 (difficult). Life experiences are 힘들어요 (hard/tough).

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