What mistake do English speakers make with 슬픔?

슬프다 ≠ 힘들다. 슬프다 = sad (emotional). 힘들다 = hard/difficult (physical or emotional exhaustion). 슬픈 영화예요 (it's a sad movie) vs 힘든 하루예요 (it's a hard day).

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슬픔

seulpeum

sadness / sorrow

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What it means

슬픔 is the noun form of 슬프다 (to be sad) — sadness or sorrow. A deep, meaningful word often found in K-drama emotional scenes and K-pop ballad lyrics.

Nuance & when to use

슬프다 = to be sad (adjective). 슬픔 = sadness (noun). 슬픔을 나누다 = to share sorrow. 슬픔에 잠기다 = to be sunk in sadness. 슬픔도 아름다울 수 있다 = even sadness can be beautiful (common K-drama/K-pop theme). Korean music culture doesn't avoid sadness — 슬픈 노래 (sad songs) are a beloved genre.

Example sentences

슬픔을 숨기지 마세요. Seulpeum-eul sumgiji maseyo. Don't hide your sadness.

슬픈 노래 좋아해요. Seulpeun norae joahaeyo. I like sad songs.

References Naver Korean Dictionary ↗ 국립국어원 표준국어대사전 ↗

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슬픔

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