Korean word

가난

Pronunciation

Romanizationkanan

Meaning

  • nounpoverty

Example

그는 가난에서 벗어나고 싶어해요.keu neun ka na ne seo peo seo na go si peo hae yo

He wants to escape poverty.

Illustration for 가난 (poverty)

More examples

그 가족은 오랜 가난을 이겨내고 새 집으로 이사했다.keu ka jo geun o raen ka na neul i gyeo nae go sae chi beu ro i sa haet tta

The family overcame years of poverty and moved into a new house.

Core concept

A life with too little money or too few material goods to manage everyday needs.

Common phrases

  • 가난에서 벗어나다ka na ne seo peo seo na da

    escape poverty

  • 가난에 시달리다ka na ne si dal li da

    suffer from poverty

  • 가난을 이겨내다ka na neul i gyeo nae da

    overcome poverty

Similar words

형편hyeongpyeon: A person's practical financial and living circumstances that shape what is possible.
생활고saenghwalgo: Hardship caused by not having enough money to cover the costs of daily living.
빈곤pingon: A condition of severe material deprivation that makes basic living difficult.

Definition in Korean

가난은 돈이나 물건이 부족하여 일상생활을 꾸리기 어려운 상태ka na neun to ni na mul geo ni pu jo ka yeo il sang saeng hwa reul kku ri gi eo ryeo un sang tae

Word origin

The word is a native Korean noun, but its deeper historical origin is uncertain and its established meaning is a state of poverty.

Usage tips

  • English often uses poor for both financial hardship and low quality, but this word stays focused on financial hardship.

Opposites

  • 부자pujarich personnoun
  • 풍요pungyoabundancenoun

Related words

Word lists with this word