Korean word

고생하다

Pronunciation

Romanizationkosaenghada

Meaning

  • verbhave a hard time

Example

새 프로젝트 때문에 고생하고 있어요.sae peu ro jek teu ttae mu ne ko saeng ha go i sseo yo

I'm having a hard time because of the new project.

Illustration for 고생하다 (have a hard time)

More examples

아이 때문에 요즘 계속 고생하고 있어요.a i ttae mu ne yo jeum kye sok ko saeng ha go i sseo yo

I've been having a hard time because of my child lately.

Core concept

Struggling along because obstacles make a task or period of life difficult.

Common phrases

  • 고생하고 있어요ko saeng ha go i sseo yo

    am having a hard time

  • 고생하는 중이에요ko saeng ha neun chung i e yo

    am having a hard time

Similar words

수고하다sugohada: Express thanks or encouragement for someone's work, commonly in a courteous closing.
애쓰다aesseuda: Push through difficulty by making a strong personal effort to succeed.
노력하다noryeokada: Persistently work toward a goal by investing time and effort.
힘쓰다himsseuda: Use strength and energy to support a project, group, or goal.

Definition in Korean

문제나 장애로 인해 일정 기간 고통이나 번거로움을 겪으며 해결하려고 애쓰다.mun je na chang ae ro in hae il jeong ki gan ko tong i na peon geo ro u meul kyeo kkeu myeo hae gyeol ha ryeo go ae sseu da

Word origin

It is formed from a Sino-Korean term meaning hardship and the common Korean element that turns nouns into verbs.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, this word can acknowledge that someone has worked hard through a difficult situation, making it useful when showing sympathy or appreciation.

Other meanings

  • sufferverb

Opposites

  • 편히 지내다pyeonhi chinaedalive comfortablyverb

Related words

  • 고생kosaenghardshipnoun
  • 고생시키다kosaengsikidamake someone have a hard timeverb

Word lists with this word