Korean word

고생

Pronunciation

Romanizationkosaeng

Meaning

  • nounhard time

Example

이번 프로젝트에서 고생을 많이 했어요.i beon peu ro jek teu e seo ko saeng eul ma ni hae sseo yo

I had a lot of trouble with this project.

Illustration for 고생 (hard time)

More examples

어머니가 아파서 고생이 많았어요.eo meo ni ga a pa seo ko saeng i ma na sseo yo

I had a hard time because my mother was ill.

Core concept

The strain and trouble that build up while someone keeps working through a difficult situation.

Common phrases

  • 고생을 하다ko saeng eul ha da

    have a hard time

  • 고생이 많다ko saeng i man ta

    have a lot of trouble

Similar words

수고sugo: Work and effort spent on completing a task, often recognized with thanks.
노력noryeok: Steady use of energy to reach a goal.
힘듦himdeum: Physical or mental difficulty that makes a situation hard to bear.
고난konan: A major hardship or painful event that continues for a long time.

Definition in Korean

오랜 시간 참거나 애써서 겪는 고통이나 수고o raen si gan cham kkeo na ae sseo seo kyeong neun ko tong i na su go

Word origin

The word is a Sino-Korean formation linked to the ideas of suffering and living through hardship, which helps explain its meaning of endured difficulty.

Usage tips

  • In Korean, this word often highlights the difficulty endured over time, making it useful when recognizing how demanding a project or experience has been.

Opposites

  • 편안함pyeonanhamcomfortnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word