Korean word

고통

Pronunciation

Romanizationkotong

Meaning

  • nounpain

Example

운동 후에 고통이 심해졌다.un dong hu e ko tong i sim hae jeot tta

The pain got worse after exercising.

Illustration for 고통 (pain)

More examples

고통이 밤새 계속되어 잠을 잘 수 없었다.ko tong i pam sae kye sok ttoe eo cha meul chal su eop sseot tta

The pain continued all night, so I could not sleep.

Core concept

A powerful experience of physical or emotional pain.

Common phrases

  • 고통을 겪다ko tong eul kyeok tta

    experience pain

  • 고통을 앓다ko tong eul al ta

    suffer from pain

  • 고통을 느끼다ko tong eul neu kki da

    feel pain

Similar words

아픔apeum: Pain or discomfort felt in the body or mind.
통증tongjeung: A painful bodily sensation treated as a medical symptom.
괴로움koeroum: A state of deep emotional distress and hardship.

Definition in Korean

신체나 마음에서 느끼는 아픈 감각이나 괴로움.sin che na ma eu me seo neu kki neun a peun kam ga gi na koe ro um

Word origin

고통 (gotong, "pain") is a Sino-Korean word formed from 고 (go, "suffering") and 통 (tong, "pain"), joining physical pain with emotional suffering.

Usage tips

  • 고통 (gotong, "suffering") often sounds more serious or formal than a minor everyday ache, so it commonly appears in reports and expressive writing.

Other meanings

  • sufferingnoun
  • distressnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word