Korean word

불편

Pronunciation

Romanizationpulpyeon

Meaning

  • adjectiveinconvenient

Example

집에서 회사까지 거리가 멀어 불편해요.chi be seo hoe sa kka ji keo ri ga meo reo pul pyeon hae yo

Going from home to work is inconvenient because it is far away.

Illustration for 불편 (inconvenient)

More examples

교실 뒤쪽 자리는 칠판이 잘 안 보여서 불편해요.kyo sil twi jjok cha ri neun chil pa ni chal an po yeo seo pul pyeon hae yo

The seat at the back of the classroom is inconvenient because it is hard to see the blackboard.

밤에 소음이 심해서 잠자기 불편해요.pa me so eu mi sim hae seo cham ja gi pul pyeon hae yo

The loud noise at night makes it hard to sleep comfortably.

Core concept

Something makes normal use or action harder than it should be.

Common phrases

  • 교통편이 불편하다kyo tong pyeo ni pul pyeon ha da

    inconvenient transportation

  • 신발이 불편해요sin ba ri pul pyeon hae yo

    uncomfortable shoes

  • 잠자기 불편하다cham ja gi pul pyeon ha da

    inconvenient for sleeping

Similar words

번거롭다peongeoroptta: An ordinary task becomes troublesome when extra steps or effort are required.
귀찮다kwichanta: Even a small task feels like too much trouble to do.
거북하다keobukada: A remark or action can leave someone uneasy and unsure how to respond.

Definition in Korean

사용하거나 생활하기에 편리하지 않아 행동이나 일이 어렵고 성가심을 느끼는 상태를 나타내는 형용사.sa yong ha geo na saeng hwal ha gi e pyeol li ha ji a na haeng dong i na i ri eo ryeop kko seong ga si meul neu kki neun sang tae reul na ta nae neun hyeong yong sa

Word origin

The Sino-Korean word 불편 (bulpyeon, "inconvenient") combines 불 (bul, "not") with 편 (pyeon, "convenience"), giving the idea of something that is not convenient.

Usage tips

  • English often uses inconvenient for situations and uncomfortable for people or bodies, but this Korean word can cover both ideas when something does not feel easy or pleasant.

Other meanings

  • uncomfortableadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 불편사항pulpyeonsahanginconveniencenoun
  • 불편감pulpyeongamdiscomfortnoun

Word lists with this word