Korean word

사건

Pronunciation

Romanizationsageon

Meaning

  • nounincident

Example

경찰이 사건을 조사하고 있다.kyeong cha ri sa geo neul cho sa ha go it tta

The police are investigating the incident.

Illustration for 사건 (incident)

More examples

목격자가 사건 신고를 했다.mok kkyeok jja ga sa geon sin go reul haet tta

A witness reported the incident.

Core concept

A problematic occurrence that becomes a matter for investigation or official handling.

Common phrases

  • 사건 신고sa geon sin go

    incident report

  • 사건 현장sa geon hyeon jang

    incident scene

  • 사건 해결sa geon hae gyeol

    incident resolution

Similar words

일il: A routine event or matter in daily life, usually not something serious.
사고sago: An unforeseen accident that results in injury or damage.
범죄peomjoe: A lawbreaking act that is subject to legal punishment.
사태satae: A troubling situation that becomes serious as events develop.

Definition in Korean

법적이거나 사회적으로 문제가 되어 조사되거나 처리가 요구되는 한 건의 일이나 상황peop jjeo gi geo na sa hoe jeo geu ro mun je ga toe eo cho sa doe geo na cheo ri ga yo gu doe neun han keo nui i ri na sang hwang

Word origin

Built from Sino-Korean elements meaning matter and individual case, this term presents an occurrence as a case that may need investigation or handling.

Usage tips

  • In news and police contexts, incident often fits better than the broader word event because this term usually suggests a problem that needs attention.

Other meanings

  • eventnoun
  • casenoun

Related words

  • 사건번호sageonbeonhocase numbernoun
  • 형사사건hyeongsasageoncriminal casenoun

Word lists with this word