Korean word

사연

Pronunciation

Romanizationsayeon

Meaning

  • nouncircumstances

Example

그의 사연을 들으니 마음이 아팠어요.keu ui sa yeo neul teu reu ni ma eu mi a pa sseo yo

Hearing about his circumstances made my heart ache.

Illustration for 사연 (circumstances)

More examples

친구에게 사연을 들려주었더니 위로해 주었어요.chin gu e ge sa yeo neul teul lyeo ju eot tteo ni wi ro hae chu eo sseo yo

When I told my friend about my circumstances, they comforted me.

Core concept

The background circumstances that explain what happened, often including a person's situation and the story behind it.

Common phrases

  • 사연을 들려주다sa yeo neul teul lyeo ju da

    tell one's story

  • 사연을 나누다sa yeo neul na nu da

    share one's story

  • 사연이 안타깝다sa yeo ni an ta kkap tta

    a heartbreaking story

Similar words

이유iyu: The direct reason an event happened or a choice was made.
사정sajeong: The personal or outside conditions that affect a plan, decision, or action.
이야기iyagi: A spoken account of events and experiences shared as a story.
배경paegyeong: The surrounding conditions and past facts that give a person or event context.

Definition in Korean

어떤 일이 발생한 이유나 연유를 가리키는 말로, 종종 누군가의 사정이나 이야기 전체를 가리킬 때 쓰임.eo tteon i ri pal saeng han i yu na yeo nyu reul ka ri ki neun mal lo chong jong nu gun ga ui sa jeong i na i ya gi cheon che reul ka ri kil ttae sseu im

Word origin

As a Sino-Korean compound, it combines ideas of a matter or event and the connection behind it, giving the sense of circumstances that lie behind what happened.

Usage tips

  • English circumstances can sound formal and broad, while this word often carries a human, emotional background that someone shares as part of a story.

Other meanings

  • storynoun
  • anecdotenoun

Word lists with this word