Korean word

실수

Pronunciation

Romanizationsilsu

Meaning

  • nounmistake

Example

그건 큰 실수였어요.keu geon keun sil su yeo sseo yo

That was a big mistake.

Illustration for 실수 (mistake)

More examples

그는 동료들에게 실수에 대해 사과했어요.keu neun tong nyo deu re ge sil su e tae hae sa gwa hae sseo yo

He apologized to his colleagues for his mistake.

Core concept

Something done or said incorrectly without meaning to do it wrong.

Common phrases

  • 중대한 실수chung dae han sil su

    serious mistake

  • 실수를 반복하다sil su reul pan bo ka da

    repeat mistakes

  • 실수에 대해 사과하다sil su e tae hae sa gwa ha da

    apologize for a mistake

Similar words

잘못chalmot: A wrong action or choice that causes a problem or is seen as someone's fault.
착오chago: A mix-up in information or handling that makes the result different from what was expected.
실책silchaek: A poor choice that leads to failure.

Definition in Korean

의도하지 않은 부주의나 착오로 인해 발생한 잘못을 가리키며, 말실수나 행동의 오류 모두에 쓰이는 명사이다.ui do ha ji a neun pu ju ui na cha go ro in hae pal saeng han chal mo seul ka ri ki myeo mal sil su na haeng dong ui o ryu mo du e sseu i neun myeong sa i da

Word origin

Its Sino-Korean roots combine the ideas of losing and the hand, connecting an accidental error with a person's action.

Usage tips

  • Using 실수 (silsu, "mistake") in an apology focuses on what went wrong instead of labeling someone as a bad person.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word