Korean word

십상

Pronunciation

Romanizationsipssang

Meaning

  • nounalmost certain

Example

비가 와서 소풍이 취소될 십상이다.pi ga wa seo so pung i chwi so doel ssip ssang i da

Because it is raining, the picnic is almost certain to be canceled.

Illustration for 십상 (almost certain)

More examples

준비를 안 했으니 계획이 틀어질 십상이다.chun bi reul an hae sseu ni kye hoe gi teu reo jil ssip ssang i da

Since we did not prepare, the plan is almost certain to go awry.

Core concept

When conditions point strongly in one direction, the result is very likely to occur.

Common phrases

  • 문제가 생길 십상이다mun je ga saeng gil ssip ssang i da

    a problem is almost certain to arise

  • 계획이 틀어질 십상이다kye hoe gi teu reo jil ssip ssang i da

    the plan is almost certain to go awry

Similar words

가능성kaneungseong: The chance that a future event may happen, whether the chance is high or low.
확률hwangnyul: A numerical measure of how likely an event is to happen, often shown as a percentage.

Definition in Korean

어떤 일이 거의 틀림없이 일어날 것 같음을 이르는 말.eo tteon i ri keo ui teul li meop ssi i reo nal kkeot ka teu meul i reu neun mal

Word origin

The origin of 십상 (sipssang, "almost certain") remains uncertain, so it is best learned as a whole word rather than through a guessed decomposition.

Usage tips

  • It expresses strong probability without claiming absolute certainty, which helps separate it from words that mean something must happen.

Opposites

  • 불가능성pulganeungseongimpossibilitynoun

Word lists with this word