Korean word

썩

Pronunciation

Romanizationsseok

Meaning

  • adverbnot very

Example

이 영화는 썩 재미있지 않다.i yeong hwa neun sseok chae mi it jji an ta

This movie is not very interesting.

Illustration for 썩 (not very)

More examples

그 음식은 썩 맛있지 않았다.keu eum si geun sseok ma sit jji a nat tta

The food was not very tasty.

Core concept

Something falls a little below the expected level rather than being completely bad.

Common phrases

  • 썩 좋지 않다sseok cho chi an ta

    not very good

Similar words

별로pyeollo: Indicates that an amount or level is not very high, especially in a negative sentence.
그다지keudaji: Marks a low degree of a quality when used with a negative expression.
그리keuri: Uses the surrounding context to gently express that a degree is not so great.

Definition in Korean

기대에 미치지 못함을 약하게 표현하는 부사로, 주로 '않다' 등의 부정 서술어와 함께 쓰인다ki dae e mi chi ji mo ta meul ya ka ge pyo hyeon ha neun pu sa ro chu ro an ta teung ui pu jeong seo su reo wa ham kke sseu in da

Word origin

Its precise origin is uncertain, and its modern meaning reflects a long-established adverbial use that became closely associated with negation.

Usage tips

  • This word usually belongs with an unfavorable judgment, so it is not the natural choice when simply praising something in Korean.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word