Korean word

졸음

Pronunciation

Romanizationchoreum

Meaning

  • nounsleepiness

Example

밤새 일해서 졸음이 심해.pam sae il hae seo cho reu mi sim hae

I worked all night, so I am very sleepy.

Illustration for 졸음 (sleepiness)

More examples

회의 중이라 졸음을 참으려고 커피를 마셨다.hoe ui chung i ra cho reu meul cha meu ryeo go keo pi reul ma syeot tta

Because I was in a meeting, I drank coffee to resist sleepiness.

Core concept

A wave of drowsiness that makes the eyes feel heavy and attention harder to hold.

Common phrases

  • 졸음이 쏟아지다cho reu mi sso da ji da

    be overcome by sleepiness

  • 졸음을 참다cho reu meul cham tta

    resist sleepiness

  • 졸음이 몰려오다cho reu mi mol lyeo o da

    be overcome by drowsiness

Similar words

졸림chollim: A feeling of heavy sleepiness that makes staying awake difficult.
잠cham: The condition of sleeping or entering sleep to restore the body and mind.
피로piro: Exhaustion that builds up after long or demanding activity.

Definition in Korean

잠이 오거나 눈을 뜨기 어려운 상태를 가리키는 명사.cha mi o geo na nu neul tteu gi eo ryeo un sang tae reul ka ri ki neun myeong sa

Word origin

The noun is formed from a native Korean verb meaning to doze with a noun-forming ending, turning the act or state into the name of a condition.

Usage tips

  • English often says someone is sleepy, but this Korean noun is useful when sleepiness is treated as a condition that arrives or becomes strong.

Opposites

  • 각성kaksseongalertnessnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word