Korean word

지옥

Pronunciation

Romanizationchiok

Meaning

  • nounhell

Example

교통 체증 때문에 출근이 지옥이야.kyo tong che jeung ttae mu ne chul geu ni chi o gi ya

Because of the traffic jam, commuting to work is hell.

Illustration for 지옥 (hell)

More examples

야근이 계속돼서 내 생활은 지옥처럼 느껴진다.ya geu ni kye sok ttwae seo nae saeng hwa reun chi ok cheo reom neu kkyeo jin da

Because the overtime continues, my life feels like hell.

Core concept

Punishment and suffering imagined as a place, or felt as an unbearable condition.

Common phrases

  • 지옥처럼chi ok cheo reom

    like hell

Similar words

헬hel: A casual borrowed expression for an unbearable situation.
고생kosaeng: The hardship and effort involved in getting through a difficult time.

Definition in Korean

종교적·문학적으로 죄인을 벌하는 장소를 가리키는 말로, 일상에서는 매우 괴로운 상태를 뜻하기도 한다.chong gyo jeok mun hak jjeo geu ro choe i neul peol ha neun chang so reul ka ri ki neun mal lo il sang e seo neun mae u koe ro un sang tae reul tteu ta gi do han da

Word origin

The word 지옥 (jiok, "hell") entered Korean through Buddhist texts from Chinese, and its traditional word parts connect a place with a prison and punishment.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Korean, it can describe a very difficult experience without making a literal religious claim.

Opposites

Word lists with this word