Korean word

친절하다

Pronunciation

Romanizationchinjeolhada

Meaning

  • adjectivekind

Example

가게 직원이 친절했어요.ka ge chi gwo ni chin jeol hae sseo yo

The store clerk was kind.

Illustration for 친절하다 (kind)

More examples

이웃이 친절했어요.i u si chin jeol hae sseo yo

The neighbor was kind.

Core concept

Care shown outwardly in the way someone speaks, responds, or offers help.

Common phrases

  • 친절한 말chin jeol han mal

    kind words

  • 친절한 직원chin jeol han chi gwon

    kind employee

  • 사람에게 친절하다sa ra me ge chin jeol ha da

    be kind to people

Similar words

착하다chakada: Being gentle and good-natured in everyday dealings with other people.
상냥하다sangnyanghada: Using a gentle manner and a friendly tone that put people at ease.
다정하다tajeonghada: Showing warm, tender care in a familiar and affectionate manner.
정중하다cheongjunghada: Using polite, respectful behavior suited to the social situation.

Definition in Korean

상대에게 따뜻하고 배려심 있게 말하거나 행동하는 성질sang dae e ge tta tteu ta go pae ryeo sim it kke mal ha geo na haeng dong ha neun seong jil

Word origin

Historically, the base came from Chinese characters expressing closeness and care, and Korean adds its standard adjective-forming element to create the modern word.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may hear kind as mainly a personality trait, but this word is also a routine compliment for how service workers treat customers.

Other meanings

  • politeadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word