Korean word

헤매다

Pronunciation

Romanizationhemaeda

Meaning

  • verbwander around

Example

약국 앞에서 헤맸어요.yak kkuk a pe seo he mae sseo yo

I wandered around in front of the pharmacy.

Illustration for 헤매다 (wander around)

More examples

지도 없이 길을 헤맸어요.chi do eop ssi ki reul he mae sseo yo

I wandered around without a map and lost my way.

Core concept

Wandering from one place or thought to another without knowing the right way forward.

Common phrases

  • 길을 헤매다ki reul he mae da

    lose one's way

  • 밤에 헤매다pa me he mae da

    wander around at night

Similar words

돌아다니다toradanida: Walking from place to place without a fixed destination, often while looking around.
서성거리다seoseonggeorida: Pacing restlessly around the same place without settling down.
방황하다panghwanghada: Drifting without a clear goal or direction in actions, thoughts, or life.
맴돌다maemdolda: Moving repeatedly around a particular place or object without leaving its vicinity.

Definition in Korean

어디로 가야 할지 몰라 몸을 움직여 돌아다니거나 판단이나 감정이 정리되지 않아 어쩔 줄 모르는 상태를 가리키는 동사eo di ro ka ya hal ji mol la mo meul um ji gyeo to ra da ni geo na pan da ni na kam jeong i cheong ni doe ji a na eo jjeol jjul mo reu neun sang tae reul ka ri ki neun tong sa

Word origin

No reliable etymology is confirmed for this native Korean verb, whose meaning links physical wandering with a state of mental or emotional confusion.

Usage tips

  • The word usually suggests difficulty or uncertainty, so it is less suitable for describing relaxed exploring or browsing.

Other meanings

  • get lostverb
  • be confusedverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word