TOPIK · Level 349
15 words
Korean word
힘겹다
Pronunciation
Romanizationhimgyeoptta
Meaning
- adjectivehard
Example
이별은 늘 힘겹다.i byeo reun neul him gyeop tta
Breakups are always hard.
More examples
아침에 일어나기가 힘겹다.a chi me i reo na gi ga him gyeop tta
Getting up in the morning is hard.
Core concept
A burden of difficulty or pain that feels beyond one's ability to bear.
Common phrases
하루하루가 힘겹다ha ru ha ru ga him gyeop tta
hard day after day
몸을 움직이기가 힘겹다mo meul um ji gi gi ga him gyeop tta
difficult to move one's body
Similar words
힘들다himdeulda: A task or situation requires so much effort that it feels exhausting.
버겁다peogeoptta: A burden or amount feels too large to handle.
Definition in Korean
어려움이나 고통이 커서 쉽게 감당하지 못하고 버거움을 느끼는 상태를 나타내는 형용사.eo ryeo u mi na ko tong i keo seo swip kke kam dang ha ji mo ta go peo geo u meul neu kki neun sang tae reul na ta nae neun hyeong yong sa
Word origin
힘겹다 (himgyeoptta, "hard to bear") joins 힘 (him, "strength or effort") with 겹다 (gyeoptta, "burdensome") to express hardship that feels too heavy to endure.
Usage tips
- It often describes an ongoing emotional or practical struggle, so it can make a simple statement of difficulty sound especially heavy and hard to endure.
Other meanings
- painfuladjective
Opposites
- 수월하다suwolhadaeasyadjective
Related words
- 힘겨워하다himgyeowohadafind difficultverb