What it means
슬픔 is the noun form of 슬프다 (to be sad) — sadness or sorrow. A deep, meaningful word often found in K-drama emotional scenes and K-pop ballad lyrics.
Nuance & when to use
슬프다 = to be sad (adjective). 슬픔 = sadness (noun). 슬픔을 나누다 = to share sorrow. 슬픔에 잠기다 = to be sunk in sadness. 슬픔도 아름다울 수 있다 = even sadness can be beautiful (common K-drama/K-pop theme). Korean music culture doesn't avoid sadness — 슬픈 노래 (sad songs) are a beloved genre.
⚠ Common mistake
슬프다 ≠ 힘들다. 슬프다 = sad (emotional). 힘들다 = hard/difficult (physical or emotional exhaustion). 슬픈 영화예요 (it's a sad movie) vs 힘든 하루예요 (it's a hard day).
Example sentences
See also
FAQ
When is this used?
슬프다 = to be sad (adjective). 슬픔 = sadness (noun). 슬픔을 나누다 = to share sorrow. 슬픔에 잠기다 = to be sunk in sadness. 슬픔도 아름다울 수 있다 = even sadness can be beautiful (common K-drama/K-pop theme). Korean music culture doesn't avoid sadness — 슬픈 노래 (sad songs) are a beloved genre.
What's a common mistake?
슬프다 ≠ 힘들다. 슬프다 = sad (emotional). 힘들다 = hard/difficult (physical or emotional exhaustion). 슬픈 영화예요 (it's a sad movie) vs 힘든 하루예요 (it's a hard day).
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