[Korean Culture/Situational Korean] What Does “섭섭하다” Mean in Korean?

There is a Korean word that is almost impossible to translate directly into English.

It is “섭섭하다.”, “서운하다.”

Both words describe a disappointed or hurt feeling that comes from something not meeting your expectations.

If you look closely, the nuances are a little different.

But they are often used in similar ways, so today, let’s talk mainly about “섭섭하다.”

In the dictionary, “섭섭하다” means:

“To feel unhappy or dissatisfied because something did not meet your expectations.”

It can also mean having a sad or regretful feeling because something feels precious or hard to let go of.

But if you only read the dictionary meaning, it still feels a little vague, right?

So let’s look at some situations.

Here are three examples.

1. Your longtime friend is moving far away. How do you feel?
2. Your family went to Disneyland without you, even though you had been saying for a long time that you wanted to go. How do you feel?
3. Your team leader at work asks, “Did you maybe do this carelessly?” But you actually did your best. How do you feel?

Can you feel it a little now?

In English, you might translate it differently depending on the situation.

• I was a little hurt.
• I felt left out.
• It kind of hurt my feelings.
• I felt slighted

“섭섭하다” is not a word that strongly expresses anger or annoyance.

It is often used when you want the other person to understand that your feelings were hurt, especially when there is still room to improve the relationship.

Next time, I will bring a short role-play so we can see how to use “섭섭하다” in a real conversation!