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슬프다

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Meaning and Usage

The adjective '슬프다' means 'to be sad' or 'to feel sorrowful.' It is commonly used to express emotional pain or sadness caused by events, people, or situations.

Common Contexts

You will often hear '슬프다' when talking about movies, songs, personal experiences, or news that evoke sadness. It is a descriptive word that conveys genuine emotional states.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 슬프다 + noun (e.g., 슬픈 노래): describes something that causes sadness.
  • 마음이 슬프다: literally 'the heart is sad,' used to express personal feelings.
  • 슬펐다 (past tense): to say something was sad.

Register and Politeness

'슬프다' is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. The polite form is '슬퍼요' and the past polite form is '슬펐어요.'

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse '슬프다' with '아프다' (to be hurt or sick). Remember, '슬프다' relates to emotional sadness, while '아프다' refers to physical pain or illness.

Example Sentences

그 영화는 정말 슬펐어요.

Geu yeonghwaneun jeongmal seulpeosseoyo.

That movie was really sad.

친구가 떠나서 마음이 슬프다.

Chinguga tteonaseo maeumi seulpeuda.

I feel sad because my friend left.

슬픈 노래를 들으면 눈물이 나요.

Seulpeun noraereul deureumyeon nunmuri nayo.

When I listen to sad songs, I cry.