Nuance Dictionary / Emotions & Feelings
배가 아프다 baega apeuda
The physical ache of resentment felt when watching someone else succeed.
What does 배가 아프다 mean?
배가 아프다 (baega apeuda) means: The physical ache of resentment felt when watching someone else succeed.
Textbooks teach you this literally means 'my stomach hurts,' leaving learners totally unprepared when a native uses it to describe the bitter sting of a friend's promotion. It isn't cute envy; it’s that gnawing, slightly petty, yet entirely human resentment when peer success rubs you raw. Natives reach for this phrase not for grand, Shakespearean jealousy, but for the everyday, localized heartburn of seeing someone else win.
Other sides of 배가 아프다
◆ Literal Physical Pain — While Korean learners often immediately jump to the metaphorical sting of envy when they hear this phrase, natives still use it for its most literal, boring purpose: your stomach genuinely hurts. Whether it's food poisoning from late-night street tteokbokki or acute indigestion from eating too fast, reaching for this phrase signals a physical distress that requires a trip to the bathroom or the pharmacy. Don't overthink the psychological implications every time someone clutches their midsection; sometimes a stomachache is just a stomachache.
How it's actually used
- 친구 사수가 외제차 샀다니까 은근히 배가 아프네.
chin-gu sa-su-ga oe-je-cha sat-da-ni-kka eun-geun-hi bae-ga a-peu-ne.
Hearing that my friend's boss bought a foreign car low-key burns me up.
💡 ‘은근히’ (secretly/low-key) pairs naturally here, capturing the quiet, slightly guilty nature of everyday envy. - 남 잘되는 거 보고 배 아파하면 우리만 손해지.
nam jal-doe-neun geo bo-go bae a-pa-ha-myeon u-ri-man son-hae-ji.
Being jealous of other people's success only hurts us in the end.
💡 Shows the verb form ‘배 아파하다,’ used to call out or critique petty jealousy in others. - 솔직히 너 내 승진 소식 들었을 때 좀 배 아팠지?
sol-jik-hi neo nae seung-jin so-sik deureot-eul ttae jom bae a-pat-ji?
Honestly, weren't you a bit salty when you heard about my promotion?
💡 Used playfully among close friends to weaponize self-awareness and tease each other about natural rivalry.
Related words in Emotions & Feelings
에이 Ei어머나 Eomeona엄살 Eomsal객기 Gaekgi간이 콩알만 해지다 Gan-i kong-alman haejida