What does 추억 mean?
추억 (chu-eok) means: Reminiscence / Fond memory.
Speakers use this noun to describe looking back at past times, such as childhood or school days. It combines with verbs and verbs of state like 담기다, 간직하다, 만들다, and 남다. It also appears in fixed expressions where someone falls into or gets caught up in reflection, such as 추억에 잠기다 and 추억에 사로잡히다.
Can carry a reflective or sentimental weight when dwelling on periods of life that have already passed.
Can carry a reflective or sentimental weight when dwelling on periods of life that have already passed.
Other sides of 추억
◆ romanticized past — Speakers use this to frame difficult or painful moments from the past as beautiful or bittersweet once time has passed. It appears alongside descriptors like 아픈 (painful) or 아련한 (faint/dim), as seen in phrases such as 아픈 추억 (painful memories) or 생각해 보면 다 아름다운 추억이다 (Looking back, they are all beautiful memories). It also combines with verbs of retention and reflection, appearing in expressions like 추억을 간직하다 (to cherish memories) and 추억을 되새겨 보았다 (to look back and reflect on memories).
This framing can gently wrap raw or difficult experiences in a soft, forgiving glow, allowing speakers to distance themselves from past pain by turning it into a picturesque narrative.
◆ nostalgic broadcast — Speakers reach for this word in media and variety programs to trigger shared generational longing for past decades. It appears in discussions looking back at bygone eras and cultural touchstones of youth. In dialogue, it arises when someone turns their thoughts toward a specific earlier time of life.
In broadcast and media contexts, this often reads as an invitation to collective nostalgia, framing past decades through a warm, shared lens rather than purely personal recollection.
This framing can gently wrap raw or difficult experiences in a soft, forgiving glow, allowing speakers to distance themselves from past pain by turning it into a picturesque narrative.
◆ nostalgic broadcast — Speakers reach for this word in media and variety programs to trigger shared generational longing for past decades. It appears in discussions looking back at bygone eras and cultural touchstones of youth. In dialogue, it arises when someone turns their thoughts toward a specific earlier time of life.
In broadcast and media contexts, this often reads as an invitation to collective nostalgia, framing past decades through a warm, shared lens rather than purely personal recollection.
How it's actually used
- 사진첩 속에는 내 어린 시절의 추억들이 담겨 있었다.
sajin-cheop sok-e-neun nae eorin sijeol-ui chu-eok-deuri dam-gyeo isseot-da.
The photo album held memories of my childhood.
💡 A description of looking through old photographs containing past memories. - 나는 졸업장을 받으며 지난 사 년 동안의 추억을 되새겨 보았다.
na-neun jorop-jang-eul bat-eumyeo jin-an sa nyeon dong-an-ui chu-eok-eul doe-saegyeo bo-at-da.
Receiving my diploma, I looked back on the memories of the past four years.
💡 Reflecting on a completed period of schooling at graduation. - 학창 시절의 추억을 잊을 수가 없다.
hak-chang sijeol-ui chu-eok-eul ijul su-ga eop-da.
I cannot forget the memories of my school days.
💡 Expressing enduring remembrance of youth.