Nuance Dictionary / Work & Effort
고생하다 go-saeng-ha-da
To suffer through intense physical or mental hardship
What does 고생하다 mean?
고생하다 (go-saeng-ha-da) means: To suffer through intense physical or mental hardship.
Stronger than '수고하다'. If '수고' is standard hard work, '고생' is suffering. You tell your mother '고생하셨어요' for raising you. If you get lost in a foreign country and walk for 10 hours in the rain, you did '고생'.
How it's actually used
- 엄마, 그동안 저 키우시느라 정말 고생 많으셨어요.
eomma, geudongan jeo kiusineura jeongmal gosaeng maneusyeosseoyo.
Mom, thank you so much for all your hard work raising me all this time.
💡 Used to acknowledge deep, genuine suffering or lifelong effort. - 이번 프로젝트 때문에 우리 팀원들 정말 고생했어요.
ibeon projektu tttaemune uri timwondeul jeongmal gosaenghaesseoyo.
Our team members really went through a lot of hardship because of this project.
💡 Stronger than just doing a task; implies enduring difficulty. - 엄마는 젊었을 때 우리를 키우시느라 정말 고생하셨어.
Eommaneun jeolbeosseul ttae urireul kisusineura jeongmal gosanghasseosseo.
My mom really went through a lot of hardships raising us when she was young.
💡 Used with deep emotional weight for someone who suffered over a long period.