Nuance Dictionary / Daily Verbs
격려하다 gyeong-nyeo-ha-da
To encourage, spur on, and boost someone's morale
What does 격려하다 mean?
격려하다 (gyeong-nyeo-ha-da) means: To encourage, spur on, and boost someone's morale.
Similar to '응원하다' but slightly more authoritative or formal. A teacher will '격려하다' a student who is losing confidence. It involves giving them the mental strength to keep going.
Other sides of 격려하다
◆ top-down-approval — Textbooks teach you that '격려하다' simply means 'to encourage,' but natives know it carries an unmistakable vertical weight. You cannot easily 격려하다 your boss, your sunbae, or even an equal friend without sounding pompous, like a CEO visiting a factory floor. It is the linguistic domain of managers, professors, coaches, and presidents—people patting subordinates on the head and saying, 'Good job, keep pushing.' If you use this casually with peers, you instantly invert the social hierarchy and rebrand yourself as their unsolicited life coach.
◆ public-campaign — When a textbook translates '격려하다' simply as 'to encourage,' it strips away the heavy institutional weight that makes the word tick in real Korean life. Natives don't use this word to whisper a warm, personal pep talk to a struggling friend over soju; that's '응원하다' or '기운을 북돋아주다.' Instead, '격려하다' carries a distinct air of officiality—think of a company CEO addressing the quarterly meeting, a school principal speaking at an assembly, or a municipal banner hanging across a subway station during an economic slump. It bridges the gap between hierarchical authority and collective effort, signaling that the organization or society sees your hard work and is formally validating it. If you use it casually with a close peer, it sounds bizarrely stiff and bureaucratic, like your manager is performance-reviewing your friendship.
◆ public-campaign — When a textbook translates '격려하다' simply as 'to encourage,' it strips away the heavy institutional weight that makes the word tick in real Korean life. Natives don't use this word to whisper a warm, personal pep talk to a struggling friend over soju; that's '응원하다' or '기운을 북돋아주다.' Instead, '격려하다' carries a distinct air of officiality—think of a company CEO addressing the quarterly meeting, a school principal speaking at an assembly, or a municipal banner hanging across a subway station during an economic slump. It bridges the gap between hierarchical authority and collective effort, signaling that the organization or society sees your hard work and is formally validating it. If you use it casually with a close peer, it sounds bizarrely stiff and bureaucratic, like your manager is performance-reviewing your friendship.
How it's actually used
- 선생님께서 기죽은 제자를 따뜻한 말로 격려하셨다.
seonsaengnimkkeseo gijugeun jejareul ttatteuthan mallo gyeokryeohasyeotda.
The teacher encouraged the discouraged student with warm words.
💡 Often used in a slightly formal or narrative context for authority figures supporting others. - 실패했다고 좌절하지 말고 서로 격려하자.
silpaetdago jwachel-haji malgo seoro gyeokryeohaja.
Let's not get discouraged by failure, but instead encourage one another.
💡 Used to motivate a group after a setback. - 팀장님은 실패한 팀원들을 질책하는 대신 따뜻한 말로 격려하셨다.
timjangnimeun silpaehan timwondeureul jilchaeghaneun daesin ttatteuthan mallo gyeokryohasyeotda.
Instead of scolding the team members who failed, the team leader encouraged them with warm words.
💡 Often used in professional or formal settings by superiors.
Related words in Daily Verbs
응원하다 eung-won-ha-da위로하다 wi-ro-ha-da하소연하다 ha-so-yeon-ha-da핑계 ping-gye미루다 mi-ru-da