Nuance Dictionary / Emotions & Feelings
한숨 han-sum
The audible, involuntary release of breath caused by physical fatigue, thermal reaction, or the sudden cessation of stress.
What does 한숨 mean?
한숨 (han-sum) means: The audible, involuntary release of breath caused by physical fatigue, thermal reaction, or the sudden cessation of stress.
Speakers use this term to describe a long breath expelled after physical exhaustion or upon finding relief from a tense situation. It appears in fixed collocations such as forming deep breaths, making breathing sounds, and letting out a sigh. Sentences often feature individuals reacting to narrow escapes or expressing physical weariness.
Other sides of 한숨
◆ The Relational Sigh — Speakers produce this long exhalation when feeling troubled by someone else's actions or a difficult situation. It frequently appears alongside phrases expressing lamentation over one's circumstances, or in exchanges where one person notices another sighing deeply and asks about the underlying worries. It pairs with verbs like 내쉬다 and 쉬다, often accompanied by modifiers describing the heaviness of the breath, such as땅이 꺼질 듯이.
When directed toward another person's actions without verbal confrontation, this exhalation can function as a heavy social signal that registers as unspoken reproach or exhaustion.
◆ The Existential Dread — Speakers produce this long breath when confronting burdensome worries, heavy sorrow, or the weight of harsh realities. It frequently appears alongside expressions of lamenting one's fortune or carrying deep troubles. In dialogue, one speaker often points out the audible weight of another's exhalation, prompting an admission of ongoing worries. It combines directly with verbs of release like 내쉬다 and 쉬다, as well as descriptive phrasings like 땅이 꺼지다.
When accompanied by descriptive phrases about the ground sinking, this exhalation can feel less like a momentary lapse and more like an entire life's despair pressing down at once, signaling to anyone listening that the situation feels temporarily unendurable.
When directed toward another person's actions without verbal confrontation, this exhalation can function as a heavy social signal that registers as unspoken reproach or exhaustion.
◆ The Existential Dread — Speakers produce this long breath when confronting burdensome worries, heavy sorrow, or the weight of harsh realities. It frequently appears alongside expressions of lamenting one's fortune or carrying deep troubles. In dialogue, one speaker often points out the audible weight of another's exhalation, prompting an admission of ongoing worries. It combines directly with verbs of release like 내쉬다 and 쉬다, as well as descriptive phrasings like 땅이 꺼지다.
When accompanied by descriptive phrases about the ground sinking, this exhalation can feel less like a momentary lapse and more like an entire life's despair pressing down at once, signaling to anyone listening that the situation feels temporarily unendurable.
How it's actually used
- 지수는 아슬아슬하게 교통사고를 면하고는 자기도 모르게 한숨을 쉬었다.
ji-su-neun a-seul-a-seul-ha-ge gyo-tong-sa-go-reul myeon-ha-go-neun ja-gi-do mo-reu-ge han-sum-eul swi-eot-da.
Jisoo unconsciously let out a sigh after narrowly avoiding a car accident.
💡 Shows an involuntary exhalation following sudden relief from danger. - 땅이 꺼질 듯이 한숨을 내쉰다.
ttang-i kkeo-jil deu-si han-sum-eul nae-swin-da.
Exhaling a sigh as if the ground were caving in.
💡 Illustrates a heavy, deep physical exhalation. - 왜 그렇게 땅이 꺼져라 한숨을 쉬니?
wae geureok-ge ttang-i kkeo-jyeo-ra han-sum-eul swi-ni?
Why are you sighing so deeply as if the ground is sinking?
💡 Inquiring about someone's heavy exhalation in casual dialogue.
Related words in Emotions & Feelings
정겹다 jeong-gyeop-da지긋지긋 jigeut-jigeut마음이 무겁다 Ma-eum-i mu-geop-da마음을 비우다 Maeumeul biuda낯이 뜨겁다 Nachi tteugeopda