Nuance Dictionary / Relief
살았다 sa-rat-da
"I'm saved!" — an exclamation of relief after narrowly escaping trouble
What does 살았다 mean?
살았다 (sa-rat-da) means: "I'm saved!" — an exclamation of relief after narrowly escaping trouble.
Literally 'I lived', but used constantly for non-life-threatening close calls. Catching the last subway train by three seconds and gasping '아, 살았다' to yourself is exactly this — dramatic relief for an ordinary near-miss.
🎙️ 살았다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [사랃따]로 소리나요 (경음화, 받침규칙, 연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 아슬아슬하게 막차를 타서 진짜 살았다.
aseul-aseulhage makchareul taseo jinjja salatda.
I barely caught the last train, man, I'm saved.
💡 Exclaimed aloud instantly upon escaping a tight spot. - 과제 제출 마감 1분 전에 업로드 성공했어, 아 살았다.
gwaje jechul magam ilbun jeone eop-rodeu seonggonghaesseo, a salatda.
I successfully uploaded the assignment one minute before the deadline—phew, I'm saved.
💡 Can be preceded by an '아' for dramatic relief. - 지하철 문 닫히기 직전에 겨우 타서 진짜 살았다.
jihacheol mun datheigi jikjeone gyeou taseo jinjja salatda.
I barely managed to catch the subway right before the doors closed, man, I'm saved.
💡 Commonly muttered to oneself after narrowly avoiding a minor disaster.
Related words in Relief
가슴을 쓸어내리다 ga-seum-eul sseul-eo-nae-ri-da시름을 덜다 si-reum-eul deol-da위기를 넘기다 wi-gi-reul neom-gi-da진정되다 jin-jeong-doe-da걱정을 덜다 geok-jeong-eul deol-da