Nuance Dictionary / Grammar
생략 saeng-ryak
Omission — dropping grammatical elements that are understood from context
What does 생략 mean?
생략 (saeng-ryak) means: Omission — dropping grammatical elements that are understood from context.
It is natural in Korean to drop subjects, object particles, etc., when the context is clear. This is not an error, but linguistic efficiency.
Other sides of 생략
◆ Professional Precision — Speakers use this to signal the deliberate cutting of unnecessary content in formal communications, presentations, or instructional materials. It appears when streamlining proceedings to save time, such as skipping introductory greetings or bypassing previously covered sections of a lecture. It combines with verbs like 하다 and 되다, and frequently appears in fixed administrative phrases like 이하 생략.
In professional or institutional settings, this can sound clinical and efficient, signaling to an audience that administrative or redundant material is being bypassed for the sake of productivity.
◆ Casual Ellipsis — Speakers use this to describe the act of reducing or removing a part of a whole, such as skipping a greeting or cutting a section of a meeting. It appears in contexts where certain parts or steps are deliberately left out to make things shorter or simpler. It frequently combines with standard discussion phrases like 안부 인사 and 회의.
In casual settings or texting contexts, applying this concept to people or social events can sometimes carry a nuance of intentional exclusion or neglect.
In professional or institutional settings, this can sound clinical and efficient, signaling to an audience that administrative or redundant material is being bypassed for the sake of productivity.
◆ Casual Ellipsis — Speakers use this to describe the act of reducing or removing a part of a whole, such as skipping a greeting or cutting a section of a meeting. It appears in contexts where certain parts or steps are deliberately left out to make things shorter or simpler. It frequently combines with standard discussion phrases like 안부 인사 and 회의.
In casual settings or texting contexts, applying this concept to people or social events can sometimes carry a nuance of intentional exclusion or neglect.
🎙️ 생략은 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [생냑]로 소리나요 (비음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 안부 인사는 생략을 하고 바로 회의를 시작하도록 합시다.
an-bu in-sa-neun saeng-ryak-eul ha-go ba-ro hoe-ui-reul si-jak-ha-do-rok hap-si-da.
Let's skip the regards and start the meeting right away.
💡 Dropping a preliminary greeting to move straight to business. - 한국어의 구어체에서 주어는 생략이 되는 경우가 많은 편이다.
han-guk-eo-ui gu-eo-chae-eseo ju-eo-neun saeng-ryak-i doe-neun gyeong-u-ga man-eun pyeon-i-da.
In spoken Korean, subjects are often omitted.
💡 Describing grammatical omission in spoken language. - 오늘 수업에서는 어제 얘기한 부분은 생략을 하도록 하고 그 뒷부분부터 강의를 하겠습니다.
o-neul su-eop-e-seo-neun eo-je ya-gi-han bu-bun-eun saeng-ryak-eul ha-do-rok ha-go geu dwit-bu-bun-bu-teo gang-ui-reul ha-get-seum-ni-da.
In today's class, we will skip the part we talked about yesterday and lecture from the back part onwards.
💡 Skipping a previously covered section of a lesson.
Related words in Grammar
경어법 gyeong-eo-beop존댓말 jon-daet-mal반말 ban-mal말 트기 mal teu-gi주시다 / 드리다 ju-si-da / deu-ri-da