Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
싱겁다 sing-geop-da
Lacking sufficient salt, seasoning, or flavor in food or drink.
What does 싱겁다 mean?
싱겁다 (sing-geop-da) means: Lacking sufficient salt, seasoning, or flavor in food or drink.
Speakers use this when food or drink lacks salt, flavor, or seasoning. It frequently combines with words like 간이, 국물이, and 맛이, and pairs with actions like eating blandly or making adjustments. In dialogue, it appears when someone notices a lack of seasoning in a soup, prompting a proposal to add salt.
can sound like a mild critique of a dish or a practical observation prompting a trip to the saltshaker.
can sound like a mild critique of a dish or a practical observation prompting a trip to the saltshaker.
Other sides of 싱겁다
◆ Social Anticlimax — Speakers use this to describe jokes, remarks, questions, or entire resolutions that fall flat and fail to arouse interest. It frequently combines with nouns like 말, 소리, 질문, 대답, 행동, and 결말. In dialogue, a speaker may dismiss a speculative or trivial comment made by an interlocutor by calling it a 싱거운 소리.
When applied to a person's remarks or an outcome, it can carry a sense of mild disappointment or gentle dismissal, as if the listener expected more substance or weight.
When applied to a person's remarks or an outcome, it can carry a sense of mild disappointment or gentle dismissal, as if the listener expected more substance or weight.
🎙️ 싱겁다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [싱겁따]로 소리나요 (경음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 국이 좀 싱겁네요.
guk-i jom sing-geop-ne-yo.
The soup is a bit bland.
💡 A speaker pointing out a lack of seasoning in soup. - 나는 찌개에 물을 넣어서 싱겁게 먹었다.
na-neun jji-gae-e mul-eul neoh-eseo sing-geop-ge meog-eot-da.
I added water to the stew and ate it bland.
💡 Describing the act of eating food prepared with less salt or flavor. - 먹어 보고 싱거우면 간장을 더 넣어라.
meog-eo bo-go sing-geu-eom-yeon gan-jang-eul deo neoh-eo-ra.
Taste it, and if it's too bland, add more soy sauce.
💡 Instructing someone to adjust seasoning after tasting.
Related words in Social Situations
속이 터지다 Sok-i teo-ji-da손에 쥐다 son-e jwida손에 땀을 쥐다 Son-e ttam-eul jwida손을 놓다 Son-eul noh-da손을 벌리다 Soneul beollida