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.
While textbooks reduce this to 'bland,' natives reach for it the second a dish misses its mark on the tongue—often signaling that the chef was too stingy with the salt or that the soup needs another splash of soy sauce. It is not just about a lack of taste, but a specific disappointment where flavor should be robust but feels watered down. Learners often mistake it for general dislike, but it is a purely technical critique of seasoning, delivered casually over the dinner table without malice.
Other sides of 싱겁다
◆ Social Anticlimax — Textbooks teach you this means 'bland' like unsalted soup, but natives weaponize it the moment the drama dies. When someone tries to pick a fight, threatens to leave, or hypes up a massive secret only to reveal something totally mundane, you call it 싱겁다. It strips away all their theatrical tension in one swift syllable, signaling that you are thoroughly unimpressed by their lack of punch.
🎙️ 싱겁다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [싱겁따]로 소리나요 (경음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 국이 좀 싱거우니까 소금 더 넣어.
guk-i jom sing-geo-u-ni-kka so-geum deo neo-heo.
The soup is a bit bland, so add some more salt.
💡 Shows the direct, practical remedy associated with the word. - 이 김치는 담근 지 얼마 안 돼서 싱거워.
i gim-chi-neun dam-geun ji eol-ma an dwae-seo sing-geo-wo.
This kimchi hasn't fermented long enough, so it tastes raw and under-seasoned.
💡 Demonstrates how the term applies to fermented foods that haven't developed depth yet. - 싱겁게 먹어야 건강에 좋아요.
sing-geop-ge meo-goya geon-gang-e jo-ayo.
Eating blandly (with less salt) is good for your health.
💡 Illustrates the dietary lifestyle usage of eating low-sodium.
Related words in Social Situations
소 뒷걸음질 치다 쥐 잡기 So dwit-georeumjil chida jwi japgi속이 터지다 Sok-i teo-ji-da손에 쥐다 son-e jwida손에 땀을 쥐다 Son-e ttam-eul jwida손을 놓다 Son-eul noh-da