Nuance Dictionary / People & Relationships
속을 썩이다 Sogeul sseogida
To suffer prolonged emotional exhaustion and worry caused by a child's continuous misbehavior or failure to meet expectations.
What does 속을 썩이다 mean?
속을 썩이다 (Sogeul sseogida) means: To suffer prolonged emotional exhaustion and worry caused by a child's continuous misbehavior or failure to meet expectations.
Speakers use this expression when describing the long-term emotional toll that children cause their parents through constant worry or failure to meet expectations. It often appears in conversations where parents reflect on the difficulties of raising offspring or when discussing familial stress. The phrase specifically targets the burden placed on parents rather than general interpersonal frustration.
This can carry a heavy emotional weight, often signaling deep parental sacrifice and lingering worry that goes beyond simple annoyance.
This can carry a heavy emotional weight, often signaling deep parental sacrifice and lingering worry that goes beyond simple annoyance.
Other sides of 속을 썩이다
◆ Self-Directed Regret — National reference materials do not contain an entry for this exact reflexive combination. Speakers construct this phrase to describe an internal state of agonizing remorse driven by one's own past actions toward a loved one. It typically appears in personal confessions or introspective contexts.
Among speakers, this specific framing can feel intensely heavy, carrying the weight of a burden one manufactured entirely through one's own poor choices.
Among speakers, this specific framing can feel intensely heavy, carrying the weight of a burden one manufactured entirely through one's own poor choices.
🎙️ 속을 썩이다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [소글 써기다]로 소리나요 (연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 부모의 속을 썩이다
bu-mo-ui sog-eul sseog-i-da
to cause one's parents emotional distress
💡 describing a child who constantly worries their parents - 자식이 속을 썩여서 걱정이 많다.
ja-sig-i sog-eul sseog-i-seo geog-jeong-i manh-da.
I worry a lot because my child causes me so much distress.
💡 expressing ongoing parental worry - 그 아이는 커서도 부모 속을 썩였다.
geu a-i-neun keo-seo-do bu-mo sog-eul sseog-yeot-da.
That child continued to cause their parents distress even after growing up.
💡 describing long-term trouble caused to parents
Related words in People & Relationships
손발이 맞다 sonbari majda썸남 sseom-nam썸녀 sseom-nyeo여사친 yeo-sa-chin당신 dangsin