Nuance Dictionary / Empathy & Pity
딱하다 ttak-ha-da
Feeling that someone's situation is incredibly pitiful and sad
What does 딱하다 mean?
딱하다 (ttak-ha-da) means: Feeling that someone's situation is incredibly pitiful and sad.
Stronger and more patronizing than '안타깝다'. If you see a stray dog shivering in the freezing rain, it looks '딱하다'. It evokes an immediate desire to click your tongue in sympathy.
🎙️ 딱하다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [따카다]로 소리나요 (격음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 하루 종일 찬 바닥에서 자는 길고양이를 보니 참 딱하다.
haru jongil chan badageseo zaneun gilgoyangireul boni cham ttakhada.
It is so pitiful to see the stray dog sleeping on the cold ground all day.
💡 Used when feeling a patronizing sense of pity for a miserable situation. - 그 사람도 사정이 오죽 힘들었으면 그랬겠어, 왠지 딱하네.
geu saramdo sajeongi ojuk himdeureosseumyeon geuraetgesseo, waenji ttakhane.
Things must have been terribly hard for them to do that, I somehow feel sorry for them.
💡 Expresses sympathetic pity mixed with a touch of looking down on the circumstance. - 지하철에서 종일 고개를 떨구고 잠든 청년의 모습을 보니 참 딱하다.
jihacheoreseo jong-il gogaereul tteolgugo jamdeun cheongnyeone-ui moseubeul boni cham ttakhada.
It's so pitiful to see that young man dozing off with his head drooped all day on the subway.
💡 Evokes a strong sense of pity and sympathy for someone's unfortunate or difficult plight.