📙 Lesson point
How to say “It’s lovely” in Korean
Hello, everyone! We’re going to learn two things today. First, we’ll learn about the Korean expression ‘(Noun)스럽다.’ We’ll take a look at its meaning and what kind of words can be combined with it. Next, we’ll learn about how to conjugate ‘(Noun)스럽다’ into conversational forms.
After reading today’s post, not only will you be able to learn how to say “It’s lovely” in Korean, but you’ll also understand how this Korean expression is grammatically formed. Moreover, we’ll look into the actual expression that Hyunjin of TWS used for his Instagram post. Let’s begin!
Korean expression ‘(Noun)스럽다’
First, let’s learn about the Korean suffix ‘-스럽다.’ It is a suffix that adds the meaning of ‘there is such a property or character’ and creates an adjective after some of the stems.
Only particular nouns can be combined with the suffix ‘-스럽다’ like 사랑 (love), 걱정 (worry), 자랑 (pride), or 혼란 (confusion). Note that all of these words are abstract ideas about one’s feelings.
Examples using ‘(Noun)스럽다’
Let’s look at each of the ones. First, ‘사랑’ can be combined with the suffix ‘-스럽다,’ as ‘사랑스럽다.’ It has the meaning of “to be lovely.”
사랑: Love
사랑스럽다: to be lovely
나의 여자친구는 진짜 사랑스럽다
My girlfriend is really lovely
나는 네가 먹을 때 진짜 사랑스럽다고 생각해
I think you are really lovely when you eat
‘걱정,’ which has the meaning of “worry,” can be also combined with ‘-스럽다,’ as ‘걱정스럽다.’ This would have the meaning of to be worried about, or to be worrisome.
You can actually use this adjective in two ways. You can say that you’re feeling ‘걱정스럽다’ to say that you’re feeling worried about something. However, you can also say that something is ‘걱정스럽다’ to say that it is making you feel worried.
걱정: worry
걱정스럽다: to be worried about, or to be worrisome
나는 너의 오토바이 생각에 걱정스럽다
I am worried at the thought of your motorcycle
시험 점수를 보니 미래가 걱정스럽다
Looking at the test scores, the future is worrisome
‘조심’ (caution) can be changed into ‘조심스럽다.’ The usage of this word is similar to the previous example ‘걱정스럽다’. You can say that you’re feeling ‘조심스럽다’ to say that you’re cautious to not make any mistake when dealing with a sensitive situation. However, you can also say that a situation or an issue is ‘조심스럽다’ to say that it is sensitive and it requires caution when being dealt with.
조심: Caution (to not make any fault or mistake)
조심스럽다: to be cautious or mindful of the situation
지수 결혼 얘기는 조심스럽다
Jisoo's marriage issue is sensitive and requires caution
여기에는 지뢰가 많아서 사람들이 조심스럽다
This place has a lot of landmines so people are cautious
Next, ‘자랑’ (noun) can have either positive or negative connotations according to the context. It could mean ‘Something to be proud of’ with a positive nuance, but it could also have a negative nuance with the meaning ‘the act of bragging or boasting about something’. ‘자랑스럽다’ (adjective), however, only has a positive nuance. It means ‘to be proud of something.’
자랑: Pride, Boast
자랑스럽다: to be proud
나는 TWS가 자랑스럽다
I am proud of TWS
나는 한국 전통이 자랑스럽다
I am proud of Korean traditions
Lastly, ‘혼란’ (confusion) can be combined with ‘-스럽다’ as ‘혼란스럽다.’ This would have the meaning of “to be confusing.”
혼란: confusion
혼란스럽다: to be confusing
나는 이 상황이 정말 혼란스럽다
This situation is really confusing to me
그녀는 우울한 생각들로 마음이 혼란스럽다
Her mind is cluttered and bothered with depressing thoughts
How to conjugate ‘(Noun) 스럽다’ to conversational forms
Now, let’s look at how to change this expression into various conversational forms. There are mainly three steps.
The first step is ‘(Noun) -스러워.’ This would be the conversational form in a non-polite manner. This form would usually be used to friends or people you can speak freely to.
The next step is ‘(Noun) -스러워요.’ This is a politer form than ‘(Noun) 스러워.’ This would be used to elder or higher people, but it is still considered as a casual form.
The last step is ‘(Noun) -스럽습니다.’ This form is also a polite conversation form, but this is a more formal version than ‘(Noun) -스러워요.’ Let’s look at some examples.
사랑스럽다 : (original) to be lovely
사랑스러워 : (non-polite) It's lovely
사랑스러워요 : (polite/casual) It's lovely
사랑스럽습니다 : (polite/formal) It's lovely
걱정스럽다 : (original) to be worried
걱정스러워 : (non-polite) I'm worried
걱정스러워요 : (polite/casual) I'm worried
걱정스럽습니다 : (polite/formal) I'm worried
Hanjin says: “사랑스러워”
To conclude, let’s look at the post Hanjin of TWS posted on Instagram. ‘사랑스러워’ means “it’s lovely,” or just “lovely.” It’s actually the title of a song by another KPOP artist Jongkook Kim. Hanjin seems to have done the challenge for this song!