Life is exciting these days, especially in Korea!
Whether you’re working, traveling, or hanging out during your leisure time, there are plenty of things to do.
With all these choices, you’re sure to have a full calendar!
However, there are those rare times when you’ll need to know how to say ‘I’m bored’ in Korean. We’ll make sure you know how!
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Two Types of ‘I’m Bored’ in Korean
The two common descriptive verbs (adjectives) that are used in Korean to express the idea of ‘I’m bored’ in Korea are 지루하다 (jiruhada) and 심심하다 (simsimhada).
While both of them mean the same thing in English, they are used slightly different ways.
지루하다 (jiruhada)means ‘I’m bored of it’.
For example, if you’ve been taking the same commute to work or school, you could use 지루하다 (jiruhada).
심심하다 (simsimhada)means ‘I’m bored with nothing to do’.
For example, you might be stuck inside your house for a few days all alone because of a snowstorm. In that case, you could use 심심하다 (simsimhada).
Formal ‘I’m Bored’ in Korean
1. 지루합니다 (jiruhamnida)
Since this is the formal version of how to say ‘I’m bored’ in Korean, you might hear this on a news report. Alternatively, someone at your workplace might say it about a meeting.
Example:
회의는 지루합니다. (hoeuineun jiruhamnida)
The meeting is boring.
2. 심심합니다 (simsimhamnida)
It’s possible you’d hear this formal version during a speech or a lecture.
Example:
학생들은 심심합니다. (haksaengdeureun simsimhamnida)
The students are bored.
Standard ‘I’m Bored’ in Korean
1. 지루해요 (jiruhaeyo)
The standard version of ‘I’m bored’ in Korean is used in everyday conversation.
Example:
나는 지루해요. (naneun jiruhaeyo)
I’m bored.
2. 심심해요 (simsimhaeyo)
You might use this phrase to tell your coworker about your home life.
Example:
집에 있을 때 너무 심심해요. (jibe isseul ttae neomu simsimhaeyo)
When I’m at home, I’m really bored.
Informal ‘I’m Bored’ in Korean
1. 지루해 (jiruhae)
Since this is the informal version of 지루하다 (jiruhada) you should use it with those close to you. You might use it with your best friend or classmate who you know well.
Example:
똑같은 연설은 지루해. (ttokgateun yeonseoreun jiruhae)
I’m tired of the same speech.
2. 심심해 (simsimhae)
You could use the informal version of 심심하다 (simsimhada) with your spouse or significant other.
Example:
하루 종일 혼자 있어서 심심해. (haru jongil honja isseoseo simsimhae)
I’m bored from being alone all day.
This video shows How to Say “I’m Bored” in Korean
A Word of Caution About Romanization
We’ve added in the Romanization for all of these words to help with pronunciation. However, we recommend that you try to move onto reading comfortably in Hangul (the Korean alphabet), as this will improve your pronunciation and your reading skills. It will also help you notice patterns in words, which will lead you to improve the rate at which you learn new Korean words and grammar points.
You can download a free guide to learn the Korean alphabet in about an hour here.
Learning vocabulary words is a great way to help you learn the basics of a language, but your language learning will only really take off one you start attempting to have conversations in Korean. Take a look at our free list of Korean phrases or our full Korean course for all the help you will need when studying Korean.
Wrap Up
After reading this, you know two things. First, you know how to say ‘I’m bored’ in Korean. Secondly, you know how to distinguish between the two versions of ‘I’m bored’ in Korean.
Now that you know how to say this phrase, we hope that you don’t have to use it. Instead, listen to people who do say it, and try to turn their day into an exciting one!