What does 아프다 mean?

아프다 (a-peu-da, apeuda)

'아프다' (apeuda) is a basic adjective expressing physical or emotional pain, used widely from casual talk to business contexts.

Korean word 아프다 meaning pain or hurt

Definition & nuance

Core meaning and shades learners miss.

아프다(a-peu-da, apeuda)

'아프다' means to be in pain or discomfort, referring to physical pain or emotional hurt.

Nuances

  • Used for both physical pain and emotional hurt
  • Can express intensity: 'slightly painful', 'very painful'
  • Natural and common in both casual and formal settings

When to use

Hospital visit, Expressing emotions, Everyday conversation

In context

'아프다' functions as an adjective predicate following the subject. It expresses physical or emotional pain. Past form is '아팠다', negative is '아프지 않다'.

Real-world examples

  • 머리가 아파서 약을 먹었어요.

    meo-ri-ga a-pa-seo yak-eul meok-eoss-eo-yo., meo ri ga a pa seo yak eul meok eoss eo yo.

    Correct subject + adjective structure.

  • 마음이 아파요.

    ma-eum-i a-pa-yo., ma eum i a pa yo.

    Natural sentence expressing emotional pain.

  • 아프다 나는.

    a-peu-da na-neun., a peu da na neun.

    Incorrect word order for subject and predicate.

  • 다리가 아프지 않아요.

    da-ri-ga a-peu-ji an-a-yo., da ri ga a peu ji an a yo.

    Correct negative form using '-지 않다'.

  • 아팠어요 어제 많이.

    a-pass-eo-yo eo-je man-i., a pass eo yo eo je man i.

    Incorrect adverb and verb placement.

  • 손가락이 조금 아파요.

    son-ga-rak-i jo-geum a-pa-yo., son ga rak i jo geum a pa yo.

    Proper use of adverb indicating intensity.

Quick quiz

  1. What is the basic meaning of '아프다'?

    '아프다'의 기본 의미는 무엇인가요?('a-peu-da'uigi-bonui-mi-neunmu-eos-in-ga-yo?, 'apeuda'uigibonuimineunmueosingayo?)
  2. Which sentence is correct?

    어떤 문장이 올바른가요?(eo-tteonmun-jang-iol-ba-reun-ga-yo?, eotteonmunjangiolbareungayo?)
  3. What is the negative form of '아프다'?

    '아프다'의 부정형은?('a-peu-da'uibu-jeong-hyeong-eun?, 'apeuda'uibujeonghyeongeun?)

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