hardship vs to struggle in Korean

고생vs고생하다

hardship

고생hardship

고생 means hardship, trouble, or hard work. You use it when someone has a difficult or tiring time doing something. In daily Korean, people also say “고생했어요” to mean “You worked hard” or “That was tough.”

When to use hardship
to struggle

고생하다to struggle

고생하다 means to have a hard time or to struggle while doing something. You use it when work, study, travel, or daily life feels difficult and tiring. It can also sound caring when you talk about someone’s hard effort.

When to use to struggle

How they differ

hardship (고생) and to struggle (고생하다) are nearby Korean vocabulary items learners often meet together. Use “hardship” when 고생 means hardship, trouble, or hard work. You use it when someone has a difficult or tiring time doing something. In daily Korean, people… Use “to struggle” when 고생하다 means to have a hard time or to struggle while doing something. You use it when work, study, travel, or daily life feels difficult a…