Key Facts
- Word: 분노 (bunno), noun, Sino-Korean origin
- Register: Formal/written; strong. Everyday speech uses 화 (화가 나다).
- Hanja: 憤怒 (憤 resentful anger + 怒 anger)
- Senses: anger; rage
Anger in Korean: What Does 분노 Mean?
분노 is a heavy word. Its register is formal and written, and the everyday way to say you are angry is 화, as in 화가 나다. Picture a crowd reacting to an injustice: that is 분노, while snapping at a friend is 화. The verb form 분노하다 means to be enraged.
How Do You Pronounce 분노?
Say bunno with a long, doubled n sound in the middle: the ㄴ at the end of 분 meets the ㄴ that starts 노, and both are held together. Nothing else changes. With a particle the word stays steady, so 분노를 is read as spelled.
Example Sentences with 분노
그는 분노를 참았어요.
geuneun bunnoreul chamasseoyo
He held back his anger.
A common pairing. 참았어요 is the past of holding something back, and 그는 (he) is marked as the topic.
사람들이 분노했어요.
saramdeuri bunnohaesseoyo
People were enraged.
The verb 분노했어요 turns the noun into an action; the subject 사람들이 is a group of people reacting together.
분노가 커졌어요.
bunnoga keojyeosseoyo
The anger grew.
분노가 is the subject here, so 커졌어요 says that it grew bigger over time.
Common Phrases and Collocations
These patterns describe feeling anger, restraining it and being enraged.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 분노를 느끼다 | to feel anger |
| 분노를 참다 | to hold back anger |
| 분노하다 | to be enraged |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners reach for 분노 in daily speech, where it sounds like a news headline.
Register contrast (not a grammar error): 분노 vs 화
In a casual chat, say: ✓ 화가 났어요
분노 sounds strong, formal or literary. For an ordinary annoyance in conversation, 화가 났어요 is usually the more natural choice.
분노 Compared with Similar Words
Anger-related words sit on a scale from mild to strong.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 화 | anger (everyday) | 화 is the everyday word, as in 화가 나다 (to get angry). |
| 짜증 | irritation | 짜증 is annoyance or irritation, weaker than 분노. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
분노 is Sino-Korean, written 憤怒 in hanja: 憤 means resentful anger and 怒 means anger. Both characters carry the feeling of anger, which explains the strong tone.
Discussing a News Report
Two friends have watched a report about a company withholding wages. 분노 fits their reaction to unfair treatment, even though the conversation itself is informal and uses polite endings.
Jisu
그 뉴스 봤어요?
Geu nyuseu bwasseoyo?
Did you see that news report?
Minho
네. 직원들이 정말 화가 났겠어요.
Ne. Jigwondeuri jeongmal hwaga natgesseoyo.
Yes. The employees must have been really angry.
Jisu
저도 분노를 느꼈어요.
Jeodo bunnoreul neukkyeosseoyo.
I felt angry too.
Minho
저도요. 너무 부당해요.
Jeodoyo. Neomu budanghaeyo.
Me too. It is so unfair.
화가 났겠어요 guesses how the employees felt; 분노를 느꼈어요 reports the speaker's own reaction. 부당해요 means “it is unfair”. That context makes the stronger noun understandable. 분노 can occur in conversation when the feeling is serious; its written or formal flavour does not ban it from speech.
How Do Writers Describe Anger Building or Escaping?
분노를 터뜨리다 means “to vent one's anger” or “to erupt in anger”. 터뜨리다 literally involves making something burst. With 분노, the image is anger coming out after being contained. The phrase describes its expression; 분노를 느끼다 only says the feeling exists.
분노를 억누르다 means “to suppress one's anger”. It pictures holding the feeling down. This is close to 분노를 참다, but emphasizes active restraint. In a novel, a character may feel 분노, suppress it and then speak calmly. The noun alone does not tell you whether the character shouts or stays quiet.
분노에 차다 means “to be filled with anger”. 차다 means to be full in this expression. 분노에 찬 목소리 is “a voice filled with anger”: the phrase modifies 목소리, voice. A drama recap can use it to describe a character's delivery without quoting what they said.
What Changes between a Headline and a Chat?
Public reactions are often described with a group before 분노: 시민들의 분노 means “citizens' anger”, and 국민의 분노 means “the public's anger”. The noun packages the feeling as a subject that can grow or be expressed. That helps explain why 분노가 커졌어요 sounds natural in a report about a developing controversy.
In a small everyday complaint, 화가 났어요 is usually a lighter, more conversational choice. 짜증이 나요 means “I feel irritated” and suits annoyances such as a repeated noise. The choice depends on how the speaker presents the feeling. There is no fixed rule that only a crowd can feel 분노 or that 화 can never be intense.
Be careful with the direction of the everyday phrases. 화가 나다 describes becoming angry; 화를 내다 describes showing or expressing anger. English “get angry” can blur that difference. The Korean markers and verbs help you distinguish the feeling arising from the behaviour another person sees.
Words for Following an Emotional Scene
| Related word | Meaning | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| 억울하다 | to feel wronged | Often explains anger after unfair treatment or blame. |
| 부당하다 | to be unfair; unjust | Describes the treatment rather than the emotion. |
| 참다 | to endure; hold back | Goes with 분노를 when someone restrains the feeling. |
| 목소리 | voice | A writer can describe anger through someone's voice. |
See the emotions vocabulary lesson for the surrounding set of feelings and their everyday expressions.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase says anger comes out: 분노를 느끼다 or 분노를 터뜨리다?
- Can 분노 appear in a serious conversation between friends?
- Does 화를 내다 focus on feeling anger arise or expressing it?
Show answers
- 분노를 터뜨리다. 느끼다 means to feel it.
- Yes. Strong anger or a reaction to injustice can suit the word.
- Expressing it. 화가 나다 describes becoming angry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is anger in Korean?
It is 분노, a formal noun for anger or rage.
How do I say 'I am angry' in everyday speech?
Use the 화가 나다 pattern instead of 분노.
Is 분노하다 a verb?
Yes. 분노하다 means to be enraged, as in 사람들이 분노했어요.
How is 분노 different from 짜증?
짜증 is annoyance or irritation, weaker than 분노.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Emotions vocabulary groups 분노 with its neighbours.
- Index: browse Korean words A to Z for more words like anger.
- Practice: add anger to your cards in the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word: anxiety in Korean, the neighbouring feeling in the emotions list.