Key Facts
- Hangul: ㅠㅠ; Revised Romanization: yuyu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Informal texting emoticon for tears; not read aloud.
Crying Emoticon in Korean: What Does ㅠㅠ Mean?
ㅠㅠ is a text emoticon, not a spoken word. The two letters look like eyes with tears running down, so it works as a crying emoticon or sad face. It belongs to informal texting and is not normally read aloud.
How Do You Pronounce ㅠㅠ?
In normal conversation there is nothing to pronounce. The romanization yuyu simply spells out the name of the vowel letter ㅠ twice; the symbol itself has no normal spoken reading. To show sadness out loud, people use words, not "yuyu".
Example Sentences with ㅠㅠ
시험이 어려워서 ㅠㅠ
siheomi eoryeowoseo yuyu
The test was hard, so ㅠㅠ
Added at the end of the sentence. The test was hard, and ㅠㅠ finishes the thought with a tearful face in place of a full sentence.
친구가 ㅠㅠ를 보냈어요.
chinguga yuyureul bonaesseoyo.
My friend sent ㅠㅠ.
Talking about receiving the emoticon. 보냈어요 is the past tense of sending, and ㅠㅠ is the thing sent, marked as an object.
너무 슬퍼요 ㅠㅠ
neomu seulpeoyo yuyu
I am so sad ㅠㅠ
Emotion doubled up. 너무 슬퍼요 already says the speaker is very sad, and ㅠㅠ underlines it visually.
Collocations
The sending verb 보내다 is the natural partner, as in ㅠㅠ를 보내다. ㅠㅠ 이모티콘 names it as a category, and ㅜㅜ is another crying emoticon with a smaller look.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ㅠㅠ를 보내다 | send ㅠㅠ |
| ㅜㅜ | another crying emoticon |
| ㅠㅠ 이모티콘 | ㅠㅠ emoticon |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: saying "yuyu" out loud as if ㅠㅠ were a spoken word.
Correct: type ㅠㅠ in messages and read it as a crying face. When speaking, say the feeling in words, for example 너무 슬퍼요 (I am so sad).
ㅠㅠ Compared with Similar Words
The useful contrast is size of crying face, and crying against laughing.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| ㅠㅠ | crying emoticon | This page's word |
| ㅜㅜ | crying emoticon (smaller) | Same feeling, with single tear lines that look a little lighter |
| ㅋㅋ | laughing | The opposite mood: a typed laugh |
Where Does the Word Come From?
The shape comes from the letter ㅠ, whose two downward strokes resemble streaming tears. It is built from a native Hangul letter, so there is no hanja.
A Text Exchange after Missing the Bus
Two friends are messaging about a missed bus. These are typed messages: keep ㅠㅠ as a visual face, and read the surrounding Korean as ordinary language.
Mina
버스를 놓쳤어요 ㅠㅠ
Beoseureul nochyeosseoyo.
I missed the bus. (crying face)
Jisu
다음 버스는 언제 와요?
Daeum beoseuneun eonje wayo?
When does the next bus come?
Mina
20분 후에 와요.
Isip bun hue wayo.
It comes in twenty minutes.
Jisu
괜찮아요. 기다릴게요.
Gwaenchanayo. Gidarilgeyo.
It’s okay. I’ll wait.
The first message reports a small setback. ㅠㅠ adds disappointment and may also suggest “sorry to keep you waiting”. It does not prove that Mina is literally crying. The friend responds to the practical problem by asking about the next bus, then reassures her that waiting is okay.
The romanization above represents the words in each message. The crying face has no spoken reading in the exchange. A pronunciation clip can help with the sentence, but the visual symbol supplies a tone that speech would normally convey through the voice.
What Can ㅠㅠ Add to a Message?
After bad news, ㅠㅠ can show sadness or frustration. After an apology, it can soften the message by showing regret. After thanks, it can suggest being touched or overwhelmed. The same face can therefore appear with several emotions. Read the words before deciding how serious the message is.
고마워요 ㅠㅠ means “Thank you” with a tearful or moved tone. The face does not reverse the thanks into a complaint. 미안해요 ㅠㅠ adds a distressed tone to “I'm sorry”. In both combinations, the words carry the main message and the face adds an emotional cue.
Repeated letters, such as ㅠㅠㅠㅠ, can make the reaction look stronger or more dramatic. There is no fixed scale where a particular number of letters equals a particular degree of sadness. Friends may use a long string playfully after a minor inconvenience, so length alone cannot measure distress.
Where Is This Style Appropriate?
You will see ㅠㅠ in personal chats, social-media comments and informal fan discussions. The ending of the sentence can still be polite, as in the dialogue. A polite verb ending and an informal emoticon can coexist: the ending addresses the other person politely, while the face makes the message feel personal.
For a first email to a teacher, a job application or a formal customer request, express the situation in words. A crying face may feel too familiar in those settings. Whether a workplace chat permits it depends on the relationship and the team's usual style; the symbol itself does not create a formal tone.
A serious disclosure also deserves attention to the words. Someone can type ㅠㅠ after a joke or after real upsetting news. The face is a clue to emotion, not enough information to judge the event. A reply that acknowledges what happened is clearer than automatically sending a laughing symbol back.
Related Reactions to Recognise
| Korean | Meaning | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| ㅜㅜ | crying face | Another shape for tears, without a fixed weaker meaning. |
| ㅋㅋ | typed laughter | Can be playful; context affects how the laugh lands. |
| ㅎㅎ | typed laughter | Often adds a light or friendly tone. |
| 이모티콘 | emoticon | A label for visual reactions, including character-based faces. |
The laughing and crying emoticons lesson compares these reactions in messages. The two tear shapes ㅠㅠ and ㅜㅜ are both usable; choosing one does not change the grammar of the sentence around it.
Quick Self-Test
- In the bus dialogue, does ㅠㅠ prove that Mina is crying?
- Must a message ending in 요 avoid ㅠㅠ?
- What does ㅠㅠ add after 고마워요?
Show answers
- No. It conveys disappointment or regret in this situation.
- No. Polite sentence endings can appear in informal personal chats.
- It can show that the sender feels moved or overwhelmed with gratitude.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say the crying emoticon in Korean?
You do not say it. ㅠㅠ is typed in messages to show tears.
What is the difference between ㅠㅠ and ㅜㅜ?
Both show crying. ㅜㅜ is a slightly smaller-looking version with the same meaning.
Is ㅠㅠ polite enough for formal messages?
No. It belongs to informal texting with friends.
What is the opposite of ㅠㅠ?
ㅋㅋ, the typed laugh.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the laughing and crying emoticons page groups ㅠㅠ with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- The laughing counterpart is on the next entry of the emoticons list.