Key Facts
- Word: 외로움 (oeroum), noun, native Korean origin
- Register: Neutral; noun form of 외롭다 (to be lonely).
- Senses: loneliness
Loneliness in Korean: What Does 외로움 Mean?
외로움 is a neutral, everyday word, and a native Korean one: it is formed from 외롭다 by turning the adjective into a noun. Because it is a noun, it takes particles (외로움을, 외로움이, 외로움은) and sits in the position of the thing felt. For the state of being lonely, the adjective 외롭다 is the predicate.
How Do You Pronounce 외로움?
Say oeroum in three syllables. The first vowel 외 is pronounced like the 'we' in 'wet' for many speakers. The ㅁ at the end closes the word, and a particle links onto it, so 외로움이 sounds like oe-ro-u-mi.
Example Sentences with 외로움
외로움을 느껴요.
oeroumeul neukkyeoyo
I feel lonely.
This sentence names loneliness as a noun: 외로움을 느껴요 uses 을 to mark the feeling and 느껴요 for 'feel'.
혼자 살면 외로움이 커요.
honja salmyeon oeroumi keoyo
Living alone brings a lot of loneliness.
혼자 살면 means 'if you live alone', and 외로움이 커요 says that the loneliness is large.
외로움은 누구에게나 있어요.
oeroumeun nuguegena isseoyo
Everyone has loneliness.
외로움은 uses the topic marker, and 누구에게나 means 'to everyone', so the sentence states a general truth.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Fixed phrases with 외로움 describe how loneliness is felt.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 외로움을 느끼다 | to feel lonely |
| 외로움을 타다 | to be prone to loneliness |
| 외로움에 시달리다 | to suffer from loneliness |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners mix up the noun and the adjective.
Wrong: ✗ 외로움해요
Correct: ✓ 외로워요 (from the adjective 외롭다) or 외로움을 느껴요 (the noun with a particle)
외로움 is a noun, so it cannot take 해요. To say you are lonely, use the adjective 외롭다 as the predicate; keep 외로움 for sentences where it takes a particle.
외로움 Compared with Similar Words
Words for loneliness vary in depth.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 외롭다 | to be lonely | 외롭다 is the adjective; 외로움 is the noun. |
| 고독 | solitude (literary) | 고독 is deeper, literary solitude. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
외로움 is native Korean with no hanja. It is the noun form of 외롭다, made with a noun-forming ending.
Talking after a Move
Two friends talk on the phone after one moves to a new city. The speaker names the feeling without suggesting that everyone who lives alone feels the same way.
Jisu
새집은 어때요?
Saejibeun eottaeyo?
How is your new place?
Alex
좋아요. 그런데 가끔 외로움을 느껴요.
Joayo. Geureonde gakkeum oeroumeul neukkyeoyo.
It’s nice. But sometimes I feel lonely.
Jisu
주말에 같이 밥 먹을까요?
Jumare gachi bap meogeulkkayo?
Shall we have a meal together this weekend?
Alex
좋아요. 토요일에 만나요.
Joayo. Toyoire mannayo.
Sounds good. Let’s meet on Saturday.
가끔 means “sometimes”, so the speaker describes occasional loneliness. 외로움을 느껴요 makes the feeling the object of 느껴요, “feel”. The friend responds with a specific invitation rather than asking for an explanation of the emotion.
What Do the Common Phrases Suggest?
외로움을 타다 describes someone who gets lonely easily. Here 타다 is part of a set expression; it does not mean riding a vehicle. This phrase describes a tendency, while 외로움을 느끼다 can describe one particular evening. A person can feel lonely tonight without usually being prone to loneliness.
외로움에 시달리다 is stronger. 시달리다 means being troubled or tormented by something, so the phrase presents loneliness as distressing or persistent. It is too strong if you only want to describe a quiet afternoon that felt a little lonely. The particle 에 belongs to this combination, unlike the 을 in 외로움을 느끼다.
The example 외로움이 커요 treats loneliness as something with a size. Its natural English meaning is that the loneliness feels strong. 외로움은 누구에게나 있어요 takes a broader view: 은 makes loneliness the topic of a general statement rather than naming one person’s feeling at one moment.
Where Will You Hear 외로움?
외로움 appears in personal essays, interviews, songs and conversations about living away from familiar people. The noun lets a speaker talk about loneliness as an experience: its strength, its cause or the way it changes. It is not slang, and it has no separate honorific version.
For a brief answer to “How are you?”, 외로워요 is more direct than a sentence built around the noun. 외로움을 느껴요 puts slightly more attention on experiencing the feeling. Both can be natural in conversation; choose the structure that fits what you want to emphasize.
Being alone and feeling lonely are different ideas. 혼자 tells you that someone is on their own. 외로움 names an emotion. The sentence about living alone gives one possible experience, not a rule about every person who lives alone. Someone can also feel lonely while surrounded by other people.
Nearby Words for the Situation and Feeling
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 혼자 | alone; by oneself | Describes being on your own without naming an emotion. |
| 그리움 | longing; missing | Usually points toward a person, place or time that is absent. |
| 친구 | friend | Names a relationship rather than an emotional state. |
| 위로 | comfort; consolation | Useful when describing a comforting response. |
The emotions vocabulary lesson teaches words for feelings beyond loneliness. Compare 외로움 with 그리움 when someone misses home: the first names feeling lonely, while the second focuses on the home or people being missed.
Quick Self-Test
- Which is the noun: 외로움 or 외롭다?
- Does 혼자 automatically mean someone feels lonely?
- Which collocation describes getting lonely easily?
Show answers
- 외로움 is the noun; 외롭다 is the adjective.
- No. 혼자 describes being alone.
- 외로움을 타다.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is loneliness in Korean?
It is 외로움, the noun form of 외롭다.
What is the difference between 외롭다 and 외로움?
외롭다 is the adjective for feeling lonely; 외로움 is the noun for the feeling itself.
What does 외로움을 타다 mean?
It means to be prone to loneliness, to feel lonely easily.
What is 고독?
A literary word for deeper solitude.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Emotions vocabulary groups 외로움 with its neighbours.
- Index: browse Korean words A to Z for more words like loneliness.
- Practice: add loneliness to your cards in the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word: mood in Korean, for talking about how you feel in general.