How do you say "pain" in Korean?

고통

gotong

Noun Hangul

In Korean, "pain" is 고통 (gotong).

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Pronunciation

Gotong is open, go-TONG, the first syllable like the English word 'go', the second nasal and drawn out slightly.

Writing and usage

고통 is written using hangul. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

등에 날카로운 통증이 느껴졌다.

deunge nalkaroun tongjeungi neukkyeojyeotda.

She felt a sharp pain in her back.

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How to remember 고통

Pain lingers like a long tong, a bell that keeps ringing after go.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 고통

How do you pronounce 고통?

Gotong is open, go-TONG, the first syllable like the English word 'go', the second nasal and drawn out slightly.

Is 고통 formal or casual?

고통 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 고통 written in Korean?

고통 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as gotong.

Where can I practice Korean words for free?

You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Pain" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Korean language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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