§ Understanding 자긍심 (Self-Esteem/Self-Pride)
You've learned that 자긍심 (ja-geung-shim) means self-esteem or self-pride. Now, let's look at how to use this important noun in actual Korean sentences. Like many nouns, 자긍심 often pairs with specific particles to show its role in a sentence. We'll cover the most common ways to use it so you can sound more natural when you speak or write.
§ Using 자긍심 with the Subject Particle (이/가)
When 자긍심 is the subject of a sentence, meaning it's the thing performing the action or being described, you'll attach the subject particle -이 (if the noun ends in a consonant) or -가 (if the noun ends in a vowel). Since 자긍심 ends in a consonant (ㅁ), you'll use 자긍심이.
그는 자긍심이 강한 사람입니다. (He is a person with strong self-pride.)
아이들의 자긍심이 중요합니다. (Children's self-esteem is important.)
§ Using 자긍심 with the Object Particle (을/를)
When 자긍심 is the object of a verb, meaning it's receiving the action, you'll attach the object particle -을 (if the noun ends in a consonant) or -를 (if the noun ends in a vowel). With 자긍심, you'll use 자긍심을.
저는 제 자긍심을 지키고 싶어요. (I want to protect my self-esteem.)
그는 일에서 자긍심을 느낍니다. (He feels self-pride in his work.)
§ Combining 자긍심 with Verbs and Adjectives
You'll often see 자긍심 combined with verbs and adjectives to express different ideas about self-esteem. Here are some common patterns:
자긍심을 가지다 (to have self-esteem/pride): This is a very common phrase to say someone possesses self-esteem.
스스로 자긍심을 가져야 합니다. (You should have self-esteem.)
자긍심이 높다/낮다 (to have high/low self-esteem): Use these adjectives to describe the level of self-esteem.
그녀는 자긍심이 높아요. (She has high self-esteem.)
자긍심을 키우다/잃다 (to build/lose self-esteem): These verbs show an action being performed on self-esteem.
실패를 통해 자긍심을 잃지 마세요. (Don't lose your self-esteem through failure.)
§ Common Phrases with 자긍심
Here are a few more natural-sounding phrases you'll hear and use with 자긍심:
- DEFINITION
- 국가적 자긍심 (national pride)
This phrase combines 국가적 (national) with 자긍심 to talk about pride in one's nation.
우리는 우리의 역사에 대한 국가적 자긍심을 가지고 있습니다. (We have national pride in our history.)
- DEFINITION
- 개인의 자긍심 (individual self-esteem)
Adding 개인의 (individual) specifies that we are talking about a person's self-esteem.
성공은 개인의 자긍심을 높여줍니다. (Success raises individual self-esteem.)
Niveau de difficulté
The word is relatively short and uses common Korean characters. No complex hanja or irregular pronunciations.
Short and straightforward to write. No particularly difficult strokes or combinations.
Pronunciation is clear and directly follows standard Korean phonetics. No common pitfalls for English speakers.
Distinct syllables make it easy to discern in spoken conversation.
Quoi apprendre ensuite
Prérequis
Apprends ensuite
Avancé
Grammaire à connaître
N + 이/가 있다/없다 (to have/not have N): This pattern is used to express possession or existence. It's often used with abstract nouns like '자긍심' to mean 'to have self-esteem' or 'to lack self-esteem'.
그는 자긍심이 있어요. (He has self-esteem.)
N을/를 느끼다 (to feel N): This pattern is used to express feeling a certain emotion or sensation. '자긍심을 느끼다' means 'to feel self-pride'.
저는 제 노력에 자긍심을 느껴요. (I feel self-pride in my efforts.)
N + 이/가 높다/낮다 (N is high/low): This pattern describes the level or degree of a noun. With '자긍심', it means 'self-esteem is high' or 'self-esteem is low'.
그녀는 자긍심이 아주 높아요. (Her self-esteem is very high.)
N을/를 지키다 (to protect/maintain N): This pattern is used when you want to express the idea of maintaining or protecting something, even an abstract concept like self-pride.
우리는 우리의 자긍심을 지켜야 해요. (We need to protect our self-pride.)
N에 대한 (about N / regarding N): This phrase is used to specify what the noun is about or concerns. '자긍심에 대한' can be used to talk about things related to self-esteem.
자긍심에 대한 이야기는 중요합니다. (Stories about self-esteem are important.)
Exemples par niveau
나는 나의 자긍심을 소중히 여겨요.
I value my self-esteem.
그녀는 강한 자긍심을 가지고 있어요.
She has strong self-pride.
자긍심은 중요해요.
Self-esteem is important.
자긍심이 있으면 행복해요.
If you have self-esteem, you are happy.
나는 자긍심을 키우고 싶어요.
I want to build my self-esteem.
자긍심을 잃지 마세요.
Don't lose your self-pride.
우리는 자긍심을 지켜야 해요.
We must protect our self-esteem.
그 일은 나의 자긍심을 높였어요.
That work raised my self-pride.
자신의 일에 자긍심을 가지세요.
Have self-esteem in your work.
그녀는 자신의 능력에 자긍심이 있어요.
She has pride in her abilities.
자긍심은 성공의 중요한 요소입니다.
Self-esteem is an important factor for success.
높은 자긍심을 가진 사람은 더 행복합니다.
People with high self-esteem are happier.
아이들에게 자긍심을 키워주는 것이 중요해요.
It's important to build self-esteem in children.
자긍심이 있으면 어떤 어려움도 극복할 수 있어요.
If you have self-pride, you can overcome any difficulty.
운동은 자긍심을 높이는 데 도움이 됩니다.
Exercise helps boost self-esteem.
그는 자신의 조국에 대한 깊은 자긍심을 가지고 있습니다.
He has deep pride in his homeland.
그녀는 자신의 업적에 대해 큰 자긍심을 가지고 있어요.
She has great self-pride about her achievements.
A noun particle ~에 대해 (~e daehae) means 'about' or 'regarding'.
자긍심이 높은 사람은 도전을 두려워하지 않습니다.
People with high self-esteem don't fear challenges.
이/가 높다 (i/ga nopda) means 'to be high', referring to the level of something.
우리는 우리 문화에 대한 자긍심을 가져야 합니다.
We should have self-pride in our culture.
A noun particle ~에 대한 (~e daehan) means 'about' or 'regarding'.
어려움을 극복하면서 자긍심을 키울 수 있었습니다.
I was able to build self-esteem while overcoming difficulties.
~으면서 (~eumyeonseo) is a connective ending used when two actions occur simultaneously.
그의 자긍심은 실패에도 불구하고 꺾이지 않았어요.
His self-esteem was not broken despite the failure.
~에도 불구하고 (~edo bulguhago) means 'despite' or 'in spite of'.
아이들에게 자긍심을 심어주는 것이 중요합니다.
It is important to instill self-esteem in children.
심어주다 (simeojuda) literally means 'to plant' but can also mean 'to instill' or 'to foster' when referring to abstract concepts.
자긍심을 갖는 것은 건강한 삶에 필수적입니다.
Having self-esteem is essential for a healthy life.
는 것 (neun geot) turns a verb into a noun clause, meaning 'the act of ~ing'.
자신의 가치를 알고 자긍심을 가지세요.
Know your worth and have self-pride.
A verb particle ~고 (~go) connects two or more actions in sequence or lists them.
자신의 일에 자긍심을 가지는 것이 중요합니다.
It's important to have pride in one's work.
A noun modified by a possessive pronoun '자신의' (one's own) and followed by the particle '에' indicating 'in/on'.
그녀는 자신의 능력에 대한 강한 자긍심을 가지고 있습니다.
She has strong self-pride in her abilities.
A noun '능력' (ability) with the particle '에 대한' meaning 'about/regarding', followed by an adjective '강한' (strong) modifying '자긍심'.
자긍심을 잃지 않고 어려움을 극복해야 합니다.
You must overcome difficulties without losing your self-esteem.
A verb '잃지 않고' (without losing) modifying the following clause, with '어려움을 극복해야 합니다' (must overcome difficulties).
그는 자신의 문화유산에 큰 자긍심을 느낍니다.
He feels great pride in his cultural heritage.
A noun '문화유산' (cultural heritage) with the particle '에' (in/on), followed by an adjective '큰' (great) modifying '자긍심', and the verb '느낍니다' (feels).
높은 자긍심은 성공적인 삶의 기반이 될 수 있습니다.
High self-esteem can be the foundation of a successful life.
An adjective '높은' (high) modifying '자긍심', followed by '성공적인 삶의 기반이 될 수 있습니다' (can be the foundation of a successful life).
실패에도 불구하고 자긍심을 유지하는 것이 중요합니다.
It's important to maintain self-esteem despite failure.
A phrase '실패에도 불구하고' (despite failure) preceding '자긍심을 유지하는 것이 중요합니다' (it's important to maintain self-esteem).
그녀는 팀의 성과에 대한 강한 자긍심을 표현했습니다.
She expressed strong pride in the team's performance.
A noun '팀의 성과' (team's performance) with '에 대한' (about/regarding), followed by '강한 자긍심을 표현했습니다' (expressed strong pride).
자긍심은 개인이 성장하고 발전하는 데 필수적인 요소입니다.
Self-esteem is an essential element for an individual to grow and develop.
A phrase '개인이 성장하고 발전하는 데' (for an individual to grow and develop) followed by '필수적인 요소입니다' (is an essential element).
자신의 성취에 대해 자긍심을 느끼는 것은 당연한 일이다.
It is natural to feel self-pride about one's achievements.
그녀는 어려운 환경 속에서도 자신의 자긍심을 잃지 않았다.
She did not lose her self-esteem even in difficult circumstances.
사회는 개개인의 자긍심을 존중하고 키워줘야 한다.
Society should respect and foster the self-esteem of individuals.
자긍심이 높은 사람은 실패에도 좌절하지 않고 다시 도전한다.
A person with high self-esteem does not get frustrated by failure and challenges again.
그의 당당한 태도는 강한 자긍심에서 비롯된 것이었다.
His confident attitude stemmed from strong self-pride.
스스로에 대한 자긍심은 행복한 삶의 중요한 요소이다.
Self-esteem is an important factor for a happy life.
아이들에게 건강한 자긍심을 심어주는 것이 교육의 목표 중 하나이다.
Instilling healthy self-esteem in children is one of the goals of education.
자긍심을 가지고 자신의 가치를 인정하는 것이 중요하다.
It is important to have self-pride and acknowledge one's own worth.
Souvent confondu avec
This is another very close term, often translated as 'pride' or 'self-esteem'. '자존심' often has a nuance of not wanting to lose face or be humiliated. While related to '자긍심', '자존심' can sometimes be negative if it's overly sensitive. '자긍심' is generally more positive.
This means self-love or self-compassion. While '자긍심' is about pride, '자애' is about caring for oneself. They are related but distinct concepts.
This means value or worth. One's '자긍심' is often tied to their sense of '가치' (self-worth), but '가치' itself is a broader term.
Facile à confondre
Both '자긍심' and '자신감' relate to self-worth, leading to confusion. '자신감' is confidence in one's abilities, while '자긍심' is about self-respect or pride in oneself as a whole.
'자신감' is about what you can do. '자긍심' is about who you are.
저는 한국어를 잘 할 수 있다는 자신감이 있어요. (I have confidence that I can speak Korean well.)
This is very similar to '자긍심'. '자부심' also means self-pride, often stemming from an accomplishment or belonging to a group.
'자부심' often has an external component or a reason for pride. '자긍심' is more intrinsic, a general feeling of self-respect regardless of external achievements.
저는 제가 만든 이 프로젝트에 큰 자부심을 느낍니다. (I feel great pride in this project I created.)
'긍지' also translates to pride and can be used interchangeably with '자긍심' in some contexts. However, '긍지' often implies a deeper, more profound sense of pride, sometimes related to heritage or a noble cause.
'긍지' is a strong, often noble pride. '자긍심' is more about a healthy, personal self-respect.
우리 민족의 역사에 긍지를 가집니다. (I have pride in the history of our people.)
This word also relates to 'self' and 'pride', but with a negative connotation. Learners might confuse it due to the shared concept of self-focus.
'자만심' is arrogance or conceit, an excessive and often unwarranted pride. '자긍심' is a healthy, positive self-regard.
그의 자만심은 주변 사람들을 불편하게 만들었다. (His arrogance made the people around him uncomfortable.)
'존중' means respect, which can be for oneself or others. Learners might confuse it with '자긍심' as both involve a positive regard.
'존중' is the act of showing respect, either to oneself (자기 존중) or others. '자긍심' is the feeling of self-pride or self-esteem.
서로의 의견을 존중해야 합니다. (We must respect each other's opinions.)
Astuces
Core Meaning of 자긍심
Remember that 자긍심 refers to a sense of worth and respect for oneself. It's about having a positive self-image and feeling good about who you are.
Distinguish from Arrogance
While it's 'self-pride,' it's crucial to understand that 자긍심 is not about being arrogant or conceited. It's a healthy, internal sense of value, not superiority over others.
Use with '갖다' (to have)
You'll often hear or use 자긍심 with the verb '갖다' (to have). For example, '자긍심을 갖다' means 'to have self-esteem/pride.'
Use with '높다' (to be high)
To express that someone has high self-esteem, you can say '자긍심이 높다.' This literally means 'self-pride is high,' indicating a strong sense of self-worth.
Use with '낮다' (to be low)
Conversely, to say someone has low self-esteem, you'd use '자긍심이 낮다.' This implies a lack of self-worth or confidence.
Common in Motivational Contexts
You'll often encounter 자긍심 in speeches, articles, or discussions about personal growth, motivation, and mental well-being. It's a very positive concept.
Importance in Korean Culture
In Korean culture, maintaining one's 자긍심 and showing respect for others' self-pride is important. It ties into concepts of '체면' (face/dignity).
Combine with '회복하다' (to recover)
If someone is regaining their self-esteem, you can say '자긍심을 회복하다,' meaning 'to recover one's self-esteem.'
Combine with '잃다' (to lose)
The opposite would be '자긍심을 잃다,' which means 'to lose one's self-esteem/pride.' This indicates a decline in self-worth.
Practice with Sentences
The best way to solidify your understanding is to practice using 자긍심 in various sentences. Try to create your own examples to make it stick.
Teste-toi 60 questions
Choose the best meaning for '자긍심'.
'자긍심' means self-esteem or self-pride.
Which word is similar in meaning to '자긍심'?
'자긍심' is closely related to '자신감' (confidence) as both refer to a positive feeling about oneself.
In the sentence '그는 높은 ___을 가지고 있다.' (He has high ___.), what word best fits the blank?
The sentence implies a positive personal quality, and '자긍심' (self-esteem) fits best.
'자긍심' means 'anger'.
'자긍심' means self-esteem or self-pride, not anger.
Having '자긍심' is generally considered a good trait.
'자긍심' refers to self-esteem or self-pride, which are positive qualities.
You should use '자긍심' when talking about a building.
'자긍심' is a feeling about oneself, not a physical object like a building.
The most common Korean greeting.
A common way to say thank you.
Agreeing with someone.
Read this aloud:
안녕하세요
Focus: 안녕-하-세-요
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감사합니다
Focus: 감-사-합-니-다
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Read this aloud:
네
Focus: 네
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열심히 노력해서 좋은 결과를 얻으면 ___이 생겨요.
When you work hard and get good results, you gain self-esteem.
자신의 능력을 믿는 것은 ___을 높이는 데 도움이 됩니다.
Believing in your own abilities helps to increase self-esteem.
선생님은 학생들이 자신감을 가지고 ___을 갖도록 격려했습니다.
The teacher encouraged students to have confidence and self-esteem.
작은 성공이라도 경험하면 ___이 커집니다.
Even experiencing small successes increases self-esteem.
그는 어려운 일을 해냈다는 ___이 있었습니다.
He had a sense of self-pride for accomplishing a difficult task.
자신의 가치를 아는 것은 건강한 ___의 시작입니다.
Knowing your own worth is the beginning of healthy self-esteem.
Choose the most natural sentence using '자긍심'.
자긍심 (self-esteem/self-pride) is often used with '높다' (to be high) to describe someone with strong self-belief. The other options use '자긍심' in an unnatural context.
Which of the following is the most appropriate action when you have '자긍심'?
Having '자긍심' (self-pride/self-esteem) means believing in yourself and your abilities, which leads to perseverance in the face of challenges. The other options describe negative behaviors.
Which of the following words has a similar meaning to '자긍심'?
While '자긍심' (self-esteem/self-pride) and '자신감' (confidence) are not exactly the same, they are closely related. High self-esteem often leads to confidence. '자만심' (arrogance) is a negative trait, and '겸손' (humility) and '부끄러움' (shyness) are opposite concepts.
자긍심은 너무 많으면 좋지 않다. (Too much self-pride is not good.)
While '자긍심' is generally positive, an excessive amount can lead to '자만심' (arrogance) which is not good. So, having '자긍심' in moderation is ideal.
다른 사람의 칭찬은 자긍심을 높이는 데 도움이 된다. (Praise from others helps to increase self-esteem.)
Receiving praise and positive feedback from others can definitely contribute to building and increasing one's self-esteem or '자긍심'.
실패는 언제나 자긍심을 낮춘다. (Failure always lowers self-esteem.)
While failure can sometimes impact self-esteem, it doesn't always lower it. Learning from failures and overcoming challenges can actually strengthen one's '자긍심' over time.
This sentence means 'He/she has strong self-esteem.' The order is 'strong self-esteem has.'
This sentence means 'Self-esteem about one's work is necessary.' The order is 'one's work about self-esteem is necessary.'
This sentence means 'It is important to raise self-esteem.' The order is 'self-esteem raising thing is important.'
This sentence emphasizes the importance of high self-esteem for success.
This sentence describes someone feeling proud of their accomplishments.
This sentence highlights the importance of fostering self-esteem in children.
This sentence expresses that 'She felt great self-pride.' '그녀는' (she) is the subject, '큰' (great) modifies '자긍심을' (self-pride), and '느꼈다' (felt) is the verb. The order follows a typical Korean sentence structure of Subject-Object-Verb.
This sentence translates to 'His self-pride became the driving force of his success.' '그의 자긍심은' (His self-pride) is the subject. '성공의 원동력이' (the driving force of success) is the complement, and '되었다' (became) is the verb. The order reflects a natural flow in Korean for expressing cause and effect.
This sentence means 'He did not lose his self-pride even in difficulties.' '그는' (He) is the subject. '어려움 속에서도' (even in difficulties) is an adverbial phrase. '자긍심을' (self-pride) is the object, and '잃지 않았다' (did not lose) is the negated verb phrase.
그녀는 어려운 시련 속에서도 자신의 ___을 잃지 않았다. (She didn't lose her self-esteem even through difficult trials.)
The sentence talks about not losing something valuable during difficult times. 'Self-esteem' fits the context best.
성공적인 프로젝트를 완수한 후 팀원들의 ___이 크게 향상되었다. (After successfully completing the project, the team members' self-pride greatly improved.)
Completing a successful project typically boosts one's pride in their work and abilities.
진정한 ___은 타인의 인정을 넘어선 내면의 확신에서 비롯된다. (True self-esteem comes from inner conviction beyond the recognition of others.)
The sentence describes the source of true self-worth, which is 'self-esteem' or 'self-pride'.
그는 자신의 예술 작품에 대한 깊은 ___을 가지고 있었다. (He had a deep sense of self-pride in his artwork.)
Artists often have a strong sense of pride in their creations.
어떤 상황에서도 자신의 ___을 지키는 것이 중요하다. (It's important to maintain one's self-esteem in any situation.)
Maintaining one's sense of self-worth is crucial regardless of external circumstances.
아이들에게는 작은 성공이라도 칭찬하여 ___을 심어주는 것이 필요하다. (It is necessary to praise even small successes to instill self-esteem in children.)
Praising children's achievements helps them build a sense of pride in themselves.
She always has self-pride in her work.
Don't lose your pride in your roots.
When you overcome difficulties, your self-esteem grows even stronger.
Read this aloud:
자긍심을 갖는 것이 중요합니다.
Focus: 자긍심
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그는 자신의 성과에 큰 자긍심을 느꼈어요.
Focus: 성과에 큰 자긍심
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진정한 자긍심은 내면에서 나옵니다.
Focus: 진정한 자긍심은
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This sentence means, 'Even in difficulties, he/she did not lose self-esteem and overcame them.' The structure starts with '어려움 속에서도' (even in difficulties), followed by the object '자긍심을' (self-esteem), the verb phrase '잃지 않고' (without losing), and finally the main verb '극복해냈다' (overcame).
This sentence translates to 'Her strong self-esteem was never broken.' The possessive '그녀의' (her) comes first, followed by the adjective '강한' (strong) modifying '자긍심은' (self-esteem). '결코' (never) precedes the negative verb '꺾이지 않았다' (was not broken).
This means, 'An important secret to success is self-pride.' It begins with '성공의 중요한 비결은' (the important secret of success), followed by '자신에 대한' (about oneself) which modifies '자긍심이다' (is self-pride).
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Core Meaning of 자긍심
Remember that 자긍심 refers to a sense of worth and respect for oneself. It's about having a positive self-image and feeling good about who you are.
Distinguish from Arrogance
While it's 'self-pride,' it's crucial to understand that 자긍심 is not about being arrogant or conceited. It's a healthy, internal sense of value, not superiority over others.
Use with '갖다' (to have)
You'll often hear or use 자긍심 with the verb '갖다' (to have). For example, '자긍심을 갖다' means 'to have self-esteem/pride.'
Use with '높다' (to be high)
To express that someone has high self-esteem, you can say '자긍심이 높다.' This literally means 'self-pride is high,' indicating a strong sense of self-worth.
Exemple
그는 자신의 일에 대한 자긍심이 강하다.
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B1Guidance or recommendations offered with regard to prudent future action; advice.
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