A2 noun 2 min read

실망

실망 is the feeling you get when something is not as good as you hoped.

silmang
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

You use 실망 when you are sad because something is not good. If you want a cake but get bread, you feel 실망. It is a very useful word for your feelings.

When you expect something nice but it does not happen, you feel 실망. For example, if a movie is boring, you can say 'I am disappointed' or '실망했어요' in Korean. It is a common word for daily life.

실망 is used to describe the emotional state of letdown. It is often used with the verb 하다. You can say 'The service was disappointing' or 'I felt disappointed by the news.' It is a standard way to express negative feedback politely.

In B2, you learn that 실망 can be used to express personal standards. When someone fails to meet your expectations, you might say 'I am disappointed in you.' It carries a weight of social or personal judgment, making it a powerful tool in communication.

At the C1 level, you recognize that 실망 is often used in formal critiques or professional evaluations. It is not just a personal feeling; it is an assessment of quality. You might see it in news reports describing a 'disappointing performance' by a team or a 'disappointing economic forecast.'

At the mastery level, 실망 is understood through its nuance of 'lost hope.' It can appear in literary contexts to describe a profound existential letdown. Understanding the etymology (losing hope) allows you to use it in more poetic or philosophical reflections on human nature and the fleeting nature of expectations.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • It means disappointment.
  • It comes from 'losing hope'.
  • It is used with '하다'.
  • It is a very common emotional word.

Hey there! Let's talk about 실망. It is a super common Korean word that perfectly captures that 'letdown' feeling. You know when you build something up in your head, but then it just doesn't happen? That is 실망.

It is not just about being sad; it is specifically about the gap between what you hoped for and what actually happened. Whether it is a bad grade, a canceled trip, or a movie that didn't live up to the hype, 실망 is the word you use to express that specific kind of unhappiness.

The word 실망 is a Sino-Korean word (Hanja: 失望). It is built from two characters: 실 (失), meaning 'to lose,' and 망 (望), meaning 'hope' or 'expectation.'

So, literally, it means 'losing hope.' It is a fascinating way to describe the emotion because it suggests that the disappointment isn't just about the event itself, but about the 'loss' of the positive vision you held in your mind. This structure is very common in East Asian languages, where abstract concepts are often built from these foundational character blocks.

You will hear 실망 used in almost every situation. It is very versatile. You can use it when talking to friends, family, or even in professional settings.

Commonly, you pair it with verbs like 하다 (to do) to make the verb 실망하다 (to be disappointed). If you want to say 'I am disappointed in you,' you would say '너에게 실망이야.' It is a very direct way to express your feelings without being overly aggressive.

While 실망 is a direct noun, it appears in many phrases. 1. 실망을 금치 못하다: Cannot hide one's disappointment. 2. 실망이 크다: The disappointment is huge. 3. 실망시키다: To disappoint someone else. 4. 실망의 빛: A look of disappointment. 5. 기대에 어긋나다: To fall short of expectations (a synonym for the cause of 실망).

Pronounced as 'sil-mang,' the 'l' sound in the first syllable is crisp. It acts as a noun, but it is most frequently used with the verb 하다 to become a descriptive verb.

Grammatically, it often takes the particle 에 (to/at) when identifying the source of the disappointment (e.g., 결과에 실망했다 - I was disappointed at the result). It is a non-countable noun in the abstract sense.

Fun Fact

The character '望' is a pictogram of a person looking at the moon.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /sɪl.mɑːŋ/

sil-mahng

US /sɪl.mɑːŋ/

sil-mahng

Common Errors

  • Mispronouncing 'l' as 'r'
  • Shortening the 'a' sound
  • Adding extra vowels

Rhymes With

희망 (hope) 절망 (despair) 욕망 (desire) 전망 (view) 명망 (reputation)

Difficulty Rating

Reading 2/5

Easy to read

Writing 2/5

Easy to write

Speaking 2/5

Commonly used

Listening 2/5

Clear pronunciation

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

슬프다 기대 사람

Learn Next

절망 낙담 좌절

Advanced

비관 회의적

Grammar to Know

Noun + 하다

실망하다

Particle 에/에게

결과에/사람에게

Adjective form -스러운

실망스러운

Examples by Level

1

나는 실망했다.

I / disappointed / did

Simple past tense

2

실망하지 마.

Disappointed / don't do

Imperative negative

3

정말 실망이야.

Really / disappointment / is

Noun ending

4

실망스러운 결과.

Disappointing / result

Adjective form

5

그는 실망했다.

He / disappointed / did

Subject-verb

6

실망이 커요.

Disappointment / is big

Subject-adjective

7

실망을 했다.

Disappointment / did

Noun-verb construction

8

실망하지 마세요.

Disappointed / don't do (polite)

Polite imperative

1

결과에 실망했어요.

2

너무 실망하지 마세요.

3

그 소식에 실망이 컸다.

4

실망스러운 하루였다.

5

나는 그에게 실망했다.

6

모두가 실망했다.

7

실망하는 표정.

8

실망을 감출 수 없다.

1

기대에 미치지 못해 실망했다.

2

실망을 금치 못하는 모습이다.

3

이번 영화는 정말 실망이었다.

4

너에게 이런 실망을 줄 줄 몰랐어.

5

실망스러운 성적을 받았다.

6

그는 실망한 기색이 역력했다.

7

실망은 성공의 어머니가 될 수 있다.

8

실망을 희망으로 바꾸자.

1

그의 태도에 깊은 실망을 느꼈다.

2

실망과 좌절이 교차하는 순간이었다.

3

예상치 못한 결과에 실망이 컸다.

4

실망스러운 상황을 반전시키려 노력했다.

5

그녀는 실망을 뒤로하고 다시 시작했다.

6

실망의 쓴맛을 보았다.

7

실망을 딛고 일어서야 한다.

8

그의 실망은 당연한 것이었다.

1

그의 발표는 기대를 충족시키지 못해 실망을 자아냈다.

2

정치적 상황에 대한 국민의 실망이 극에 달했다.

3

실망스러운 경제 지표가 발표되었다.

4

그는 실망을 억누르며 미소를 지었다.

5

실망의 깊이는 기대의 높이와 비례한다.

6

실망스러운 처사라는 비판이 잇따랐다.

7

그는 실망을 내색하지 않았다.

8

실망을 안겨주어 미안하다.

1

그의 언행은 실망을 넘어 분노를 유발했다.

2

실망의 늪에서 허우적대는 것은 무의미하다.

3

그녀의 실망은 비탄으로 변해갔다.

4

실망은 인간이 겪는 가장 보편적인 감정 중 하나이다.

5

실망스러운 현실을 직시하는 것이 첫걸음이다.

6

그는 실망의 무게를 견디기 힘들어했다.

7

실망을 희망으로 승화시키는 과정이 필요하다.

8

그의 실망은 단순한 감정이 아니라 철학적 성찰의 계기였다.

Common Collocations

실망이 크다
실망하다
실망시키다
실망스러운 결과
깊은 실망
실망을 감추다
실망을 안기다
실망의 빛
실망을 딛고
실망하지 마

Idioms & Expressions

"실망을 금치 못하다"

Cannot hide one's disappointment

그는 실망을 금치 못했다.

formal

"기대에 어긋나다"

To fall short of expectations

결과가 기대에 어긋났다.

neutral

"실망의 쓴맛을 보다"

To taste the bitterness of disappointment

그는 어린 나이에 실망의 쓴맛을 보았다.

literary

"실망을 안겨주다"

To cause someone to be disappointed

부모님께 실망을 안겨드렸다.

neutral

"실망이 이만저만이 아니다"

The disappointment is not small at all (it is very big)

실망이 이만저만이 아니었다.

formal

Easily Confused

실망 vs 절망

Both involve loss of hope

절망 is extreme, total loss of hope.

실망 is a bad grade; 절망 is a life tragedy.

실망 vs 아쉬움

Both imply something is missing

아쉬움 is softer, like wanting more.

아쉬움 is wanting one more cookie; 실망 is the cookie being burnt.

실망 vs 불만

Both are negative

불만 is dissatisfaction with a service or rule.

불만 is complaining about prices; 실망 is being let down by a person.

실망 vs 낙담

Both mean losing heart

낙담 is more about losing motivation.

낙담 is giving up on studying; 실망 is being sad about a test score.

Sentence Patterns

A2

Subject + 에 + 실망하다

결과에 실망했다.

A2

Subject + 에게 + 실망하다

친구에게 실망했다.

B1

Subject + 가/이 + 실망스럽다

그 영화는 실망스러웠다.

B2

실망을 + Verb

실망을 안겨주었다.

B1

실망 + Noun

실망스러운 모습이다.

Word Family

Nouns

실망감 The feeling of disappointment

Verbs

실망하다 To be disappointed

Adjectives

실망스러운 Disappointing

Related

절망 Stronger, more hopeless version

How to Use It

frequency

8/10

Formality Scale

실망을 금치 못하다 실망했습니다 실망이야 실망

Common Mistakes

Using 실망 for physical pain → Use 아프다
실망 is for emotional letdown, not physical injury.
Confusing 실망 with 슬픔 → Use 실망 for expectations
슬픔 is general sadness, 실망 is specific to failed hopes.
Misusing particle in '실망에' → Use '에게' or '에'
Depends if it is a person or a situation.
Overusing '실망이야' → Use '아쉬워요'
실망이야 can sound very harsh to someone.
Using '실망하다' as a noun → Use '실망'
실망하다 is the verb form.

Tips

💡

Memory Palace Trick

Imagine a 'Seal' losing its 'Mango' and feeling sad.

💡

When Native Speakers Use It

When plans fail.

🌍

Cultural Insight

It's a common word in Korean emotional expression.

💡

Grammar Shortcut

Always use 에/에게 before it.

💡

Say It Right

Focus on the 'l' sound.

💡

Don't Make This Mistake

Don't use it for physical pain.

💡

Did You Know?

It comes from Chinese characters.

💡

Study Smart

Use it with '하다' to practice verbs.

💡

Politeness

Be careful saying it to superiors.

💡

Particle usage

Use '에게' for people.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

SIL (Seal) + MANG (Mango) -> You lost your hope of eating a mango.

Visual Association

A person looking at a calendar with a big X on a date they were excited for.

Word Web

expectation sadness failure hope letdown

Challenge

Write three things that disappointed you this year.

Word Origin

Sino-Korean

Original meaning: Loss of hope

Cultural Context

Can be very hurtful if said directly to a person.

Directly maps to 'disappointment'.

Used in many K-dramas when a character lets down their family.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

at work

  • 실망스러운 결과
  • 기대에 미치지 못하다
  • 성과가 아쉽다

in relationships

  • 너에게 실망이야
  • 믿었는데 실망했다
  • 마음이 아프다

at school

  • 점수가 실망스럽다
  • 공부한 만큼 안 나왔다
  • 아쉽다

travel

  • 여행지가 실망스럽다
  • 기대보다 못하다
  • 실망했다

Conversation Starters

"What was the last thing that disappointed you?"

"How do you handle disappointment?"

"Is it okay to tell someone you are disappointed in them?"

"What is the difference between disappointment and sadness?"

"Can disappointment be a good thing?"

Journal Prompts

Describe a time you felt disappointed.

How did you overcome a big disappointment?

Write about a time your expectations were not met.

Is it better to have no expectations to avoid disappointment?

Frequently Asked Questions

8 questions

Yes, it describes a negative emotional state.

Yes, you can be disappointed by a product.

너에게 실망이야.

It can be both formal and casual.

절망 is much stronger, meaning total despair.

Yes, in professional feedback.

No, it is an abstract noun.

Think of losing your hope.

Test Yourself

fill blank A1

나는 ___했다.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 실망

The context implies a feeling related to sadness.

multiple choice A2

What does 실망 mean?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: Disappointment

It means sadness from failed hopes.

true false B1

실망하다 is a verb.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: True

Yes, it is the verb form of the noun 실망.

match pairs B1

Word

Meaning

All matched!

These are antonyms.

sentence order B2

Tap words below to build the sentence
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:

Subject + Object(with particle) + Verb.

Score: /5

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