KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Feelings & cheering › 고생 많았어요
How to Say “You went through a lot” in Korean: 고생 많았어요
고생 많았어요
gosaeng manasseoyo
Meaning
You went through a lot.
Usage note
Acknowledges someone’s hardship. With seniors, 고생하셨습니다 is the safer choice.
Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.
How to pronounce it
Said aloud, it sounds like [고생 마나써요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 고생 | ||
| 고 | ㄱ+ㅗ | go |
| 생 | ㅅ+ㅐ+ㅇ | saeng |
| 많았어요 | ||
| 많 | ㅁ+ㅏ+ㄶ | [마] ma |
| 았 | ㅇ+ㅏ+ㅆ | [나] na |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Silent ㅎ: a final ㅎ (including the ㅎ inside ㄶ and ㅀ) is not pronounced before a vowel. 많았어 → [마나써]
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 았어 → [아써]
Speech style
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in this phrase
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 많다 | adjective | many, much | TOPIK level 1 |
Phrases that use the same word
Phrases with “고생”
- 먼 길 오시느라 고생 많으셨습니다Thank you for making such a long trip
- 고생 끝에 낙이 온다After hardship comes happiness
Quick self-check
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 What does “고생 많았어요” mean?
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Answer: You went through a lot
Question 2 How do you say “You went through a lot” in Korean?
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Answer: 고생 많았어요 gosaeng manasseoyo
Question 3 How is “고생 많았어요” pronounced?
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Answer: [고생 마나써요]
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameMore phrases for this situation
- 감동받았어요I was touched
- 속상해요I’m upset
- 긴장돼요I’m nervous
- 설레요I’m so excited
- 괜찮을 거예요It’ll be okay
- 포기하지 마세요Don’t give up
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