10 ways to say I'm sad in Korean (슬퍼요, 우울해요, 속상해요)

I'm sad.

The dictionary word, and in practice the one for big, clear sadness: a death, a goodbye, the end of a film. For everyday low moods Koreans reach for the words below instead.

I feel down.

Literally: (I) am gloomy.

An ordinary word for a low mood, not only the clinical one. 요즘 좀 우울해요 (I've been a bit down lately) is a normal thing to tell a friend; 우울증 is the noun for depression as a condition.

I'm not in a good mood.

Literally: The feeling is not good.

Neutral and vague on purpose. It tells people to go easy on you without inviting questions, which makes it the one to use with colleagues.

I'm having a hard time.

Literally: (It) is hard.

The umbrella word for struggle, physical or emotional, and the one Koreans actually say when things are bad. It covers everything from a long day to a crisis, so the listener will usually ask what is wrong.

I'm upset.

Literally: The inside is hurt.

Sadness with disappointment in it: a plan that fell through, a child who got hurt, a friend who let you down. 속 is your insides, and this is the word for when something got to you there.

I feel let down.

The specific hurt when someone close did not do what you expected, said to that person: a forgotten birthday, a friend who did not call. There is no single English word for it, and knowing 서운하다 makes a lot of Korean relationships make sense.

It breaks my heart.

Literally: The heart hurts.

For sadness on someone else's behalf, or for a loss that still aches. 마음 is the heart as the seat of feeling; 심장 is the organ, and 심장이 아파요 means you need a doctor.

It makes me tear up.

Literally: Tears come out.

Said when you are close to crying or about something that moves you: a film, a kind message, a tired day. Add 자꾸 (keep) for 자꾸 눈물 나요 when it keeps happening.

I'm lonely.

Direct, and more readily said in Korean than in English, especially by people living away from home. 혼자라서 외로워요 (I'm lonely because I'm alone) is a common, unembarrassed sentence.

I feel empty.

Literally: (It) is hollow.

The sadness after something ends: a friend moves away, a series finishes, the guests go home and the house is quiet. Not grief, but the gap where something used to be.