The Untranslatable Korean Word 정 (jeong) — From 고운 정 (goun jeong) to 미운 정 (miun jeong)

Foreigners who have lived in Korea for years all seem to agree on one thing: there is a single word they simply cannot translate. Today’s expression is that word — 정 (jeong). When the neighbors send over a plate of side dishes, when the grandmother at the market drops an extra handful of bean sprouts into your bag just because, when a coworker you did nothing but bicker with announces they’re leaving and you feel strangely sad — Koreans explain all of these feelings with one little word: “정 때문이지, 뭐.” (Jeong ttaemuniji, mwo.) — “It’s the jeong, what else?”

정 (jeong)

정 (jeong) is the tender attachment that slowly builds while you spend time with a person, an animal, an object, or a place. Three nuances are essential. First, jeong never happens at first sight — time is its main ingredient. Second, it isn’t limited to people: you can grow jeong for a beat-up old car or the neighborhood you’ve lived in for years. Third, it isn’t only a warm, fuzzy feeling. There is even 미운 정 (miun jeong) — the bond that builds up while fighting and resenting someone — which is why Koreans say “미운 정 고운 정 다 들었다” (miun jeong goun jeong da deureotda): “I’ve built up all the jeong, the bitter and the sweet.”

What the official dictionary says

The National Institute of Korean Language’s Basic Korean Dictionary defines the noun 정 (jeong) like this:

정 (jeong) 「noun」 1. 무엇을 느껴서 생기는 마음. (Mueoseul neukkyeoseo saenggineun maeum.) — English: jeong; bond; feeling — “A state of mind that forms when one feels something.” — Spanish: afecto, cariño — Chinese: 情 2. 사랑하거나 사이가 가깝다고 느끼는 마음. (Saranghageona saiga gakkapdago neukkineun maeum.) — English: jeong — “A feeling of love or closeness.” — Spanish: afecto, cariño, inclinación — Chinese: 情, 情意

Notice how the English definitions keep the romanized jeong instead of translating it. The fact that even the dictionary had no choice but to carry the sound over says everything about how unique this word is. The dictionary doesn’t offer a Portuguese translation, so we’ll add our own: afeto, carinho (our translation). One honest note: the example sentences that came with this dictionary lookup actually belonged to lookalike words that merely sound the same — the 정 (jeong) in 결정 (gyeoljeong, “decision”) and the -가 (-ga) in 정치가 (jeongchiga, “politician”) — so we left them out. Every example below is our own.

Example sentences for real situations

1. “그동안 정이 많이 들었는데, 가신다니 섭섭해요.” (Geudongan jeong-i mani deureonneunde, gasindani seopseopaeyo.) — “We’ve grown so attached all this time — I’m sad to hear you’re leaving.” This is what you say to a neighbor who’s moving away or a coworker who’s leaving the company. 정이 들다 (jeong-i deulda), “for jeong to form,” is the basic pattern.
2. “이 차 낡았지만 십 년을 탔더니 정이 들어서 못 팔겠어.” (I cha nalgatjiman sip nyeon-eul tatdeoni jeong-i deureoseo mot palgesseo.) — “This car is old, but after ten years of driving it I’m too attached to sell it.” Objects can earn your jeong, too.
3. “우리 단골집 사장님은 정이 많아서 늘 반찬을 더 주셔.” (Uri dangoljip sajangnim-eun jeong-i manaseo neul banchan-eul deo jusyeo.) — “The owner of our regular place has so much jeong, she always gives us extra side dishes.” 정이 많다 (jeong-i manta), “to have a lot of jeong,” is a compliment for a warm-hearted person.
4. “그 거짓말을 듣고 정이 뚝 떨어졌어.” (Geu geojinmal-eul deutgo jeong-i ttuk tteoreojyeosseo.) — “When I heard that lie, my jeong dropped away completely.” When the feeling goes cold, use the opposite expression: 정(이) 떨어지다 (jeong(-i) tteoreojida), “for jeong to fall away.”

Polite vs. casual speech — and how 정 (jeong) differs from similar words

The word 정 (jeong) itself has nothing to do with politeness levels; you only change the sentence ending. Polite: “정이 들었어요.” (Jeong-i deureosseoyo.) To a friend: “정 들었네.” (Jeong deureonne.) Comparing jeong with its neighbors brings its outline into focus. 사랑 (sarang), “love,” is hot and intense and can strike at first sight — but jeong is more like a broth that has simmered low and slow for hours. 우정 (ujeong), “friendship,” is the name of a relationship between friends, whereas jeong doesn’t discriminate between people, animals, and things. That’s how the older generation’s saying “사랑은 식어도 정 때문에 산다” (sarang-eun sigeodo jeong ttaemune sanda) — “even when love cools, you stay together because of jeong” — makes perfect sense.

Cultural background — Choco Pies and evenings in the alley

In Korea, jeong is even printed on snack wrappers. The big Chinese character 情 on Choco Pie packaging, together with the ad slogan “말하지 않아도 알아요” (Malhaji anado arayo) — “You just know, without saying a word” — has made this word a symbol of the national sentiment for decades. And in the drama Reply 1988 (tvN, 2015), the scenes where the neighbors of Ssangmun-dong ferry plates of side dishes to one another’s houses every evening are considered classic moments that show exactly what jeong is — without a single line of dialogue. Does your language have a word for this kind of neighborly warmth?

Wrap-up quiz

It’s your last day at the company where you’ve worked for ten years, and you’re patting your old desk goodbye. Which line sounds most natural?

① “책상아, 정이 많이 들었는데 아쉽다.” (Chaeksang-a, jeong-i mani deureonneunde aswipda.) — “Desk, I’ve grown so attached to you — I’ll miss you.” ② “책상아, 우정이 많이 들었는데 아쉽다.” (Chaeksang-a, ujeong-i mani deureonneunde aswipda.) — “Desk, our friendship has grown so much…” ③ “책상아, 사랑이 많이 들었는데 아쉽다.” (Chaeksang-a, sarang-i mani deureonneunde aswipda.) — “Desk, my love for you has grown so much…”

The answer is ①. For the feeling created by time spent together with an object, 정 (jeong) is the word. Tell us in the comments about an object you’ve grown jeong for!

Definitions and example sentences are from the National Institute of Korean Language’s Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr); that portion of this post, including our translations, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.