- Words
- Hard to translate
- 답답하다
번역되지 않는 말 · Hard to translate
답답하다 dapdaphada
literally “stuffy, blocked”
the feeling of no air, inside or out
The same word describes a room with no air, a chest that feels tight and a friend who will not get to the point. 답답하다 is the feeling of being blocked, from the inside or the outside, and Koreans use it for all three without changing a thing. "Frustrated" catches the mood but loses the stuffy room.
The closest English
“frustrated”
Frustrated is about a goal being blocked. 답답하다 is also physical, like air that will not move.
“stifled”
Stifled has the airless room, but not the slow friend who won't answer.
“suffocating”
Too strong for daily use. Koreans say 답답해 about a slow website.
In a sentence
그런데 요즘은 좀 지쳤어요. 결과를 모르니까 답답하고 불안해요.
But I'm a bit worn out these days. Not knowing the result makes me feel stifled and anxious.
Sori says it
Sori
호야 씨, 창문 좀 열까요? 방이 답답해요.
Hoya, shall we open the window? The room feels stuffy.