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In native Korean, the word 속 simply means the “inside” or the “inner part” of something. It can be the inside of a living thing, or the inside of an object. Because of this, it is usually translated into English as inside, the stuff inside, or your stomach.
For example, when a Korean says, “나 속이 안 좋아,” it usually means their stomach or tummy feels upset. In my case, I use this phrase a lot when I feel nauseous or feel like throwing up. But since the expression “안 좋다” is so broad and can mean many different things, I’m actually curious about when other people use it!
The great thing about native Korean compound words is that they are very straightforward. If you know the meaning of each small word, you can easily guess the meaning of the whole word.
- 속: inside stuff, stomach
- 빈속: empty stomach
- 속마음 [송마음]: real intention
- 마음속 [마음쏙]: innermost thoughts
- 속옷 [소곧]: underwear
- 속뜻 [속뜯]: underlying meaning
- 속병 [속뼝]: heartbreak
- 귓속말 [귇쏭말]: whisper
- 꿈속 [꿈쏙]: dream, fantasy
