Untranslatable wordEmotion
Korean
Han
Meaning: A deep collective feeling of sorrow, resentment, and longing born from historical injustice — a cultural wound carried across generations.
Literally: Grief / resentment
Origin: Korean 한(恨); central to understanding Korean history and artistic expression.
More Korean untranslatable words
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Slow and steady wins the race Consistency and patience lead to success.
- Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day Teaching someone is more valuable than doing things for them.
- An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind Revenge only creates more suffering.
Keep exploring