Korean Dictionary
How to say "Hell" in Korean
“Hell” in Korean is 지옥 (pronounced "Jigok").
지옥
Jigok
Usage & Context
Hell is the place of punishment for the wicked in Christian theology. Korean churches teach about hell as a consequence of sin.
Example Sentence
지옥은 고통의 장소입니다.
Hell is a place of suffering.
How to use 지옥 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Hell” is 지옥, romanized as Jigok.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 지옥.
Pronunciation Guide
For '지옥', '지' sounds like 'jee' in 'jeep'. '옥' sounds like 'oak' (the tree). Put them together: 'jee-oak'.
More Example Sentences
Describing someone's difficult past.
그는 지옥 같은 삶을 살았어요.
He lived a hellish life.
A strong warning or curse, often used jokingly or in anger.
지옥에 떨어질 거야!
You'll fall into hell!
Complaining about a difficult or stressful situation.
이 시험은 정말 지옥 같아요.
This exam is truly like hell.
Cultural Context
Similar to '천국', '지옥' is primarily associated with the Christian concept of hell in modern Korea, a place of eternal punishment. However, traditional Korean beliefs, particularly Buddhism, also have concepts of various hells (지옥, jigok) where one might be reborn based on karma. In everyday language and K-dramas, '지옥' is very commonly used metaphorically to describe extremely difficult, painful, or unpleasant situations, like a 'hellish schedule' (지옥 스케줄, jigok seukejul) or 'exam hell' (시험 지옥, shihom jigok).
Editorial note
We review entries like 지옥 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
지옥을 맛보다
To taste hell (experience extreme suffering)
지옥 같은 시간
Hellish time
지옥에서 온
From hell (describing something terrible)
Related Expressions
저승
Jeoseung
Underworld, realm of the dead (traditional Korean belief)
나락
Narak
Abyss, hell (often used metaphorically for ruin)
고통
Gotong
Pain, suffering
천국
Cheonguk
Heaven
More Religion Words
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