Dictionary — Entry No. 0600
마음이 아파
maeumi-apa · expression
마음이 아파
maeumi-apa
[mah-EUM-ee ah-PAH]
expressionbeginner
Meaning
Literally ‘my heart hurts’ — 마음 (maeum) means heart or mind as an emotional seat, 이 (i) is the subject marker, and 아파 (apa) means hurts or is in pain. This phrase describes emotional anguish rather than physical pain, making it a cornerstone of Korean emotional vocabulary.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
BLACKPINK’s ‘Lovesick Girls’ channels exactly this feeling — the pain of loving someone who causes heartbreak — and introduced this emotional register to a new generation of global fans. Korean culture expresses heartache through 마음 (the emotional heart/mind) rather than the physical organ, so this phrase carries a layered, almost philosophical weight. It appears across countless K-Drama OSTs and ballads as the single most direct way to say ‘I am hurting inside.’
Example Sentences
마음이 너무 아파.
Maeumi neomu apa.
My heart hurts so much. (너무 ‘too much/so’ amplifies the pain — this is the most common extended form)
왜 이렇게 마음이 아픈 거야?
Wae ireoke maeumi apeun geoya?
Why does my heart hurt like this? (Rhetorical question of emotional confusion — ubiquitous in K-Drama inner monologues)
네 마음이 아프지 않았으면 해.
Ne maeumi apeuji anasseumyeon hae.
I hope your heart doesn’t hurt. (Expressing care for another’s wellbeing — a tender, indirect form of love)
⚠️ Don’t use maeumi-apa when…
마음 is the emotional heart, not the physical organ (심장, simjang) — never confuse these. Also, 아파 is informal speech; use 아파요 (apayo) with anyone who is not a close friend or younger than you.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: My Love from the Star — Do Min-joon’s farewell scene with Cheon Song-yi is built entirely around this emotional register, with the alien’s stoic face finally breaking as he admits his heart hurts.
- K-Pop: BLACKPINK — Lovesick Girls
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.