Dictionary — Entry No. 0675
감동
gamdong · noun
감동
gamdong
[gahm-DONG]
nounbeginner
Meaning
Being deeply moved or touched emotionally — a profound feeling stirred by something beautiful, kind, or meaningful. The verb form is 감동받다 (to be moved) and the adjective is 감동적이다 (moving/touching). It describes the emotional overwhelm that brings tears of awe rather than sadness.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
감동 is the word K-Pop fans reach for after a concert leaves them in tears. BTS’s ‘Black Swan’ is literally about the fear of never again feeling 감동 from music — the terror of losing one’s deepest emotional connection to art. K-Drama viewers describe the Goblin finale as the most 감동적인 hour in Korean television history.
Example Sentences
너무 감동받았어.
Neomu gamdong badasseo.
I was so deeply moved. (after a performance, a kind gesture, or a powerful scene)
이 영화 정말 감동적이야.
I yeonghwa jeongmal gamdong-jeogiya.
This movie is truly moving / touching.
감동이야…
Gamdong-iya…
I’m so touched… (speechless, trailing off in emotion — common in fan comments)
⚠️ Don’t use gamdong when…
감동 is specifically emotional awe or being moved — don’t substitute it for general happiness (행복) or excitement (신남). They’re distinct emotional registers. Second, the verb forms trip learners up: 감동하다 and 감동받다 are both correct for ‘to be moved,’ but 감동주다 means ‘to move someone else’ — mix these up and you reverse who’s feeling the emotion.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Goblin (도깨비) — Audiences and critics describe the series finale as the most 감동적인 episode in Korean drama history, a benchmark that new dramas are still measured against.
- K-Pop: BTS — Black Swan
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.