Dictionary — Entry No. 0635
힘
him · noun
힘
him
[HEEM]
nounbeginner
Meaning
힘 means ‘strength,’ ‘power,’ or ‘energy’ — physical and emotional alike. It appears in the essential encouragement phrase 힘내 (him-nae), which literally means ‘draw out your strength’ and is the Korean equivalent of ‘You’ve got this!’
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
Stray Kids have made 힘 a cornerstone of their identity, with anthems like ‘MIROH’ celebrating raw inner power as a tool for self-determination. At concerts, fans shout ‘힘내!’ to artists during grueling encore sets, and idols routinely tell interviewers that fan love is their 힘.
Example Sentences
힘내!
Him-nae!
You can do it! / Cheer up! (Literally ‘put out your strength’ — the most instinctive encouragement in Korean, said between friends and from stage to crowd.)
팬들이 내 힘이야.
Paendeuri nae himi-ya.
The fans are my strength. (A phrase idols mean sincerely at fanmeets — 힘 here is emotional fuel, not muscle.)
힘이 없어서 쉬고 싶어.
Himi eopseoseo swigo sipeo.
I have no energy, I want to rest. (Everyday exhaustion — 힘 used as physical vitality that has been depleted.)
⚠️ Don’t use him when…
힘내 is casual — use 힘내세요 (him-nae-se-yo) with someone older or in a formal setting, or it can sound disrespectful. Also, 파워 (paweo, borrowed from English ‘power’) coexists with 힘 in Korean, but 힘 is the native word and carries more emotional sincerity.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착) — Yoon Se-ri draws on sheer 힘 to survive North Korea, and Ri Jeong-hyeok’s quiet, steady strength becomes the literal force that keeps her alive.
- K-Pop: Stray Kids — MIROH (미로)
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.