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Carita
What's the difference between 삶 and 생활?
Okay, so I think they're both nouns, however 생활 is a suffix as well since it can go at the end of nouns. For example:
결혼생활 = marriage life
학생생활 = student life
I'm just a bit confused on how they're different. And could you use 생활 by itself like you can with 삶?
감사합니다!
May 15, 2016 5:23 PM
Answers · 3
1
Yes, 생활 is an ordinary noun which can be used by itself.
인생, 삶, and 생활 are all related to "life" and "living", but have different connotations.
인생 refers to life as a whole emphasizing the process and entirety of it, and thus sounds more serious.
생활 means the various details of day-to-day life, including finance and livelihood ("이 돈으로 어떻게 한 달을 생활해?").
삶 is sort of in between, and can be used like 인생 or 생활 (나의 인생 = 나의 삶, 생활에 쪼들리다 = 삶에 쪼들리다).
So 삶 and 생활, or 인생 and 삶 are often interchangeable, but 인생 and 생활 are usually not.
- 인생[삶]은 때론 달콤하기도, 때론 쓰디쓰기도 하다: Life is sweet sometimes, bitter at other times.
- 그의 생활[삶]은 나날이 궁핍해져 갔다: His days only got more destitute with the passing time.
- "삶이 그대를 속일지라도", "생활이 그대를 속일지라도" - A Pushkin poem, "Should This Life Sometime Deceive You".
May 15, 2016
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Carita
Language Skills
English, Korean, American Sign Language (ASL), Thai
Learning Language
Korean
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