Vocab: Sound & Noise Levels

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TL;DR 🦄

🔊 소음 (noise) and 시끄럽다 (to be loud) describe unwanted sound — while 조용하다 (to be quiet) and 적막 (stillness) describe its absence.

👂 거슬리다 (to be grating/irritating) is the verb for when a sound — or anything — bothers your senses.

🧩 Together they cover the full spectrum: from a noisy street to a silent mountain village.

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🎧 Iru Helper Note

Type any Korean word or sentence from this lesson into

Korean Helper Widgets to hear it read aloud. Try a full chunk like 옆집 소음이 너무 시끄러워서 잠을 못 잤어요. (The noise from next door was so loud I couldn't sleep.) — notice how 소음 and 시끄럽다 naturally combine. 🎧

🌈 The Big Picture

Korean has a rich vocabulary for describing sound environments — from 소음 (noise) and 시끄럽다 (loud) on one end, to 조용하다 (quiet) and 적막 (stillness, often with a lonely or eerie feeling) on the other. 거슬리다 sits in between: it's the word for when a sound — or any small detail — grates on your nerves, whether the room is loud or silent.

🎨 The Core Sound & Noise Family

1. 소음 — noise 🔊

공사장 소음이 심해요. = The construction site noise is severe. 소음을 줄이다 = to reduce noise. A neutral noun for unwanted environmental sound — often paired with 줄이다, 심하다, 나다.

2. 시끄럽다 — to be loud / noisy 📢

밖이 너무 시끄러워요. = It's too loud outside. ㅂ-irregular adjective: 시끄러워요 / 시끄러운 / 시끄럽게 / 시끄러워서.

3. 조용하다 — to be quiet 🤫

이 동네는 밤에 아주 조용해요. = This neighborhood is very quiet at night. Regular 하다 adjective: 조용해요 / 조용한 / 조용하게 / 조용히.

4. 적막 — silence / stillness 🌑

방 안에 적막이 흘렀어요. = Silence filled the room. 적막한 산속 = the silent mountains. Often carries an emotional tone — loneliness, eeriness, or deep calm — stronger than plain "quiet."

5. 거슬리다 — to be grating / irritating (to the senses) 👂

그 소리가 계속 거슬려요. = That sound keeps bothering me. 눈에 거슬리다 = to be visually irritating. Regular 이+어→여 contraction: 거슬리다 → 거슬려요.

🛠️ How They Work in a Sentence

옆집에서 나는 소음이 너무 시끄러워서 잠을 못 잤어요.

The noise from next door was so loud that I couldn't sleep. 🛏️

— 소음 is the source, 시끄럽다 describes its intensity, and -아서/어서 links it to the result.

도서관은 항상 조용해서 적막이 흐르는 것 같아요.

The library is always so quiet that it feels like silence fills it. 📚

— 조용하다 is the everyday description; 적막이 흐르다 adds a more atmospheric, almost poetic layer.

시계 초침 소리가 자꾸 거슬려서 신경이 쓰였어요.

The sound of the clock's second hand kept bothering me, so it was on my mind. ⏰

— 거슬리다 works even with small, ordinary sounds — not just loud ones.

🧩 General Formation Rule

소음 → noun; collocates with 나다 (소음이 나다), 심하다 (소음이 심하다), 줄이다 (소음을 줄이다)

시끄럽다 → 시끄러워요 / 시끄러운 / 시끄럽게 / 시끄러워서 / 시끄러우면 — ㅂ-irregular (ㅂ → 우)

조용하다 → 조용해요 / 조용한 / 조용하게 / 조용히 / 조용해서 — regular 하다 adjective

적막 → noun; collocates with 흐르다 (적막이 흐르다), 깨다 (적막을 깨다); adjective form 적막하다 → 적막해요 / 적막한 / 적막하게

거슬리다 → 거슬려요 / 거슬리는 / 거슬렸어요 / 거슬릴 / 거슬려서 — 이 + 어 → 여 contraction

📚 Cross-check note

All vocabulary cross-checked against korean.go.kr ✅

🪞 Synonym Alert

소음 vs. 잡음: 소음 is general unwanted environmental noise; 잡음 is static/interference (radio, electronics) or, figuratively, distracting "side noise" like complaints. 🔊

시끄럽다 vs. 떠들썩하다: 시끄럽다 is loud, often with a negative tone; 떠들썩하다 describes a lively, bustling noise — often festive and not necessarily bad. 📢

조용하다 vs. 잠잠하다: 조용하다 is the general word for "quiet"; 잠잠하다 describes something that has become calm or quiet after being active or turbulent. 🤫

적막 vs. 정적: 적막 often carries an emotional weight — loneliness or eeriness; 정적 is a more neutral "dead silence" at a specific moment. 🌑

거슬리다 vs. 불편하다: 거슬리다 is a specific sensory irritation (a sound, sight, or word that grates); 불편하다 is broader general discomfort. 👂

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

❌ Using 소음 for radio static or background chatter → ✅ That's 잡음; 소음 is environmental noise like traffic or construction. 🔊

❌ Conjugating 시끄럽다 as 시끄럽어요 → ✅ ㅂ-irregular gives 시끄러워요 / 시끄러운 / 시끄러우면. 📢

❌ Adding a ㅂ-irregular to 조용하다 by analogy → ✅ It's a regular 하다 adjective: 조용해요, 조용한, 조용히. 🤫

❌ Using 적막 as if it were an adjective on its own → ✅ It's a noun; use 적막이 흐르다/감돌다 or the adjective form 적막하다 (적막한 산속). 🌑

❌ Conjugating 거슬리다 as 거슬리어요 → ✅ The contraction gives 거슬려요 (이 + 어 → 여). 👂

From the roar of a construction site to the silence of a snowy village — now you have the words for the whole soundscape. 🔇🔊🌑

Try this exercise

Instructions: Choose the best word or form for each sentence. Say the full sentence aloud before checking the Answer toggle.

1. 공사장 ＿＿＿＿ 때문에 머리가 아파요.

(I have a headache because of the construction site noise.) 🔊

Answer

소음 → noun: noise.

2. 밖이 너무 ＿＿＿＿서 창문을 닫았어요.

(It was so noisy outside that I closed the window.) 📢

Answer

시끄러워 → ㅂ-irregular -아/어서 form.

3. 이 동네는 밤에 아주 ＿＿＿＿.

(This neighborhood is very quiet at night.) 🤫

Answer

조용해요 → present tense of 조용하다.

4. 갑자기 방 안에 ＿＿＿＿이 흘렀어요.

(Suddenly silence fell in the room.) 🌑

Answer

적막 → 적막이 흐르다 = silence fills/flows.

5. 그 소리가 계속 ＿＿＿＿서 집중할 수 없었어요.

(That sound kept bothering me, so I couldn't concentrate.) 👂

Answer

거슬려 → 이+어→여 contraction, -아/어서 form.

6. ＿＿＿＿을 줄이기 위해 방음벽을 설치했어요.

(To reduce noise, we installed a soundproof wall.) 🧱

Answer

소음 → 소음을 줄이다 = to reduce noise.

7. 아이들이 ＿＿＿＿ 떠들었어요.

(The kids made noise loudly.) 📢

Answer

시끄럽게 → adverb form, modifies 떠들다.

8. ＿＿＿＿한 카페에서 책을 읽었어요.

(I read a book at a quiet café.) ☕

Answer

조용한 → modifier form of 조용하다.

9. ＿＿＿＿한 산속에서 혼자 캠핑을 했어요.

(I camped alone in the silent mountains.) ⛺

Answer

적막한 → modifier form of 적막하다.

10. 눈에 ＿＿＿＿는 부분을 수정했어요.

(I fixed the part that was visually irritating/distracting.) 👁️

Answer

거슬리 → 거슬리는, modifier form.

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Vocabulary Box

소음 → noise

시끄럽다 → to be loud/noisy

조용하다 → to be quiet

적막 → silence; stillness

거슬리다 → to be grating/irritating

Pitfalls 💡

시끄럽다 → 시끄러워요 (ㅂ-irregular).

조용하다 has NO irregular forms.

거슬리다 → 거슬려요 (이+어→여).

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Want more reps? Visit the Practice Hub when you're ready! 🚀

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🎯 Practice Hub — Vocab: Sound & Noise Levels

소음, 시끄럽다, 조용하다, 적막, 거슬리다 — five words for every point on the soundscape. 🔇 Let's drill recall, conjugation, and natural sentence flow.

🔊 Audio reminder: Use the Korean Helper Widgets to hear any sentence.

Exercise 1 — 소음 & 조용하다 Recall 🔉

A. 새 아파트는 방음이 잘 돼서 ＿＿＿＿이 거의 없어요.

(The new apartment is well soundproofed, so there's almost no noise.) 🏢

Answer

소음 → noun: noise.

B. 회의실이 ＿＿＿＿해서 집중하기 좋아요.

(The meeting room is quiet, so it's good for focusing.) 🧑‍💼

Answer

조용 → 조용하다 → 조용해서.

C. 밤늦게 ＿＿＿＿을 내면 이웃에게 피해를 줘요.

(Making noise late at night bothers the neighbors.) 🌙

Answer

소음 → 소음을 내다 = to make noise.

D. 도서관에서는 ＿＿＿＿하게 말해야 해요.

(You should speak quietly in the library.) 📚

Answer

조용 → 조용하게 = quietly.

E. 층간 ＿＿＿＿ 문제로 이웃과 다퉜어요.

(We had a dispute with neighbors over noise between floors.) 🏠

Answer

소음 → 층간 소음 = noise between floors.

F. 그 카페는 음악도 없고 정말 ＿＿＿＿.

(That café has no music and is really quiet.) ☕

Answer

조용해요 → present tense.

G. ＿＿＿＿이 너무 심해서 이어플러그를 꼈어요.

(The noise was so severe that I put in earplugs.) 🎧

Answer

소음 → 소음이 심하다 = the noise is severe.

H. 아이가 자고 있어서 ＿＿＿＿히 움직였어요.

(The baby was sleeping, so I moved quietly.) 👶

Answer

조용 → 조용히 = quietly.

I. 공사 ＿＿＿＿ 때문에 민원이 많이 들어왔어요.

(Many complaints came in because of construction noise.) 🏗️

Answer

소음 → noun: noise.

J. ＿＿＿＿한 시골 마을로 이사를 갔어요.

(We moved to a quiet countryside village.) 🌾

Answer

조용한 → modifier before 시골 마을.

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소음 & 조용하다 Reference:

소음이 나다/심하다 → noise occurs/is severe

소음을 내다/줄이다 → to make/reduce noise

층간 소음 → noise between floors

조용해요/조용한/조용하게/조용히 → quiet forms

Exercise 2 — 적막 & 거슬리다 Recall 🌑

A. 늦은 밤, 집 안에 ＿＿＿＿이 가득했어요.

(Late at night, the house was full of silence.) 🌙

Answer

적막 → 적막이 가득하다 = filled with silence.

B. 옆에서 들리는 숨소리가 자꾸 ＿＿＿＿.

(The breathing sound next to me kept bothering me.) 😮‍💨

Answer

거슬려요 → present tense, 이+어→여 contraction.

C. 그 산골 마을은 ＿＿＿＿한 분위기였어요.

(That mountain village had a still, silent atmosphere.) ⛰️

Answer

적막한 → modifier form of 적막하다.

D. 눈에 ＿＿＿＿는 얼룩을 지웠어요.

(I removed the stain that was visually bothering me.) 🧽

Answer

거슬리 → 거슬리는, modifier form.

E. 회의가 끝나자 잠시 ＿＿＿＿이 흘렀어요.

(After the meeting ended, a moment of silence passed.) 🤐

Answer

적막 → 적막이 흐르다 = silence flows/falls.

F. 천장에서 나는 소리가 계속 ＿＿＿＿서 잠을 설쳤어요.

(The sound from the ceiling kept bothering me, so I had trouble sleeping.) 🛏️

Answer

거슬려 → -아/어서 form.

G. 폭풍이 지나간 후 마을은 ＿＿＿＿에 잠겼어요.

(After the storm passed, the village fell into stillness.) 🌪️

Answer

적막 → 적막에 잠기다 = to fall into stillness.

H. 그의 말투가 조금 ＿＿＿＿었어요.

(His tone of speech was a bit grating.) 🗯️

Answer

거슬렸어요 → past tense of 거슬리다.

I. ＿＿＿＿을 깨는 전화벨 소리가 울렸어요.

(A phone ring broke the silence.) 📞

Answer

적막 → 적막을 깨다 = to break the silence.

J. 광고가 너무 자주 나와서 ＿＿＿＿.

(The ads come on so often that they're irritating.) 📺

Answer

거슬려요 → present tense of 거슬리다.

📚

적막 & 거슬리다 Reference:

적막이 흐르다/가득하다 → silence falls/fills

적막을 깨다 → to break the silence

적막에 잠기다 → to fall into stillness

거슬려요/거슬렸어요/거슬리는 → grating (present/past/modifier)

Exercise 3 — Conjugating 시끄럽다 (ㅂ-irregular) 🔊

A. 길거리가 너무 ＿＿＿＿서 전화 소리가 안 들렸어요.

(The street was so loud that I couldn't hear the phone.) 📱

Answer

시끄러워 → ㅂ → 우 + -아/어서.

B. 옆방에서 ＿＿＿＿ 음악 소리가 들려요.

(Loud music can be heard from the next room.) 🎶

Answer

시끄러운 → ㅂ-irregular modifier.

C. 공사 소리가 ＿＿＿＿.

(The construction sound is loud.) 🏗️

Answer

시끄러워요 → present tense.

D. 아이들이 ＿＿＿＿ 뛰어다녔어요.

(The kids ran around noisily.) 🏃

Answer

시끄럽게 → adverb form.

E. 술집이 ＿＿＿＿서 대화하기 힘들었어요.

(The bar was so loud that it was hard to talk.) 🍺

Answer

시끄러워 → ㅂ → 우 + -아/어서.

F. 어제는 평소보다 더 ＿＿＿＿었어요.

(Yesterday it was louder than usual.) 📅

Answer

시끄러웠어요 → past tense.

G. ＿＿＿＿ 곳을 피해서 자리를 옮겼어요.

(I moved to avoid the loud place.) 🚶

Answer

시끄러운 → modifier before 곳 (place).

H. 밖이 ＿＿＿＿면 창문을 닫으세요.

(If it's loud outside, close the window.) 🪟

Answer

시끄러우 → 시끄러우면, ㅂ → 우 + -(으)면.

I. 행사장이 음악 소리로 ＿＿＿＿.

(The event venue is loud with music.) 🎉

Answer

시끄러워요 → present tense.

J. 너무 ＿＿＿＿니까 조금 조용히 해 주세요.

(It's too loud, so please be a bit quieter.) 🤫

Answer

시끄러우 → 시끄러우니까, ㅂ → 우 + -(으)니까.

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시끄럽다 Conjugation Reference:

시끄러워요 → present (ㅂ → 우 + 어요)

시끄러운 → modifier

시끄럽게 → adverb

시끄러워서 → -아서/어서 (cause)

시끄러우면 / 시끄러우니까 → -(으)면 / -(으)니까

시끄러웠어요 → past

Exercise 4 — Conjugating 거슬리다 (이 + 어 → 여) 👂

A. 그 소리가 계속 ＿＿＿＿서 신경이 쓰였어요.

(That sound kept bothering me, so it was on my mind.) 😣

Answer

거슬려 → -아/어서 form (이+어→여).

B. 눈에 ＿＿＿＿는 부분이 있으면 알려 주세요.

(If there's a part that's visually bothersome, let me know.) 👀

Answer

거슬리 → 거슬리는, modifier form.

C. 어제 그 말이 좀 ＿＿＿＿었어요.

(That comment was a bit grating yesterday.) 🗣️

Answer

거슬렸어요 → past tense.

D. 작은 소리도 ＿＿＿＿ 만큼 조용한 곳이었어요.

(It was such a quiet place that even small sounds would be noticeable.) 🤐

Answer

거슬릴 → future/prospective modifier (-ㄹ 만큼).

E. 그 행동이 자꾸 ＿＿＿＿.

(That behavior keeps bothering me.) 😤

Answer

거슬려요 → present tense.

F. 신경에 ＿＿＿＿지 않게 조심했어요.

(I was careful not to get on anyone's nerves.) 🙏

Answer

거슬리 → 거슬리지 않게, stem + -지 않게.

G. 색깔 조합이 눈에 ＿＿＿＿네요.

(The color combination is visually jarring.) 🎨

Answer

거슬리 → 거슬리네요, stem + -네요.

H. 작은 소음도 ＿＿＿＿면 백색소음을 틀어 보세요.

(If even small noises bother you, try playing white noise.) 🌊

Answer

거슬리 → 거슬리면, stem + -(으)면.

I. 그 버릇이 너무 ＿＿＿＿서 한마디 했어요.

(That habit was so irritating that I said something.) 💬

Answer

거슬려 → -아/어서 form.

J. 처음에는 ＿＿＿＿지 않았는데 점점 신경 쓰였어요.

(At first it didn't bother me, but it gradually got on my nerves.) ⏳

Answer

거슬리 → 거슬리지 않다, stem + -지 않다.

📚

거슬리다 Conjugation Reference:

거슬려요 → present (이+어→여)

거슬렸어요 → past

거슬리는 → modifier

거슬릴 → future/prospective modifier

거슬려서 → -아서/어서 (cause)

거슬리지 않다/거슬리면/거슬리네요 → negation / conditional / exclamatory

Exercise 5 — Mixed Mastery 🧩

A. 밤에는 ＿＿＿＿을 줄이려고 노력해요.

(At night, I try to reduce noise.) 🌙

Answer

소음 → 소음을 줄이다 = to reduce noise.

B. 카페가 너무 ＿＿＿＿서 다른 곳으로 옮겼어요.

(The café was too noisy, so I moved to another place.) ☕

Answer

시끄러워 → ㅂ-irregular -아/어서 form.

C. 명상할 때는 ＿＿＿＿한 곳이 좋아요.

(A quiet place is good for meditation.) 🧘

Answer

조용 → 조용한, modifier of 조용하다.

D. 깊은 밤의 ＿＿＿＿ 속에서 글을 썼어요.

(I wrote in the stillness of the deep night.) 🌌

Answer

적막 → noun: stillness/silence.

E. 옆자리 사람의 다리 떠는 소리가 자꾸 ＿＿＿＿.

(The sound of the person next to me shaking their leg kept bothering me.) 🦵

Answer

거슬려요 → present tense of 거슬리다.

F. 도서관이 워낙 ＿＿＿＿해서 작은 기침 소리도 거슬려요.

(The library is so quiet that even a small cough sound is bothersome.) 📚

Answer

조용 → 조용해서, 조용하다 + -아서/어서.

G. ＿＿＿＿ 음악 소리 때문에 이웃들이 항의했어요.

(Neighbors complained because of the loud music sound.) 🎵

Answer

시끄러운 → modifier before 음악 소리.

H. 그 배우의 목소리는 ＿＿＿＿는 데가 전혀 없어요.

(That actor's voice has nothing grating about it at all.) 🎙️

Answer

거슬리 → 거슬리는 데, modifier form.

I. 폭설이 내린 다음 날 거리는 ＿＿＿＿했어요.

(The day after heavy snowfall, the streets were silent/still.) ❄️

Answer

적막 → 적막하다, regular 하다 adjective.

J. ＿＿＿＿을 막기 위해 귀마개를 사용해요.

(I use earplugs to block out noise.) 🎧

Answer

소음 → 소음을 막다 = to block noise.

📚

Mixed Mastery Reference:

소음을 줄이다/막다 → to reduce/block noise

시끄러워서/시끄러운 → loud (cause/modifier)

조용한/조용해서 → quiet (modifier/cause)

적막 / 적막하다 → stillness (noun/adjective)

거슬려요/거슬리는 → grating (present/modifier)

🎉 다섯 단어, 한 가지 감각: 시끄러움부터 적막까지, 거슬리는 소리도 이제 자신 있게 표현해 보세요! Five words, one sense — from noise to silence, now you can describe it all. 🔇🔊🌑