What Does “아깝다” Mean in Korean?
More Than “What a Waste”
In Korean, “아깝다” is often translated as “what a waste” or “such a shame.” But in real life, it can describe money, food, time, effort, missed chances, and even feelings.
Some Korean words look simple at first.
But the more you hear them in real conversations, the more you realize they carry many different feelings.
One of those words is:
“아깝다”
Romanization: akkapda
Pronunciation: ah-kkap-da
What a waste / Such a shame / So close
If you look up 아깝다 in a dictionary, you may see translations like “wasteful,” “too good to waste,” “regrettable,” or “what a shame.”
These translations are useful.
But they do not fully show how often Koreans use this word.
In Korean, 아깝다 can be used when something feels too valuable to lose, throw away, spend, miss, or give up.
In simple words, “아깝다” can mean:
- What a waste.
- That is such a shame.
- That was so close.
- It is too good to throw away.
- Something valuable was lost, missed, or not fully used.
This word can be about money.
It can be about food.
It can be about time.
It can be about effort.
It can even be about a person, a chance, or a feeling.
That is why 아깝다 is such a useful Korean word to know.
“아깝다” When Something Is Wasted
The most common meaning of 아깝다 is close to “what a waste.”
For example, if there is still food left on the table and someone wants to throw it away, a Korean person might say:
“버리기 아깝다.”
It is too good to throw away.
This can be used for food, clothes, objects, or anything that still has value.
“음식 남기기 아깝다.”
It feels wasteful to leave food behind.
“이 옷 버리기 아까워.”
This clothing is too good to throw away.
“아직 쓸 수 있는데 아깝다.”
It is still usable, so it feels like a waste.
In Korea, this feeling can appear often because many people grow up hearing that wasting food, money, or usable things is not good.
So 아깝다 is not only a reaction to waste.
It is also a reaction to value being lost.
“아깝다” With Money
Koreans also use 아깝다 very often when talking about money.
If something feels too expensive for what it is, or not worth the price, you can say:
“돈 아까워.”
It feels like a waste of money.
This does not always mean the person has no money.
It means they feel the money was not worth spending.
For example, if you buy an expensive coffee and it tastes bad, you might say:
“이 커피는 돈 아깝다.”
This coffee was not worth the money.
If a movie was boring, you might say:
“영화표 값이 아까웠어.”
The movie ticket felt like a waste of money.
This expression is honest, practical, and slightly regretful.
Not angry enough to be dramatic.
Just a little disappointed.
“아깝다” When Something Was So Close
Another very common use of 아깝다 is when something almost happened, but did not.
In English, this can be translated as:
That was so close.
What a shame.
Almost.
You nearly had it.
Imagine someone takes a shot in a game and the ball almost goes in, but bounces out.
A Korean person may say:
“아깝다!”
So close!
This use is very common in sports, games, exams, contests, and everyday situations.
“한 문제 차이로 떨어졌어.”
I failed by just one question.
“와, 진짜 아깝다.”
Wow, that was really close.
In this case, 아깝다 is not about wasting money or food.
It is about a missed chance.
The result was almost there.
That almost is what makes it 아깝다.
“시간 아깝다”: A Waste of Time
Koreans also use 아깝다 with time.
The phrase is:
“시간 아깝다.”
It is a waste of time.
This can be used when something feels meaningless, inefficient, or not worth your time.
“기다린 시간이 아까워.”
The time I spent waiting feels wasted.
“이런 일에 시간 쓰기 아깝다.”
It is not worth spending time on something like this.
“하루가 그냥 지나가서 아까워.”
It feels like a shame that the day just passed by.
This expression is practical, but it can also feel emotional.
Because time is not something you can get back.
When Koreans say 시간 아깝다, they may be saying, “This did not deserve my time.”
Or sometimes, “I wish I had used my day better.”
“아깝다” Can Also Be About People
One interesting thing about 아깝다 is that it can also be used to talk about people.
For example:
“그 사람은 너한테 아까워.”
That person is too good for you.
This sentence can sound harsh depending on the situation.
It means one person is seen as too good, too valuable, or too precious for the other.
You may also hear:
“그 재능이 아깝다.”
That talent is being wasted.
“그 사람이 거기 있기엔 아까워.”
That person is too talented to be there.
In this use, 아깝다 means that someone or something has value that is not being used well.
It can sound admiring.
But it can also sound judgmental.
So it is good to be careful with this expression when talking about people.
Common Expressions With “아깝다”
Here are some very common Korean expressions using 아깝다.
돈 아깝다.
It is a waste of money.
시간 아깝다.
It is a waste of time.
버리기 아깝다.
It is too good to throw away.
먹기 아깝다.
It looks too good to eat.
아까워 죽겠다.
It feels like such a huge waste.
진짜 아깝다.
That is such a shame / That was really close.
You will hear this word in many parts of Korean life.
At restaurants.
While shopping.
During games.
After missed chances.
When talking about money, time, effort, or regret.
It is small, but surprisingly powerful.
Example Conversations
Here are some simple examples of how Koreans might use 아깝다 in everyday conversation.
Example 1: Food
A: 이거 남은 거 버릴까?
Should we throw away the leftovers?
B: 아니, 아직 먹을 수 있는데 아깝잖아.
No, we can still eat it. It would be a waste.
Example 2: Money
A: 이 영화 어땠어?
How was the movie?
B: 솔직히 영화표 값이 좀 아까웠어.
Honestly, the ticket felt like a waste of money.
Example 3: A Missed Chance
A: 한 문제만 더 맞았으면 합격이었어.
If I had gotten just one more question right, I would have passed.
B: 와, 진짜 아깝다.
Wow, that was really close.
Example 4: Time
A: 두 시간 기다렸는데 결국 못 들어갔어.
I waited for two hours, but I could not get in.
B: 시간이 너무 아깝다.
That is such a waste of time.
As you can see, the English translation changes depending on the situation.
Sometimes 아깝다 means “waste.”
Sometimes it means “so close.”
Sometimes it means “too precious to lose.”
The feeling changes shape, but the center is the same:
Something valuable was almost lost, actually lost, or not fully used.
So, What Does “아깝다” Really Mean?
Literally, 아깝다 can be translated as:
- What a waste
- Such a shame
- So close
- Too good to waste
- Regrettable
But actually, 아깝다 can mean:
This still has value.
This was too close to miss.
This deserved better.
This was not worth the money.
This feels painful to waste.
For foreigners learning Korean, 아깝다 is a very useful word because Koreans use it in so many everyday situations.
It is practical, emotional, and very Korean.
It shows how people think about value.
Not just the value of money, but also the value of food, effort, time, chances, and care.
“아깝다” is not just “what a waste.”
It is the feeling that something valuable
should not disappear so easily.
And that, to me, is Korea, Actually.