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What Does "jollyeo" (졸려) Mean in Korean?

I'm sleepy — the hidden emotional layer and cultural context behind it, not just the dictionary translation.

Meaning

졸려

jollyeo

I'm sleepy

EMOTIONAL INTENSITY3/10
😊 Mildeveryday

Real Feeling

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What Koreans really mean

This expression is used between close friends, family, or people in very casual relationships. It conveys a mild, natural feeling of sleepiness. Saying this to an elder or a superior would be considered too informal and potentially rude; you would use '졸려요' (jollyeoyo) or '졸립니다' (jollimnida) in more polite contexts.

💬 Used in real life

Said when you're in class or at work and feel your eyelids getting heavy.

Used after a long day or a restless night, expressing the need for sleep.

How It's Used

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Similar Expressions

Related feelings and meanings — click to explore

Grammar Breakdown

Part by part — learn the structure, not just the meaning

졸리jolli

adjective stem

The stem of the adjective '졸리다' (jollida), meaning 'to be sleepy'.

-어-eo

sentence-final ending (informal-polite)

A common informal-polite declarative ending for adjectives, indicating a state. It becomes '-여' after 'ㅣ' in the stem, creating '졸려'.

Tags

sleepyfatiguecasualfeeling

Korean expressions carry layers of meaning that direct translation misses. The real meaning lives in the emotion, context, and cultural moment.

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