From Mistake to Stepping Stone: Talking About Failure in Korean
Hello! Welcome back to [Maeil Hangeul], your go-to source for upgrading your Korean skills!
Have you ever managed a project that didn’t go as planned? Or made a mistake at work and felt terrible about it? In any professional setting, setbacks are inevitable. How you talk about them, however, can make all the difference. It can show your maturity, resilience, and growth mindset.
Lately in Korean workplaces, especially in innovative sectors, there’s a growing emphasis on “회고 (hoego)” or “retrospectives.” This is a culture where teams openly discuss what went wrong, not to place blame, but to find valuable lessons. Today, we’ll learn the essential Korean expressions to navigate these conversations, turning perceived failures into powerful opportunities for growth. Let’s dive in!
Core Expressions for a Growth Mindset
Here are four key expressions that will help you talk about setbacks like a seasoned professional in Korea.
1. 시행착오 (si-haeng-cha-go)
- Pronunciation: [si-haeng-cha-go]
- English Meaning: Trial and error.
- Detailed Explanation: This is a sophisticated, Sino-Korean noun that refers to the process of trying things, making mistakes, and learning from them to eventually succeed. Using this term shows that you understand that mistakes are a natural and necessary part of any innovative process. It sounds much more professional and constructive than simply saying “실수” (mistake).
2. (실패를) 발판으로 삼다 (sil-pae-reul bal-pan-eu-ro sam-da)
- Pronunciation: [bal-pan-eu-ro sam-da]
- English Meaning: To use (failure) as a stepping stone.
- Detailed Explanation: This is a powerful and proactive expression. ‘발판’ means a foothold or a stepping stone, and ‘삼다’ means to make something into something else. By using this phrase, you are actively communicating that you are transforming a negative experience into a foundation for future success. It’s a fantastic way to demonstrate resilience and a forward-looking attitude.
3. 교훈을 얻다 (gyo-hun-eul eot-da)
- Pronunciation: [gyo-hun-eul eot-da]
- English Meaning: To gain a (valuable) lesson.
- Detailed Explanation: While you know the word ‘배우다’ (to learn), ‘교훈을 얻다’ carries a deeper meaning. ‘교훈’ implies a significant, often moral or strategic, insight gained from an experience—usually a difficult one. It shows that you are not just acknowledging a mistake, but you have engaged in deep reflection to extract meaningful wisdom from it.
4. ~ㄴ/은 셈 치다 (~n/eun sem chi-da)
- Pronunciation: [~n/eun sem chi-da]
- English Meaning: To consider it as…; To chalk it up to…
- Detailed Explanation: This grammatical pattern is perfect for mentally reframing a negative outcome. It expresses a conscious decision to view a situation in a different, more constructive light. For instance, if you lost money on an investment, you might say, “비싼 수업료를 낸 셈 쳤어요” (I chalked it up to paying expensive tuition). It’s a mature way to show you’re moving on without dwelling on the negative.
Example Dialogue
Here’s how these expressions might sound in a conversation between a manager (팀장님) and a team member (지수) after a new marketing campaign underperformed.
A (지수): 팀장님, 이번 캠페인 결과가 기대에 미치지 못해 정말 죄송합니다. 제 분석이 부족했던 것 같습니다.
(Manager, I am truly sorry that the results of this campaign did not meet expectations. I believe my analysis was insufficient.)
B (팀장님): 괜찮아요, 지수 씨. 새로운 시도를 할 때는 언제나 시행착오가 따르는 법이죠. 처음부터 완벽할 순 없어요.
(It’s okay, Jisu. Trial and error always accompanies new attempts. We can’t be perfect from the start.)
A (지수): 그래도 예산을 많이 사용했는데, 팀에 누를 끼친 것 같아 마음이 무겁습니다.
(But we used a significant budget, and I feel heavy-hearted for having burdened the team.)
B (팀장님): 너무 자책하지 마세요. 이번 경험을 다음 분기 전략을 위한 발판으로 삼으면 됩니다. 중요한 건 우리가 여기서 어떤 교훈을 얻었는지예요. 이번 예산은 더 나은 결과를 위한 투자였다고 셈 칩시다.
(Don’t blame yourself too much. We just need to use this experience as a stepping stone for our next quarterly strategy. What’s important is the lesson we’ve learned from this. Let’s just chalk up this budget to an investment for better results in the future.)
Cultural Tip: Embracing the “회고 (Retrospective)” Culture
In many modern Korean companies, particularly in the IT and startup scenes, the “회고 문화” (Retrospective Culture) is becoming standard practice. At the end of a project or a sprint, teams gather to discuss three things: ‘좋았던 점’ (what went well), ‘아쉬웠던 점’ (what could be improved), and ‘배운 점’ (what we learned).
In these meetings, simply saying “I made a mistake” can sound defensive. However, framing it with today’s expressions shows you are a mature, solution-oriented professional. Saying, “이번 프로젝트는 여러 시행착오를 통해 중요한 교훈을 얻는 과정이었습니다” (This project was a process of gaining important lessons through a lot of trial and error) will earn you respect from your colleagues and superiors. It proves you’re not just fluent in Korean, but also in the modern Korean work culture.
Let’s Wrap Up & Practice!
Today, we learned four incredibly useful expressions to discuss failures and setbacks in a constructive and professional way: 시행착오 (trial and error), 발판으로 삼다 (to use as a stepping stone), 교훈을 얻다 (to gain a lesson), and ~ㄴ/은 셈 치다 (to chalk it up to). Mastering these will significantly elevate your professional communication in Korean.
Now, it’s your turn to practice!
- Fill in the blank:
- 그는 수많은 실패를 성공의 ___________ 삼아 마침내 꿈을 이루었다.
- (He finally achieved his dream by using his numerous failures as a ___________ for success.)
- Make a sentence: Think about a small challenge you faced this week. Using ~ㄴ/은 셈 치다, write a sentence about how you decided to reframe it positively.
Share your answers in the comments below! We’d love to see you put these powerful expressions into practice. Keep up the great work
