嘆

Expresses the emotional act of breathing out a sigh — from sorrow, admiration, or wonder. It encompasses both lamentation and heartfelt exclamation.

phono-semantic compound consisting of:

口 (입 구) — semantic component, denoting the mouth and speech.

𦰩 (근/간) — phonetic component, giving the sound tan and implying emotional intensity.

Thus, 嘆 literally depicts uttering from the mouth with emotion, a sigh or exclamation born from the depths of feeling.

There exists a variant form 歎, sharing similar meaning and pronunciation but differing slightly in structure.

While often used interchangeably in later texts, some scholars distinguish 嘆 (emotional exclamation) from 歎 (philosophical lament or reflection).

嘆息 (탄식) — to sigh; to heave a sigh

感嘆 (감탄) — admiration, deep impression; to exclaim with wonder

悲嘆 (비탄) — grief, sorrow, lamentation

嘆願 (탄원) — petition, earnest plea

讚嘆 (찬탄) — to praise with deep admiration

長嘆 (장탄) — to sigh deeply or for a long time

歎服 (탄복) — to admire sincerely; to be impressed

嘆氣 (탄기) — to exhale in frustration or fatigue

浩嘆 (호탄) — to sigh greatly, expressing vast emotion

In classical Chinese and Korean literature, 嘆 embodies the outflow of the human heart when words fall short — the breath of emotion.

It stands at the meeting point of speech and feeling, where sound becomes an expression of the soul.

「發於情而止於禮，言不盡而嘆出焉。」

“Emotion arises within but ends in propriety; when words cannot suffice, a sigh emerges.”

In Confucian texts, 嘆 often marks the moment when the noble person (君子) feels both compassion and limitation — perceiving moral truth yet lamenting human frailty.

孔子嘆曰：「鳳鳥不至，河不出圖，吾已矣夫！」

Confucius sighed: “The phoenix does not come, nor does the river yield its chart — my time has passed.”

— Analects (論語), 子罕

In Buddhist writings, 嘆 extends from sorrow to compassionate sighs for the suffering of beings, embodying karuṇā (慈悲, compassion).

悲嘆眾生之苦，發願度之。

“Sighing with sorrow for the suffering of sentient beings, one vows to deliver them.”

In poetry, 嘆 expresses the ineffable — grief, admiration, yearning. It is the pause between breath and word, the silence filled with feeling.

長嘆雲外月，孤影照心明。

“A long sigh beneath the moon beyond the clouds; my lone shadow mirrors a bright heart.”

Thus, 嘆 signifies more than mere speech: it is the voice of emotion itself, where the heart breathes through the mouth — a timeless symbol of humanity’s capacity to feel deeply and to express beyond language.