Why Is 「설레임」 Considered Wrong in Korean?

「설레다」 means that your heart does not settle down but flutters with excitement. Drop the final 「-다」 and add 「-ㅁ」, the ending that turns a verb into a noun, and you get 「설렘」. It works the same way as 「자다」 (to sleep) becoming 「잠」 (sleep) and 「꾸다」 (to dream) becoming 「꿈」 (a dream).

You do not add 「이」 when conjugating it either. 「설레는 마음」 (an excited heart), 「가슴이 설렌다」 (my heart flutters) and 「어제 무척 설레었다」 (I was very excited yesterday) are correct, while 「설레이는」, 「설레인다」 and 「설레였다」 should all be corrected. 「설레었다」 can be shortened to 「설렜다」. The National Institute of Korean Language noted that because people see the wrong form so often, some say the correct 「설렘」 actually looks awkward.

As with 「보다」 (to see) and 「보이다」 (to be seen), 「-이-」 in Korean often adds a passive meaning. That makes 「설레이다」 easy to feel more natural, but an excited heart flutters on its own rather than being moved by someone, so there is no place for 「이」.

Song lyrics and poems, which often used 「설레임」, also played a part. Adding 「이」 stretches the sound by one beat, so the rhythm sounds smoother. For the same reason, people often get 「날이 개이다」 (the weather clears up) and 「길을 헤매이다」 (to wander lost) wrong. The standard forms are 「개다」 and 「헤매다」, and their nouns are 「갬」 and 「헤맴」.

Surprisingly, according to the National Institute of Korean Language, North Korea's standard language, Munhwaeo, accepts 「설레이다」. In other words, the South and the North split on the same word. Under South Korea's standard language rules, only 「설레다」 is standard even today.

Still, deleting every 「이」 can sometimes make things wrong. In 「살이 에이는 듯한 추위」 (cold that feels like it cuts the skin), 「에이다」 is the passive form of 「에다」 (to cut), so it is correct. When in doubt, think of the base form, drop 「-다」 and add 「-ㅁ」. 「설레다」 gives 「설렘」, and 「헤매다」 gives 「헤맴」. Try writing 「설레는 하루」 (an exciting day) in a text or card, and even if it feels unfamiliar at first, you will soon get used to it.