Learn How To Say “Really” In Korean
Like in other languages, the word “really” in Korean can be used in different ways. You can use the word “really” to ask a question, to answer a question, or to mean ‘very’. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to say “Really” in Korean. The two words you will learn are 진짜 [jin-jja], and 정말 [jeong-mal], and you’ll learn informal, polite, and formal ways to use these words to say “really” in Korean.
How To Say “Really” In Korean
There are two words that are commonly used to say “really” in Korean. These are 진짜 [jin-jja] and 정말 [jeong-mal]. These two words are mostly interchangeable and the only difference between them is that 진짜 is more commonly used in spoken language and 정말 is more commonly used in written language. With that being said, let’s take a look at the informal, polite, and formal ways to say “really” in Korean.
Really in Korean – Informal
- 진짜 [jin-jja]
- 정말 [jeong-mal]
As you can see, when used on their own, 진짜 and 정말 do not have a polite or formal ending. This makes them informal/casual and so you should only use these words to say “really” in Korean with close friends and those younger than you.
When 진짜 and 정말 are used in a sentence, it is the ending (or lack thereof) attached to the final verb in the sentence which determines the sentence’s politeness level. Here are some example sentences using the informal way to say “really” in Korean.
Example Sentences
- 진짜? [jin-jja] = Really?
- 진짜 좋아! [jin-jja jo-a] = It’s really good!
- 진짜 예뻐! [jin-jja ye-ppeo] = It’s really pretty/beautiful!
- 정말? [jeong-mal] = Really?
- 정말 맛있어! [jeong-mal ma-si-sseo] = It’s really declicious!
- 정말 사랑해! [jeong-mal sa-rang-hae] = I really love it!
- 정말 잘했어! [jeong-mal jal-hae-sseo] = You did really well!
Really in Korean – Polite
- 진짜요 [jin-jja-yo]
- 정말요 [jeong-mal-yo]
There are two polite ways to say really in Korean. These are 진짜요 [jin-jja-yo] and 정말요 [jeong-mal-yo]. As you can see, both of these have the polite ending 요 attached and so you can use these expressions to say “really” in Korean and you will sound polite and respectful.
진짜요 and 정말요 are the polite ways to say “really” in Korean when used as a word on their own. When using these words in a sentence, only the final verb in that sentence requires the polite ending 요 to be attached. Here are some example sentences using the polite way to say “really” in Korean.
Example Sentences
- 진짜요? [jin-jja-yo] = Really?
- 진짜 좋아요! [jin-jja jo-a-yo] = It’s really good!
- 진짜 예뻐요! [jin-jja ye-ppeo-yo] = It’s really pretty/beautiful!
- 정말요? [jeong-mal-yo] = Really?
- 정말 맛있어요! [jeong-mal ma-si-sseo-yo] = It’s really delicious!
- 정말 사랑해요! [jeong-mal sa-rang-hae-yo] = I really love it!
- 정말 잘했어요! [jeong-mal jal-hae-sseo-yo] = You did really well!
Really in Korean – Formal
Before we look at the formal way to say “Really” in Korean, it’s important to note that it is not very common to use the formal form. It is much more common to use the polite form, and you will probably only ever hear the formal way to say “really” in formal settings like a public speech, business meetings, the military, etc.
So, you can add formal endings to 진짜 and 정말 but in the vast majority of situations, you’re best to just use the polite form. With that being said, here are some formal ways to say “Really” in Korean.
- 진짜입니다. [jin-jja-im-ni-da] (statement)
- 진짜입니까? [jin-jja-im-ni-kka] (question)
- 정말입니다. [jeong-mal-im-ni-da] (statement)
- 정말입니까? [jeong-mal-im-ni-kka] (question)
And here are some formal example sentences. Again, the formal ending is only added to the final verb in the sentence.
- 진짜입니까? [jin-jja-im-ni-kka] = Really?
- 진짜 좋습니다! [jin-jja jo-sseum-ni-da] = It’s really good!
- 진짜 예쁩니다! [jin-jja ye-ppeum-ni-da] = It’s really pretty/beautiful!
- 진짜 맛있습니다! [jin-jja ma-si-sseum-ni-da] = It’s really delicious!
- 정말 사랑합니다! [jeong-mal sa-rang-ham-ni-da] = I really love it!
- 정말 잘했습니다! [jeong-mal jal-hae-sseum-ni-da] = You did really well!
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