“모두” (mo-du) means “all” or “everyone,” depending on the context.
Common Uses & Meanings:
All / Everything
모두 끝났어요. (mo-du kkeut-nass-eo-yo.) – Everything is finished.
모두 좋아요! (mo-du jo-a-yo!) – Everything is good!
Everyone / Everybody
모두가 행복했어요. (mo-du-ga haeng-bok-haess-eo-yo.) – Everyone was happy.
모두 열심히 일하고 있어요. (mo-du yeol-sim-hi il-ha-go it-seo-yo.) – Everyone is working hard.
Together (as a group)
모두 같이 갑시다. (mo-du ga-chi gab-si-da.) – Let’s all go together.
모두 힘을 합쳐야 해요. (mo-du him-eul hab-chyeo-ya hae-yo.) – We all need to join forces.
This word is widely used in Korean to express completeness or inclusivity!
모르다 (moreuda) means “to not know” or “to be unaware.” It is used when someone does not have knowledge about something or is unsure.
Conjugations & Forms
Present tense (polite):
몰라요 → “I don’t know.”
모릅니다 → More formal: “I do not know.”
Past tense:
몰랐어요 → “I didn’t know.”
모른다 → Casual/plain form: “I don’t know.”
Example Sentences
Expressing lack of knowledge:
이 단어의 뜻을 몰라요. → “I don’t know the meaning of this word.”
Showing uncertainty:
그 사람을 몰라요. → “I don’t know that person.”
Talking about past events:
그 사실을 몰랐어요! → “I didn’t know that fact!”
무섭다 (mu-seop-da) means “to be scary” or “to be afraid.” It is used to describe frightening things or feelings of fear.
Example Sentences:
이 영화는 정말 무서워요! (i yeong-hwa-neun jeong-mal mu-seo-wo-yo!) – This movie is really scary!
무서운 꿈을 꿔서 깜짝 놀랐어요. (mu-seo-un kkum-eul kkwo-seo kkam-jjak nol-lass-eo-yo.) – I had a scary dream and was startled.
번개 소리가 너무 무서웠어요. (beon-gae so-ri-ga neo-mu mu-seo-wo-sseo-yo.) – The sound of thunder was really frightening.
혼자 있을 때 갑자기 무서워져요. (hon-ja it-seul ttae gap-ja-gi mu-seo-wo-jyeo-yo.) – When I’m alone, I suddenly feel scared.
어릴 때 귀신 이야기가 무서웠어요. (eo-ril ttae gwi-sin i-ya-gi-ga mu-seo-wo-sseo-yo.) – When I was young, ghost stories scared me.
The polite conjugation is 무서워요 (mu-seo-wo-yo).
무슨 뜻이에요? (mu-seun tteut-i-e-yo?) means “What does it mean?” or “What is the meaning?”. It is commonly used to ask for the definition or explanation of a word, phrase, or situation.
Example Sentences:
이 단어는 무슨 뜻이에요? (i da-neo-neun mu-seun tteut-i-e-yo?) – What does this word mean?
이 표현은 무슨 뜻이에요? (i pyo-hyeon-eun mu-seun tteut-i-e-yo?) – What does this expression mean?
그 말은 무슨 뜻으로 했어요? (geu mal-eun mu-seun tteut-eu-ro haess-eo-yo?) – What did you mean by that?
이 속담은 무슨 뜻인가요? (i sok-dam-eun mu-seun tteut-in-ga-yo?) – What is the meaning of this proverb?
이 문장의 뜻을 설명해 주세요. (i mun-jang-ui tteut-eul seol-myeong-hae ju-se-yo.) – Please explain the meaning of this sentence.
You can use this phrase to clarify unfamiliar words, expressions, or cultural concepts.
The phrase 뭐 함? is a casual or slang-like way of asking “What are you doing?”. It’s an informal contraction of “뭐 해?” (“뭣을 해요?”), which is the standard phrase for asking someone about their actions.
Breakdown:
뭐 (mwo) → “What”
함 (ham) → Casual/slang form of 하다 (do)
Usage & Context:
Texting a friend casually:
친구: 뭐 함?
‘You: 그냥 쉬고 있어. (“Just relaxing.”)
Checking in on someone’s activity:
A: 뭐 함? 요즘 어떻게 지내?
B: 학교 다니고 있어. (“I’m going to school.”)
Playfully asking what someone is up to:
뭐 함? 심심해 같이 놀자!
What are you doing? I’m bored, let’s hang out!
It’s a very informal way to speak, so it’s best used among friends or in relaxed settings. If you need a polite version, “뭐 해요?” would be more appropriate.
“미안하다” (mi-an-ha-da) means “to be sorry” or “to apologize.” It is used to express regret or ask for forgiveness.
Breaking It Down:
미안 (mi-an) – Regret / Apology
하다 (ha-da) – To do (makes it a verb)
Example Sentences:
늦어서 미안해요. (neut-eo-seo mi-an-hae-yo.) – I’m sorry for being late.
그렇게 말해서 미안합니다. (geu-reo-ke mal-hae-seo mi-an-ham-ni-da.) – I apologize for saying that.
실수해서 정말 미안해! (sil-su-hae-seo jeong-mal mi-an-hae!) – I’m really sorry for making a mistake!
불편을 드려서 미안해요. (bul-pyeon-eul deu-ryeo-seo mi-an-hae-yo.) – I’m sorry for the inconvenience.
미안하지만 다시 부탁해도 될까요? (mi-an-ha-ji-man da-si bu-tak-hae-do doel-kka-yo?) – Sorry, but could I ask for it again?
For a more formal apology, “죄송하다” (joe-song-ha-da) is often used instead.
“반갑다” (ban-gap-da) means “to be glad” or “to be happy to meet someone.” It is commonly used to express joy when seeing someone, especially after a long time.
Breaking It Down:
반갑 (ban-gap) – Glad / Happy to meet
다 (da) – Adjective ending
Example Sentences:
오랜만이에요! 정말 반가워요. (o-ren-man-i-e-yo! jeong-mal ban-ga-wo-yo.) – Long time no see! I’m really happy to see you.
새로운 친구를 만나서 반갑습니다. (sae-ro-un chin-gu-reul man-na-seo ban-gap-seum-ni-da.) – It’s nice to meet a new friend. (formal)
여기서 다시 만나서 반갑네요! (yeo-gi-seo da-si man-na-seo ban-gap-ne-yo!) – I’m glad to meet you here again!
당신을 만나서 정말 반갑습니다. (dang-sin-eul man-na-seo jeong-mal ban-gap-seum-ni-da.) – I’m really pleased to meet you. (formal)
너를 보니까 반가워! (neo-reul bo-ni-kka ban-ga-wo!) – It’s great to see you! (casual)
부끄럽다 (bu-kkeu-reop-da) means “to be ashamed,” “to be embarrassed,” or “to feel shy.” It describes the feeling of being self-conscious or uncomfortable due to shyness, guilt, or an awkward situation.
Example Sentences:
사람들 앞에서 말하기가 부끄러워요. (sa-ram-deul ap-e-seo mal-ha-gi-ga bu-kkeu-reo-wo-yo.) – I feel shy speaking in front of people.
실수를 해서 부끄러웠어요. (sil-su-reul hae-seo bu-kkeu-reo-wo-sseo-yo.) – I felt embarrassed because I made a mistake.
어릴 때는 사진 찍는 것이 부끄러웠어요. (eo-ril ttae-neun sa-jin jjik-neun geo-si bu-kkeu-reo-wo-sseo-yo.) – When I was young, I was shy about taking pictures.
부끄러워하지 말고 자신감을 가지세요. (bu-kkeu-reo-wo-ha-ji mal-go ja-sin-gam-eul ga-ji-se-yo.) – Don’t be shy, have confidence.
칭찬을 들으니까 조금 부끄러워요. (ching-chan-eul deu-reu-ni-kka jo-geum bu-kkeu-reo-wo-yo.) – I feel a little embarrassed because I received a compliment.
The polite conjugation is 부끄러워요 (bu-kkeu-reo-wo-yo).
“불안하다” (bul-an-ha-da) means “to be anxious,” “to be uneasy,” or “to feel insecure.” It describes a state of worry, nervousness, or uncertainty.
Breaking It Down:
불안 (bul-an) – Anxiety / Uneasiness
하다 (ha-da) – To do (used to form adjectives and verbs)
Example Sentences:
시험을 앞두고 불안해요. (si-heom-eul ap-du-go bul-an-hae-yo.) – I feel anxious before the exam.
요즘 미래에 대해 불안해요. (yo-jeum mi-rae-e dae-hae bul-an-hae-yo.) – These days, I feel uneasy about the future.
중요한 발표가 있어서 불안해요. (jung-yo-han bal-pyo-ga iss-eo-seo bul-an-hae-yo.) – I’m nervous because I have an important presentation.
불안한 기분이 들어요. (bul-an-han gi-bun-i deu-reo-yo.) – I have an uneasy feeling.
그 소식을 듣고 불안했어요. (geu so-si-geul deut-go bul-an-haess-eo-yo.) – I felt anxious after hearing that news.
This word is commonly used to describe feelings of discomfort or nervousness.
To say “switch off the light” in Korean, you can use “불을 끄다” (bul-eul kkeu-da), which means “to turn off the light.”
Example Sentences:
잘 시간이니까 불을 꺼 주세요. (jal si-gan-i-ni-kka bul-eul kkeo ju-se-yo.) – It’s time to sleep, so please turn off the light.
불을 끄고 밖으로 나갔어요. (bul-eul kkeu-go bak-eu-ro na-gass-eo-yo.) – I switched off the light and went outside.
불을 꺼도 아직 밝아요. (bul-eul kkeo-do a-jik bal-ga-yo.) – Even after turning off the light, it’s still bright.
방에서 나갈 때 불을 꺼야 해요. (bang-e-seo na-gal ttae bul-eul kkeo-ya hae-yo.) – You should turn off the light when you leave the room.
컴퓨터를 끄고 불도 껐어요. (keom-pyu-teo-reul kkeu-go bul-do kkeoss-eo-yo.) – I turned off the computer and also switched off the light.
see also 불을 켜다