The Korean phrase 잘 들으세요 means “Please listen carefully” or “Pay attention” in English. It is often used in formal or polite situations when asking someone to focus on what is being said.
Examples:
In a classroom setting:
선생님: 잘 들으세요! 이 부분은 시험에 나옵니다.
Teacher: Listen carefully! This part will be on the test.
Before giving instructions:
잘 들으세요. 먼저 버튼을 누르고 5초 기다리세요.
Listen carefully. First, press the button and wait for 5 seconds.
When giving important news:
잘 들으세요. 중요한 발표가 있습니다.
Listen carefully. There is an important announcement.
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잘 모르겠어요 means “I don’t really know” or “I’m not sure.” It is a polite way to express uncertainty or lack of knowledge about a topic.
Literally it means
good not-know-likely – it seems I’m good in not knowing it 😉
Uses of 잘 모르겠어요
When unsure about something
A: 이 문제의 답을 아세요? (Do you know the answer to this question?)
B: 잘 모르겠어요. (I’m not sure.)
When needing clarification
A: 이 설명 이해했어요? (Did you understand this explanation?)
B: 잘 모르겠어요. 조금 더 설명해 주세요. (I’m not sure. Please explain a bit more.)
Politely expressing doubt
A: 내일 날씨가 어떨까요? (What do you think the weather will be like tomorrow?)
B: 잘 모르겠어요. 뉴스에서 확인해 볼게요. (I’m not sure. I’ll check the news.)
See 모르다