아, 그렇구나
a, geureokguna
The English phrase "ah, I see" can be translated into Korean as 아, 그렇구나 (a, geureokguna).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interjection 아 (ah) and 그렇구나, which literally means "it is so" or "it is that way."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal situations, you can use 그렇군요 to acknowledge understanding or 알겠습니다 as a formal way of saying "I understand". In a polite informal setting, you might use 알았어요.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending -구나 in 아, 그렇구나 conveys a sense of sudden realization or discovery. To make the phrase polite for use with strangers or superiors, you can change the ending to 아, 그렇군요. Additionally, the informal phrase 아, 알았어 can be used to mean "ah, I got it" or "ah, I see".
How do you pronounce it?
a, geureokguna
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, repeatedly using phrases like 그렇구나 while listening is a form of 'active listening' called 추임새 to encourage the speaker.
- Using the informal 아, 그렇구나 with a superior could be seen as incredibly rude, even if your pronunciation is perfect, because the grammatical ending is inherently casual.
- Depending on the context, 아 can also be a Sino-Korean word derived from the character for 'I' or 'me'.
Examples in context
- 아, 그렇구나.a, geureokuna.Ah, I see.
- 아, 그렇구나! 몰랐어요.a, geureokuna! mollasseoyo.Ah, I see! I didn't know that.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Subin are talking about the weather.
- 도현 Do-hyeon오늘 오후에 비가 온대요.oneul ohu-e biga ondaeyo.I heard it's going to rain this afternoon.
- 수빈 Su-bin아, 그렇구나. 우산을 챙겨야겠어요.a, geureokuna. usaneul chaenggyeoyagesseoyo.Ah, I see. I should bring an umbrella.
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 하늘이 이미 어두워요.ne, haneuri imi eoduwoyo.Yes, the sky is already dark.
- 수빈 Su-bin알려줘서 고마워요, 도현 씨.allyeojwoseo gomawoyo, Dohyun ssi.Thanks for letting me know, Dohyun.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 아, CC BY-SA 4.0.
