좀 어때?
jom eottae?
The English phrase "are you feeling better?" is translated into Korean as 좀 어때? (jom eottae?)
This phrase is used to ask someone about their health or mood after they have been sick or upset.
Which one should you use?
While 좀 어때? is a general way to ask how someone is feeling, more specific versions exist. Use 기분 나아졌어? when specifically inquiring if someone's mood has improved. If you want to focus on their physical health, use 몸은 좀 어떠세요? to ask how their body or health is feeling.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
좀 어때? is the informal version. You can make it polite and suitable for people you are not close with or who are older than you by adding 요 to the end, resulting in 좀 어때요? For a more formal and respectful way to ask specifically about physical health, use 몸은 좀 어떠세요? or 회복하셨나요? to ask if someone has recovered.
How do you pronounce it?
jom eottae?
Did you know?
- If someone is feeling better after a mental or emotional upset, they might use 풀렸어 meaning 'it has untied', referring to their mood or anger as if it were a knot.
- While 좀 어때? asks how someone is, a common cultural response to feeling better is to credit a specific food, like 죽 or rice porridge, which is the standard 'recovery food' in Korea.
- The word 좀 in 좀 어때? actually means 'a little' or 'a bit', but in this context, it functions as a softener. It makes the question sound less intrusive and more gentle to the listener.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요! 어머니, 건강이 좋아지셨습니까?Hello! Have you become better, mom?
- 몸은 좀 어때?mom-eun jom eo-ttae?How is your body feeling? (Are you feeling better?)
- 이제 좀 어때?i-je jom eo-ttae?How are you feeling now?
Example conversation
Jihoon asks Minji how she is feeling after she had a bad cold.
- 지훈 Ji-hun민지야, 몸은 좀 어때?Minji-ya, mom-eun jom eo-ttae?Minji, are you feeling better?
- 민지 Min-ji응, 이제 좀 괜찮아.eung, i-je jom gwaen-chan-a.Yes, I feel a bit better now.
- 지훈 Ji-hun다행이다. 푹 쉬어.da-haeng-i-da. puk swi-eo.That's a relief. Get some rest.
- 민지 Min-ji고마워, 지훈아.go-ma-wo, Jihoon-ah.Thanks, Jihoon.
