친절하게 대해
chinjeolhage daehae
To say "be kind" in Korean, use 친절하게 대해 (chinjeolhage daehae).
What does it mean word for word?
The term 친절하게 (chinjeolhage) means "kindly" or "in a kind manner."
Which one should you use?
친절하게 대해라 is a blunt, authoritative command often used toward subordinates or in written instructions. 따뜻하게 대해줘 and 따뜻하게 대해주세요 shift the meaning slightly to "treat me kindly" or "be warm towards me."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
친절하십시오 is a formal way to say "please be kind." 따뜻하게 대해주세요 and 친절하게 대해주세요 are polite forms used for requests. 따뜻하게 대해줘 is an informal way to ask someone to be warm or kind to you. For a blunt or authoritative command, use 친절하게 대해라.
How do you pronounce it?
chinjeolhage daehae
Did you know?
- In Korean, the concept of kindness is often deeply linked to 'jeong' (정), an untranslatable word for a deep, collective emotional bond between people.
- In professional settings, kindness is often expressed through 'service' (서비스), where businesses give free items to customers as a gesture of 친절 (chinjeol).
- The root 친 (chin) in 친절 (chinjeol) is a Hanja character meaning 'close' or 'intimate', linking the idea of kindness to the feeling of closeness.
Examples in context
- 친절하십시오.Please be kind.
- 따뜻하게 대해주세요.Please treat me kindly.
- 따뜻하게 대해줘.Treat me kindly/Be warm towards me.
- 동생에게 좀 친절하게 대해.dongsaeng-ege jom chinjeolhage daehae.Be a little kinder to your younger sibling.
Example conversation
Minji is giving advice to Dohyeon about how to treat his new colleague.
- 민지 Min-ji새 동료에게 친절하게 대해.sae dongryoege chinjeolhage daehae.Be kind to your new colleague.
- 도현 Do-hyeon알겠어, 민지야. 노력할게.al-gesseo, Minji-ya. noryeok-halge.Okay, Minji. I will try.
- 민지 Min-ji그게 너한테도 좋을 거야.geuge neohante-do joeul geoya.It will be good for you, too.
- 도현 Do-hyeon고마워, 조언해줘서.gomawo, joeon-haejwoseo.Thanks for the advice.
