What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 곧, meaning 'soon' and 올게, meaning 'will come' or 'will be back'.
Which one should you use?
While 곧 올게 is a casual way to say 'I'll be right back', other expressions can be used depending on the situation. For instance, 금방 돌아올게 also means 'I will be back soon' and is used in casual contexts. If you need to say 'Just a moment', you can use 잠깐만 informally or 잠시만요 in formal settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
곧 올게 is an informal expression intended for use with friends or people younger than you. To make the phrase polite and suitable for people you are not close with or who are older than you, you can add the particle '요' to the end to say 곧 올게요. You should avoid using the casual 곧 올게 with superiors or in formal settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The casual expression 잠깐만 is commonly used in South Korea among friends.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 곧 올게 uses the casual ending '-ㄹ게', which expresses a promise or intention to the listener.
How do you pronounce it?
got olge
Did you know?
- While 곧 올게 translates to 'I will come soon', the verb 오다 (to come) is used because, in many Korean contexts, the movement is viewed from the perspective of the person being spoken to.
- The word 곧 was used as early as 1447 in the Yongbi eocheon'ga, one of the first works written using the Korean alphabet.
- In fast-paced online gaming culture, instead of typing out sentences, players often use the single character ㅇㅇ to mean 'yes' or 'okay', which serves as a quick acknowledgment of a 'brb' message.
Examples in context
- 곧 올게, 잠깐만 기다려 줘.got olge, jamkkanman gidaryeo jwo.I'll be right back, just wait a moment.
- 나 화장실 좀 다녀올게. 곧 올게!na hwajangsil jom danyeoolge. got olge!I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back!
- 전화 좀 받고 곧 올게.jeonhwa jom batgo got olge.I'll take this call and be right back.
Example conversation
Two friends are playing an online game together.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우야, 나 잠깐 편의점 좀 다녀올게.hyeonuy-ya, na jamkkan pyeonuijeom jom danyeoolge.Hyunwoo, I'm going to the convenience store for a second.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo알았어, 수빈아. 얼마나 걸려?arasseo, subin-a. eolmana geollyeo?Okay, Subin. How long will it take?
- 수빈 Su-bin금방이야. 곧 올게!geumbangiya. got olge!It won't take long. I'll be right back!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo응, 천천히 와.eung, cheoncheonhi wa.Okay, take your time.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 곧, CC BY-SA 4.0.
