제 말 이해해요?
je mal ihaehaeyo?
The English phrase "do you understand me?" is translated into Korean as 제 말 이해해요? (je mal ihaehaeyo?)
This phrase is used to check comprehension of the content or the meaning of what has been spoken.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 제 말, which literally means "my words" and 이해해요?, which means "do [you] understand?" The verb 이해해요? is the polite form of "to understand".
Which one should you use?
제 말 이해해요? is a polite way to ask if someone understands you, suitable for most social situations. In contrast, the casual/informal version 내 말 이해해? is used with close friends or people younger than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
The subject "you" is omitted in the Korean phrase, which is natural and common.
How do you pronounce it?
je mal ihaehaeyo?
Did you know?
- In high-pressure or formal settings, asking 제 말 이해해요? can sound confrontational, as if you are questioning the listener's intelligence.
- If you want to ask 'Do you understand?' in a way that sounds more natural to native speakers, you might use 알아들어요? instead of 이해해요? While 이해해요? is a direct translation of 'understand', 알아들어요? implies the ability to grasp or process the meaning of spoken words.
- While 이해해요? asks about logical comprehension, Koreans use a different phrase 알겠어요? to check if someone has simply acknowledged a request.
Examples in context
- 제 말 이해해요?je mal ihaehaeyo?Do you understand what I am saying?
- 설명이 부족한가요? 제 말 이해해요?seolmyeongi bujokhangayo? je mal ihaehaeyo?Is my explanation insufficient? Do you understand me?
- 너무 빨랐나요? 제 말 이해해요?neomu ppallatnayo? je mal ihaehaeyo?Was I too fast? Do you understand me?
Example conversation
Ji-eun is explaining a complex task to Hyun-woo.
- 지은 Ji-eun이 부분이 조금 어려울 수 있어요.i bubuni jogeum eoryeoul su isseoyo.This part might be a bit difficult.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 대충 알 것 같아요.ne, daechung al geot gatayo.Yes, I think I understand roughly.
- 지은 Ji-eun확실히 하고 싶어서요, 제 말 이해해요?hwaksilhi hago sipeoseoyo, je mal ihaehaeyo?I want to be sure, do you understand me?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 지은 씨. 다 이해했어요.ne, jieun ssi. da ihaehaesseoyo.Yes, Ji-eun. I understood everything.
