What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb 잘 (well) and the past tense of 되다 (to become or to happen), literally meaning "it became well" or "it happened well".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 잘됐다 is casual and should only be used with close friends or people younger than you. If you want to be polite, such as when speaking to people older than you or in professional settings, you can use 잘됐네요, which translates to "That's good to hear" or "That's great". For more formal praise, you might use 잘하셨어요 ("You did well") or 대단하시네요 ("That's amazing" or "You're incredible").
How do you pronounce it?
jal dwaetda
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse reacting to a situation with praising an action. In Korean, 잘됐다 focuses on the positive outcome of a situation (good for you), whereas 잘했다 focuses on the person's performance (well done).
Did you know?
- If someone tells you 잘됐다, a common modest reply is to say 아니에요, which means 'no it is not', even if you are actually happy about the success.
- In certain contexts, if someone tells you about a disaster they avoided, you can use 잘됐다 to mean 'thank goodness that happened'. It works for any situation where a bad outcome was averted, not just for active successes.
- The word 잘 in 잘됐다 can also be used in the phrase 잘 가, which means 'go well' or 'goodbye', showing how 'well' is a versatile building block for social wishes.
Examples in context
- 시험에 합격했다니 정말 잘됐다!siheome hapgyeok-atdani jeongmal jal-dwaetda!It's so good for you that you passed the exam!
- 드디어 취직했다니 진짜 잘됐다.deudieo chwijik-atdani jinjja jal-dwaetda.It's really good for you that you finally got a job.
- 그 소식 들으니 정말 잘됐다.geu sosik deureuni jeongmal jal-dwaetda.I'm so happy to hear that news, good for you.
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin are talking about a job promotion.
- 민준 Min-jun수빈아, 나 이번에 승진했어!Subin-a, na ibeone seungjinhaesseo!Subin, I got promoted this time!
- 수빈 Su-bin정말? 진짜 잘됐다!jeongmal? jinjja jaldwetta!Really? That's so great for you!
- 민준 Min-jun고마워, 정말 열심히 했거든.gomawo, jeongmal yeolsimhi haetgeodeun.Thanks, I worked really hard.
- 수빈 Su-bin그동안 고생 많았어.geudongan gosaeng manasseo.You went through a lot of effort.
