그는 너무 잘생겼어
geuneun neomu jalsaenggyeosseo
The English phrase "he is so handsome" is translated into Korean as 그는 너무 잘생겼어 (geuneun neomu jalsaenggyeosseo).
This phrase is used to state that a man is very physically attractive. You can use words like 너무 (very), 정말 (really) or 아주 (extremely) to emphasize the degree of attractiveness. In natural spoken Korean, the subject 그는 (he) is often dropped if the person being discussed is already understood from the context.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down into 그는 (he), 너무 (too/so) and 잘생겼어 (is handsome/well-formed).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To make the phrase polite and suitable for speaking to people you are not close with or who are older than you, add the suffix -요 to the end, resulting in 그는 너무 잘생겼어요.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 잘생기다 (to be handsome) is used here in its past tense form 잘생겼어, which is the standard way to express this state in the present tense.
How do you pronounce it?
geuneun neomu jalsaenggyeosseo
Did you know?
- In Korean pop culture, the phrase 얼굴 천재 (face genius) is often used instead of 잘생겼어 to describe a man whose beauty is so extreme it is considered a skill or talent.
- While 잘생겼어 is for men, the equivalent for women is 예뻐, meaning 'pretty'. Using 잘생겼어 for a woman is rare and usually describes a 'girl crush' or a chic, strong beauty.
- The word 너무 originally meant 'too much' in a negative sense, like 'excessive'. In modern Korean, it is now commonly used to mean 'very' for positive things like beauty.
Examples in context
- 그는 너무 잘생겼어요.He is very handsome.
- 그는 정말 멋있어!He is really cool-looking.
- 그는 잘생겼어요.He is handsome.
- 그는 너무 멋있어요.He is very cool-looking.
- 그는 너무 잘생겼어.geuneun neomu jalsaenggyeosseo.He is so handsome.
Example conversation
Minjun and Jieun are looking at a photo of a celebrity.
- 민준 Min-jun이 배우 어때?i baeu eottae?What do you think of this actor?
- 지은 Ji-eun와, 그는 너무 잘생겼어.wa, geuneun neomu jalsaenggyeosseo.Wow, he is so handsome.
- 민준 Min-jun맞아, 정말 멋있어.maja, jeongmal meosisseo.Right, he is really cool.
- 지은 Ji-eun내 스타일이야.nae seutail-iya.He is my style.
