어떻게 알았어요?
eotteoke arasseoyo?
To say "how did you know?" in Korean, use 어떻게 알았어요? (eotteoke arasseoyo?)
This phrase is used to ask someone how they obtained a specific piece of information.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 어떻게 (how), 알았어요 (knew/found out) and a question mark.
Which one should you use?
While 어떻게 알았어요? uses the past tense of the verb 알다 (to know) specifically in the form 알았다 (knew/found out), other variations change the level of respect or the nuance of the question. For example, 어떻게 알게 됐어? specifically translates to "how did you come to know?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version 어떻게 알았어? is used with friends or people younger than you. The honorific form 어떻게 아셨어요? is used when asking someone of higher social status or an elder.
How do you pronounce it?
eotteoke arasseoyo?
Did you know?
- If you want to ask how someone knows a person specifically, you might use 어떻게 아는 사이예요?, which literally asks 'What kind of relationship is it that you know each other?'
- If you use the informal 어떻게 알았어? with a stranger or a boss, it can sound unintentionally aggressive or even confrontational. In Korean culture, the level of politeness is not just about being nice, it is about maintaining social distance and hierarchy.
- In Korean, the verb 알다 can be used to mean 'to understand' or 'to acknowledge', meaning 알았어요 can function as both 'I knew' and 'I understand/got it'.
Examples in context
- 어떻게 알았어요?eotteoke arasseoyo?How did you know?
- 제 전화번호를 어떻게 알았어요?je jeonhwabeonhoreul eotteoke arasseoyo?How did you know my phone number?
- 여기 맛집인 걸 어떻게 알았어요?yeogi matjibin geol eotteoke arasseoyo?How did you know this is a good restaurant?
Example conversation
Seoyeon is surprised that Dohyeon knows it is her birthday.
- 서연 Seo-yeon오늘 제 생일인데 어떻게 알았어요?oneul je saengilinde eotteoke arasseoyo?It is my birthday today, how did you know?
- 도현 Do-hyeon서연 씨 책상 위에 카드가 있었어요.Seoyeon ssi chaeksang wie kadeuga isseosseoyo.There was a card on Seoyeon's desk.
- 서연 Seo-yeon아, 정말요? 고마워요!a, jeongmallyo? gomawoyo!Oh, really? Thank you!
- 도현 Do-hyeon아니에요. 생일 축하해요!anieyo. saengil chukahaeyo!You're welcome. Happy birthday!
