오늘 일 어땠어?
oneul il eottaesseo?
The English phrase "how was work?" is translated into Korean as 오늘 일 어땠어? (oneul il eottaesseo?)
This phrase is used to ask about the quality or atmosphere of someone's day at work, rather than asking for a specific list of tasks completed.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 오늘 일 어땠어? literally translates to "Today work how was?"
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adjust the level of politeness by changing the ending. Adding the suffix –요 to the end of the phrase results in 오늘 일 어땠어요?, which is a polite version suitable for speaking to colleagues or people you are not close with. For highly formal, professional or strictly hierarchical settings, use the form 오늘 일 어땠습니까?
How do you pronounce it?
oneul il eottaesseo?
Did you know?
- When answering 오늘 일 어땠어?, it is common to use an exclamation like 죽는 줄 알았어 meaning 'I thought I was going to die' to emphasize a hard day.
- While 오늘 일 어땠어? asks about the day, Koreans often use the word 수고했어 to acknowledge the effort spent at work before asking the question.
- The word 오늘 (today) is built from a root meaning 'that has come'. Its construction implies a 'day that has come' to the speaker.
Examples in context
- 오늘 일 어땠어?oneul il eottaesseo?How was work today?
- 오늘 일 어땠어? 별일 없었지?oneul il eottaesseo? byeollil eopseotji?How was work today? Nothing unusual happened, right?
- 오늘 일 어땠어? 많이 바빴어?oneul il eottaesseo? mani bappasseo?How was work today? Were you very busy?
Example conversation
Seoyeon greets Hyeonwoo when he returns home from his office.
- 서연 Seo-yeon현우야, 오늘 일 어땠어?hyeon-u-ya, oneul il eottaesseo?Hyeonwoo, how was work today?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그냥 평소랑 똑같았어.geunyang pyeong-sorang ttok-gat-asseo.It was just the same as usual.
- 서연 Seo-yeon다행이다. 피곤하겠다.dahaeng-ida. pigon-hagetta.That's a relief. You must be tired.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo응, 조금 피곤하네.eung, jogeum pigon-hane.Yeah, I am a little tired.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 오늘, 일, CC BY-SA 4.0.
