오늘 하루 어땠어요?
oneul haru eottaesseoyo?
The English phrase "how was your day today" is translated into Korean as 오늘 하루 어땠어요? (oneul haru eottaesseoyo?)
This phrase is a common way to show interest in someone's well-being and is used as a standard conversational opener to ask about the events and feelings of a person's day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 오늘 (today), 하루 (a day/one day) and 어땠어요? (how was it?).
Which one should you use?
While 오늘 하루 어땠어요? is a standard way to ask about the day, you can use 어땠어요? or 어떠셨어요? to simply ask "How was it?"
How does it change in a sentence?
Using the honorific form 어떠셨어요? in the phrase 오늘 하루 어떠셨어요? makes the question more respectful, suitable for elders or superiors.
How do you pronounce it?
oneul haru eottaesseoyo?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this, a common way to respond is 좋았어요. (it was good) or 그냥 그랬어요 (it was just so-so).
Did you know?
- The word 오늘 (today) is etymologically linked to the idea of 'the day that has come', derived from a form of the verb 'to come'.
- In Korean culture, asking about someone's day is not just a casual greeting but a way to express warmth and care, often used to bridge the gap between formal politeness and personal intimacy.
- While English uses 'how' for both quality and quantity, the root 어떻다 in 어땠어요? specifically asks about the state or nature of the day.
Examples in context
- 안녕! 오늘 하루 어땠어?Hey! How was your day today?
- 완전 좋았어! 너는 어떻게 지냈어?It was great! How about you?
- 오늘 하루 어땠어요?oneul haru eottaesseoyo?How was your day today?
- 민준 씨, 오늘 하루 어땠어요?minjun ssi, oneul haru eottaesseoyo?Minjun, how was your day today?
Example conversation
Minjun and Jieun meet at a cafe in the evening.
- 민준 Min-jun지은 씨, 오늘 하루 어땠어요?jieun ssi, oneul haru eottaesseoyo?Jieun, how was your day today?
- 지은 Ji-eun정말 바빴어요.jeongmal bappasseoyo.I was really busy.
- 민준 Min-jun고생 많았어요.gosaeng manasseoyo.You worked hard.
- 지은 Ji-eun고마워요, 민준 씨.gomawoyo, minjun ssi.Thank you, Minjun.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 오늘, 하루, CC BY-SA 4.0.
