주말 잘 보냈어요?
jumal jal bonaesseoyo?
The English phrase "how was your weekend" is translated into Korean as 주말 잘 보냈어요? (jumal jal bonaesseoyo?)
This phrase is a standard, polite way to initiate small talk on a Monday or Tuesday by asking someone about their experiences during the previous Saturday and Sunday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Did you spend the weekend well?"
How does it change in a sentence?
You can change the level of politeness by altering the verb ending. Dropping the 요 at the end makes the phrase informal, and adding the honorific marker 시 to the verb makes the question more respectful. Therefore, 주말 잘 보냈어? is informal, while 주말 잘 보내셨어요? is honorific/polite.
How do you pronounce it?
jumal jal bonaesseoyo?
When do people say it?
A common way to respond to this question is 네, 잘 보냈어요. (Yes, I had a good one.).
Did you know?
- The word 주말 is written with the same Chinese characters as the Japanese word for 'weekend', making them identical in written form.
- If a superior uses the informal 주말 잘 보냈어? with a subordinate, the subordinate must still reply with the polite 요 ending.
- The verb 보내다 used in this phrase can also mean 'to send', such as when mailing a letter or a package.
Examples in context
- 주말 어떻게 보내셨어요?How did you spend the weekend?
- 주말 어땠어?How was your weekend?
- 민수 씨, 주말 잘 보냈어요?Minsu ssi, jumal jal bonaesseoyo?Minsu, did you have a good weekend?
- 주말 잘 보냈어요? 저는 여행 다녀왔어요.jumal jal bonaesseoyo? jeoneun yeohaeng danyeowasseoyo.How was your weekend? I went on a trip.
Example conversation
Two colleagues meeting at the office on a Monday morning.
- 서연 Seo-yeon현우 씨, 주말 잘 보냈어요?Hyeonu ssi, jumal jal bonaesseoyo?Hyeonu, how was your weekend?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 서연 씨. 집에서 푹 쉬었어요.ne, Seoyeon ssi. jibeseo puk swieosseoyo.Yes, Seoyeon. I rested well at home.
- 서연 Seo-yeon다행이네요. 저는 친구를 만났어요.dahaeng-ineyo. jeoneun chingureul mannasseoyo.That's good. I met some friends.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo즐거운 시간이었겠네요!jeulgeoun sigan-ieotgenneyo!It must have been a fun time!
