동의해요
dong-uihaeyo
In Korean, "I agree" is said as 동의해요 (dong-uihaeyo).
The phrase is used to state that you share the same opinion as someone else.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from the noun 동의, which means "agreement" or "consent".
Which one should you use?
While 동의해요 specifically means "I agree" regarding an opinion or proposal, you might find the phrase 맞아요 more common in casual conversation, which means "That's right" or "You're right".
How does it change in a sentence?
You can change the level of formality by altering the verb ending. Changing the ending from 해요 to 합니다 makes the phrase more formal. Conversely, dropping the polite ending 요 results in the informal form 동의해.
How do you pronounce it?
dong-uihaeyo
Did you know?
- While you might use 동의해요 to agree with a logical proposal, Koreans often use the phrase 제 말이 그 말이에요 to show deep emotional agreement, which literally translates to 'My words are that word'.
- If you are agreeing with someone of much higher social status, using 동의해요 can sometimes sound too assertive because it implies your opinion is equal to theirs.
- In texting or online forums, Koreans often replace the full phrase with the single character ㅇㅇ, which is a shorthand for 응 (the informal 'yes' or 'I agree').
Examples in context
- 저도 그 의견에 동의해요.jeodo geu uigyeon-e donguihaeyo.I agree with that opinion too.
- 그 말씀에 전적으로 동의해요.geu malsseum-e jeonjeok-euro donguihaeyo.I entirely agree with what you said.
- 제 생각도 같아요. 동의해요.je saenggakdo gatayo. donguihaeyo.My thoughts are the same. I agree.
Example conversation
Minjun and Jieun are discussing a movie they just watched.
- 민준 Min-jun이 영화는 결말이 너무 슬퍼요.i yeonghwanun gyeolmari neomu seulpeoyo.The ending of this movie is too sad.
- 지은 Ji-eun맞아요. 저도 정말 동의해요.majayo. jeodo jeongmal dong-uihaeyo.That's right. I really agree.
- 민준 Min-jun주인공이 너무 불쌍해요.juingongi neomu bulssanghaeyo.The main character is so pitiful.
- 지은 Ji-eun제 말이 그 말이에요.je mari geu marieyo.That's exactly what I'm saying.
