잘 모르겠어요
jal moreugesseoyo
The English phrase "I am not sure" is expressed in Korean as 잘 모르겠어요 (jal moreugesseoyo).
This phrase is a polite way to express that you do not have an answer or are uncertain about something. It is often preferred over the direct 몰라요 because it sounds softer and more polite, allowing you to express uncertainty without being blunt.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, 잘 모르겠어요 translates to "I don't really know", where 잘 (jal) means "well" or "really" and 모르겠어요 (moreugesseoyo) means "don't know".
Which one should you use?
While 몰라요 is a direct way to say "I don't know", 잘 모르겠어요 is a softer, more polite alternative. Other variations include 아마 잘 모르겠어요 for saying "I'm not quite sure" and 정확하게 알 수 없어요 to say "I can't know for sure".
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adjust the level of formality by changing the verb ending. Dropping the 요 (yo) at the end of 잘 모르겠어요 to create 잘 모르겠어 makes the phrase informal.
How do you pronounce it?
jal moreugesseoyo
Did you know?
- When expressing uncertainty, Koreans often use a slightly higher pitch or a trailing off sound at the end of 모르겠어요 to signal politeness and social hesitation. This non-verbal cue reinforces the 'softness' of the phrase in person.
- If you want to sound even more non-confrontational when you are unsure, you can add 글쎄요 (geulsseyo) before the phrase. This functions like 'Well…' or 'Let me see…', providing a buffer that prevents the response from feeling too sudden.
- While 잘 모르겠어요 is polite, using it too frequently in a professional setting can make a speaker seem lacking in confidence or competence.
Examples in context
- 그게 맞는지 잘 모르겠어요.geuge matneunji jal moreugesseoyo.I am not sure if that is correct.
- 내일 날씨가 어떨지 잘 모르겠어요.naeil nalssiga eotteolji jal moreugesseoyo.I am not sure how the weather will be tomorrow.
- 그 질문에 대해서는 잘 모르겠어요.geu jilmune daehaeseoneun jal moreugesseoyo.I am not sure about that question.
Example conversation
Minji asks Jihun for the location of a restaurant.
- 민지 Min-ji지훈 씨, 이 식당 어디에 있어요?jihun ssi, i sikdang eodie isseoyo?Jihun, where is this restaurant?
- 지훈 Ji-hun음, 저도 잘 모르겠어요.eum, jeodo jal moreugesseoyo.Hmm, I am not sure either.
- 민지 Min-ji지도에서 찾아볼까요?jidoeseo chajabolkkayo?Shall we look for it on the map?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 그렇게 해요.ne, geureoke haeyo.Yes, let's do that.
