너무 행복해요
neomu haengbokaeyo
The English phrase "I am very happy" is 너무 행복해요 (neomu haengbokaeyo) in Korean.
This phrase is used to express a strong feeling of joy or contentment.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 너무 (neomu), which means "too much" or "very" and 행복해요 (haengbokaeyo), which means "am happy".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use 너무 행복해 (neomu haengbokhae) with close friends or people younger than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the subject "I" (나/저) is often omitted because it is understood from the context.
How do you pronounce it?
neomu haengbokaeyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
While 너무 (neomu) is commonly used in daily speech to mean "very", its strict grammatical definition implies an excessive or negative degree, such as "too much".
Did you know?
- The phrase 너무 행복해요 can be modified into 행복해 죽겠어요, which literally translates to 'I am so happy I could die'.
- The word 행복 is composed of Hanja (Chinese characters), where 행 means 'fortune' and 복 means 'blessing'.
- The word 너무 actually shares an ancestor with the verb 넘다 (neomda), which means 'to surpass' or 'to cross over' a boundary.
Examples in context
- 너무 행복해요.neomu haengbokhaeyo.I am very happy.
- 요즘 너무 행복해요.yojeum neomu haengbokhaeyo.I am very happy lately.
- 가족과 있어서 너무 행복해요.gajogwa isseoseo neomu haengbokhaeyo.I am very happy to be with my family.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their recent lives at a cafe.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 요즘 어떻게 지내요?jihun ssi, yojeum eotteoke jinaeyo?Jihoon, how have you been lately?
- 지훈 Ji-hun너무 행복해요. 일이 잘 풀리고 있어요.neomu haengbokhaeyo. iri jal pulligo isseoyo.I am very happy. Work is going well.
- 지은 Ji-eun정말 다행이에요, 지훈 씨.jeongmal dahaengieyo, jihun ssi.I am so glad to hear that, Jihoon.
- 지훈 Ji-hun고마워요, 지은 씨.gomawoyo, jieun ssi.Thank you, Jieun.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 너무, CC BY-SA 4.0.
