괜찮아
gwaenchana
The English word "fine", meaning acceptable or satisfactory, is expressed in Korean as 괜찮아 (gwaenchana).
괜찮아 is most commonly used to mean "it is okay" or "no problem" when responding to a situation or an offer. It can also function like the English phrases "I'm fine" or "No thank you" to politely decline an offer. You can use the word 정말 (really) to emphasize that something is truly fine.
Meaning: being acceptable, adequate, passable, or satisfactory (adj)
Which one should you use?
While the phrase can describe quality as being "fine," its most frequent use is to express that a situation is okay or to respond to an offer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on the level of politeness required. The default form 괜찮아 is informal. You can make the expression polite for use with strangers or superiors by adding the suffix -요 to create 괜찮아요. For highly formal settings, such as business presentations or the military, use 괜찮습니다. In formal conversations to express that things are going well or have turned out fine, the phrase 잘 되다 is also used.
How do you pronounce it?
gwaenchana
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, saying 괜찮아요 when offered more food can actually be a social cue for the host to keep offering. It is often a polite ritual of refusal where the guest declines once or twice before finally accepting.
- If a Korean speaker says 괜찮아 with a heavy sigh, the meaning flips from 'it is fine' to 'I am actually not fine at all'.
- In Korean, the word 괜찮다 is often used to express 'it is alright' even when something is actually slightly problematic, acting as a way to save face for the other person.
Examples in context
- 모두 괜찮아 보인다.Everything seems to be just fine.This sentence shows how to use 괜찮아 to describe a state of being fine.Tatoeba #8543720 by okja, translation #4910936 by minmin123
- 회의가 잘 되었습니다The meeting went well.
- 저희 호텔은 서비스가 좋습니다Our hotel has good service.
- 오늘 괜찮아?Are you alright today?
- 정말 괜찮아I'm really fine.
- 이 정도면 괜찮아.i jeong-doneun gwaenchana.This is fine.
- 음식 맛이 괜찮아.eumsig masi gwaenchana.The food tastes fine.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Jihun are deciding where to eat lunch.
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈아, 이 식당 괜찮아?jihuna, i sikdang gwaenchana?Jihun, is this restaurant fine?
- 지훈 Ji-hun응, 여기 괜찮아.eung, yeogi gwaenchana.Yeah, it's fine here.
- 서연 Seo-yeon메뉴가 괜찮아 보여.menyuga gwaenchana boyeo.The menu looks fine.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그래, 여기서 먹자.geurae, yeogiseo meokja.Okay, let's eat here.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
