와우
wau[wa̠u]
The English phrase "wow" is translated into Korean as 와우 (wau).
The transliterated form 와우 is an informal exclamation of amazement, functioning similarly to the English word "wow".
Meaning: amazement (intj)
Which one should you use?
While 와우 is a loanword from English, the native Korean exclamation 우와 is often more natural and frequently used than the loanword 와우 to express amazement.
How do you pronounce it?
wau
Did you know?
- The Korean word for 'snail' is written as 와우 in its Sino-Korean form, meaning the same sound can refer to a slow-moving mollusk.
- If a speaker says 우와 with a falling intonation, it can shift from a sign of amazement to a sign of disappointment or irony.
- In written digital slang, Koreans may use various combinations of vowels and consonants to mimic the 'shape' of a surprised sound, moving far beyond the standard spelling of 와우.
Example conversation
Ji-hoon and Ji-eun are looking at a beautiful sunset together.
- 지훈 Ji-hun와우, 하늘 좀 봐요!wau, haneul jom bwayo!Wow, look at the sky!
- 지은 Ji-eun정말 아름다운 색깔이에요.jeongmal areumdaun saekkarieyo.The colors are truly beautiful.
- 지훈 Ji-hun사진으로 남겨야겠어요.sajineuro namgyeoyagesseoyo.I should take a photo of this.
- 지은 Ji-eun저도 같이 찍어 주세요.jeodo gachi jjigeo juseyo.Please take one of me too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 와우, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 와우, CC BY-SA 4.0.
