잘 들어
jal deureo
In Korean, "listen carefully" is expressed as 잘 들어 (jal deureo).
This phrase is a command used to tell someone to pay close attention to what is being said.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 잘 (well/carefully) and 들어 (the informal imperative form of 'to listen').
Which one should you use?
잘 들어봐 means "listen well" and is used among friends or people of the same age, and 집중해서 들어봐 means "listen with concentration". For more respectful or cautious requests, formal versions like 말씀 잘 들어 주세요 (please listen attentively) or 주의해서 들어 주세요 (listen carefully with caution) are used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The polite version of this command is 잘 들으세요. In formal situations, 잘 들으세요 means "listen well" and 말씀 잘 들어 주세요 is a more respectful way to say "please listen attentively."
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'I listened carefully' in the past tense (informal), you change the verb to 잘 들었어.
How do you pronounce it?
jal deureo
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, telling someone to 'listen carefully' can sometimes be a way of signaling that you are about to give a lecture or a stern warning.
- The word 잘 (well/carefully) is historically linked to the word 자루 (jaru), which traditionally referred to a measure or a unit of capacity.
- If you use the short form 잘 들어 with someone older than you, it is not just informal but can be perceived as a direct challenge to their authority.
Examples in context
- 잘 들어봐, 내일 놀러 갈 거야.Listen carefully, I'm going out to play tomorrow.
- 잘 들어, 이건 정말 중요해.jal deureo, igeon jeongmal jungyo-hae.Listen carefully, this is really important.
- 내가 하는 말 잘 들어.naega haneun mal jal deureo.Listen carefully to what I am saying.
- 선생님 말씀을 잘 들어야 해.seonsaengnim malsseum-eul jal deureoya hae.You must listen carefully to the teacher's words.
Example conversation
Seoyeon is giving Jihoon instructions for a task.
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈아, 내가 말하는 거 잘 들어.Jihoon-a, naega malhaneun geo jal deureo.Jihoon, listen carefully to what I'm saying.
- 지훈 Ji-hun응, 듣고 있어. 말해봐.Eung, deutgo isseo. Malhaebwa.Yes, I'm listening. Go ahead.
- 서연 Seo-yeon이 문을 먼저 열어야 해.I mun-eul meonjeo yeoreoya hae.You have to open this door first.
- 지훈 Ji-hun알겠어, 이해했어.Algesseo, ihaehaesseo.Got it, I understand.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 잘, CC BY-SA 4.0.
