내 잘못이야
nae jalmos-iya
The Korean phrase for "my bad" is 내 잘못이야 (nae jalmos-iya).
내 잘못이야 is used to admit that an error or mistake was your fault. While the English expression "my bad" is often used for trivial or minor slip-ups, 내 잘못이야 carries a slightly heavier weight of admitting responsibility for an error.
Meaning: my fault (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 내 (my), 잘못 (mistake/fault) and 이야 (is).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
내 잘못이야 is an informal form and should only be used with friends or people younger than you. To say "my bad" more politely to a superior or a stranger, you should use 제 잘못이에요 instead. Additionally, 미안해 is an informal way to say "my bad" specifically used with friends, colleagues of the same age or people you are on familiar terms with.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the informal ending -이야, which changes to -이에요 in polite speech.
How do you pronounce it?
nae jalmos-iya
Did you know?
- The word 잘못 is composed of two parts: 잘 meaning 'well' and 못 meaning 'cannot'. Literally, it implies something was 'done not well'.
- While 내 잘못이야 admits a mistake, Koreans often pair this admission with a physical bow to signal the sincerity of the apology.
- The sound 내 was once used to mean 'smoke' in Korean, but it was replaced by a Sino-Korean word because 내 developed too many different meanings.
Examples in context
- 정말 내 잘못이야.jeongmal nae jalmosiya.It is really my fault.
- 다 내 잘못이야, 미안해.da nae jalmosiya, mianhae.It is all my fault, I am sorry.
- 그건 내 잘못이야.geugeon nae jalmosiya.That is my fault.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Min-jun are discussing a mistake made during a group project.
- 지은 Ji-eun민준아, 이번 일은 다 내 잘못이야.minjun-a, ibeun il-eun da nae jalmosiya.Min-jun, it is all my fault this time.
- 민준 Min-jun아니야, 너무 자책하지 마.aniya, neomu jachaek-haji ma.No, don't blame yourself too much.
- 지은 Ji-eun그래도 내가 더 조심했어야 했어.geuraedo naega deo josimhaesseoya haesseo.Still, I should have been more careful.
- 민준 Min-jun괜찮아, 다음에는 잘하면 돼.gwaenchana, daeum-eneun jalhamyeon dwae.It's okay, you can do better next time.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 내, CC BY-SA 4.0.
