안 물어봤어
an mureobwasseo
In Korean, "no one asked" is expressed as 안 물어봤어 (an mureobwasseo).
안 물어봤어 is used as a sarcastic or dismissive retort to shut down unsolicited advice or opinions.
Which one should you use?
You may also encounter 물어본 사람 없어 or 아무도 물어보지 않았잖아 (meaning "like no one asked") in informal settings. For a formal version, use 아무도 묻지 않았습니다.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안 물어봤어 is in the informal style. Adding 요 to the end to create 안 물어봤어요 makes the phrase grammatically polite, though the sentiment remains dismissive. For a strictly formal way to express that no one asked, use 아무도 묻지 않았습니다.
How do you pronounce it?
an mureobwasseo
Did you know?
- While 안 물어봤어 is informal, adding 요 to create 안 물어봤어요 can result in 'polite rudeness' that feels more insulting.
- The verb 묻다 in 안 물어봤어 is a homonym that can also mean 'to bury' or 'to stain'.
- Using the strictly formal 아무도 묻지 않았습니다 in a casual conversation makes the speaker sound like a character in a historical K-drama.
Example conversation
Two friends are arguing about a person's personal life.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그 사람 어제 헤어졌대.geu saram eoje heeojyeotdae.I heard that person broke up yesterday.
- 수빈 Su-bin안 물어봤어.an mureobwasseo.No one asked.
- 지훈 Ji-hun너 진짜 너무하다.neo jinjja neomuhada.You are being too much.
- 수빈 Su-bin관심 없어.gwansim eopseo.I'm not interested.
