그냥
geunyang
The Korean phrase for "no reason" is 그냥 (geunyang).
그냥 is used to indicate that an action was performed without a specific purpose or motive. It is commonly used as a standalone response to the question "Why?" to mean "Just because" or "No reason". You can also use the word 정말 (jeongmal) to mean "truly" or "really".
How do you pronounce it?
geunyang
Did you know?
- Using 그냥 in response to a romantic question, such as 'Why do you like me?', can be seen as an expression of 'fate' or a feeling that transcends logical reasons.
- While 그냥 means 'no reason' in a response, it can also mean 'as it is' or 'without changing anything' when describing a state of being.
- In modern Korean slang, 그냥 is frequently used as a filler word, similar to how English speakers use 'like' or 'basically' to bridge gaps in a sentence.
Examples in context
- 이유 없어 (Iyu eobseo) 내가 왜 거기에 가야 해? 이유 없어. (Naega wae geogie gaya hae? Iyu eobseo.)Why do I have to go there? There's no reason.
- 그냥 했어요.geunyang haesseoyo.I just did it.
- 그냥 궁금해서 물어봤어요.geunyang gunggeumhaeseo mureobwasseoyo.I asked just because I was curious.
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are talking about a sudden phone call.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨, 왜 갑자기 전화했어요?Jihun ssi, wae gapjagi jeonhwahaesseoyo?Jihun, why did you call me all of a sudden?
- 지훈 Ji-hun그냥 생각나서 전화했어요.geunyang saenggangnaseo jeonhwahaesseoyo.I just called because I thought of you for no reason.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말요? 무슨 일 있는 줄 알았어요.jeongmalyo? museun il inneun jul arasseoyo.Really? I thought something happened.
- 지훈 Ji-hun아니요, 그냥 전화한 거예요.aniyo, geunyang jeonhwahan geoyeyo.No, I just called for no reason.
