괜찮아요
gwaenchanayo
The English phrase 'okay' can be translated into Korean as 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo).
괜찮아요 can be used both to mean 'it is okay' and to politely decline an offer, similar to 'I'm fine, thank you' in English.
Meaning: OK (intj)
Which one should you use?
괜찮아요 is the standard polite form used with strangers or people older than you, whereas 괜찮아 is used with close friends or younger people. The highly formal version of the phrase is 괜찮습니다.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version of the phrase is 괜찮아.
How do you pronounce it?
gwaenchanayo
Did you know?
- In Korean, 괜찮아요 can be used to describe someone's appearance or skill as 'decent' or 'not bad', rather than just meaning 'okay' in terms of permission.
- While 괜찮아요 is the standard translation for 'okay', Koreans frequently use the loanword 오케이 (okei) in casual settings and business contexts for quick agreement.
- When someone apologizes, responding with 괜찮아요 doesn't just mean 'it is okay', but functions as a social tool to 'save face' for the other person by minimizing the mistake.
Examples in context
- 손 들고 질문해도 괜찮아요.It's okay to raise your hand and ask a question.This sentence shows how to use 괜찮아요 to express permission or possibility.Tatoeba #8533617 by Eunhee, translation #8254586 by Hybrid
- 네, 알겠습니다.Yes, I understand.
- 괜찮아! 어디로 갈까?Okay! Where should we go?
- 아니에요, 저는 괜찮아요.anieyo, jeoneun gwaenchanayo.No, I am okay.
- 여기서 기다려도 괜찮아요?yeogiseo gidaryeodo gwaenchanayo?Is it okay to wait here?
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Min-jun are talking at a cafe.
- 수빈 Su-bin커피 좀 더 드릴까요?keopi jom deo deurilkkayo?Would you like some more coffee?
- 지훈 Ji-hun아니요, 괜찮아요.aniyo, gwaenchanayo.No, I'm okay.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨, 정말 괜찮아요?minjun ssi, jeongmal gwaenchanayo?Min-jun, are you really okay?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 정말 괜찮아요.ne, jeongmal gwaenchanayo.Yes, I am really okay.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
