옛날 옛적에
yennal yetjeog-e
The English phrase "once upon a time" is translated into Korean as 옛날 옛적에 (yennal yetjeog-e). If unsure, use 옛날 옛적에. Wiktionary also lists 옛날 옛적 (yennal yetjeok).
Meaning: traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales (adv)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 옛날 옛적에 | yennal yetjeog-e |
| 옛날 옛적 | yennal yetjeok |
This phrase is the standard way to begin a fairy tale or a folk tale (전래동화) in Korean.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 옛날, meaning the old days or the past and 옛적, meaning old times or long ago, with the particle -에 indicating a point in time.
Which one should you use?
옛날 옛적에 includes the time particle -에, making it a complete adverbial phrase used to set a scene. In contrast, 옛날 옛적 lacks this particle and is often used as a noun phrase or a more truncated, rhythmic opening in oral storytelling.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 옛날 옛적에 includes the time particle -에, which allows it to function as a complete adverbial phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
yennal yetjeog-e
Did you know?
- In traditional Korean storytelling, 옛날 옛적에 is often followed by the phrase 호랑이 담배 피우던 시절에, which literally means 'at a time when tigers smoked pipes'.
- Because the phrase uses two different words for 'old', it creates a redundant but more poetic feeling of 'extreme antiquity' than a single word would.
- If you were to tell a story in a more formal or historical setting, you might replace these words with much more archaic, Hanja-based vocabulary to sound more 'grand'.
Examples in context
- 옛날 옛적에 아주 작은 마을이 있었습니다.yennal yetjeoge aju jageun maeuri isseotseumnida.Once upon a time, there was a very small village.
- 옛날 옛적에 용감한 소녀가 있었어요.yennal yetjeoge yonggamhan sonyeoga isseosseoyo.Once upon a time, there was a brave girl.
Example conversation
A mother reading a fairy tale book to her son.
- 도현 Do-hyeon엄마, 이 이야기 시작이 뭐예요?eomma, i iyagi sijagi mwoyeyo?Mom, how does this story start?
- 지은 Ji-eun옛날 옛적에 한 공주가 살았단다.yennal yetjeoge han gongjuga salatdanda.Once upon a time, a princess lived.
- 도현 Do-hyeon와, 정말 재미있을 것 같아요!wa, jeongmal jaemiisseul geot gatayo!Wow, it sounds really interesting!
- 지은 Ji-eun그래, 도현아, 이제 들어보렴.geurae, dohyeona, ije deureoboryeom.Yes, Dohyeon, now listen closely.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “once upon a time” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
