제발 날 혼자 내버려 둬요
jebal nal honja naebeoryeo dwoyo
In Korean, "please leave me alone" is expressed as 제발 날 혼자 내버려 둬요 (jebal nal honja naebeoryeo dwoyo).
This phrase is a request for someone to stop bothering you or to stop talking to you. Including the word 제발 (please/I beg you) adds a sense of desperation or strong pleading to the request.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 제발 (please), 날 (me), 혼자 (alone) and 내버려 둬요 (leave/let be).
Which one should you use?
You might also use 혼자 있게 해 줘 (let me be alone), which focuses more on the state of being alone, whereas 내버려 둬 focuses on the act of the other person stopping their interference.
How does it change in a sentence?
The level of politeness can be adjusted by changing the pronouns and verb endings. Using 저를 instead of 날 and 두세요 instead of 둬요 in the phrase 제발 저를 혼자 내버려 두세요 makes the request more formal and polite. Conversely, dropping the polite ending 요 to say 제발 날 혼자 내버려 둬 makes the phrase informal and can sound much more aggressive or blunt when used with someone you are not close to.
How do you pronounce it?
jebal nal honja naebeoryeo dwoyo
Did you know?
- The verb in 내버려 둬요 comes from a root meaning 'to throw away' or 'to discard'. Literally, asking to be left alone in Korean carries a nuance of asking to be 'cast aside' or 'discarded' for a moment.
- While 혼자 describes being alone, Koreans also use the term 혼밥 to describe the act of eating alone. This is a significant cultural shift, as eating was traditionally a communal activity in Korea.
- In Korea, the concept of being 'alone' is often tied to the word 혼술, which combines 혼자 (alone) and 술 (alcohol). It refers to the modern social trend of drinking alone to relieve stress without the pressure of social obligations.
Example conversation
Seoyeon is upset and Hyeonwoo is trying to comfort her.
- 서연 Seo-yeon서연: 지금은 아무 말도 듣고 싶지 않아요.Seoyeon: jigeumeun amu maldo deutgo sipji anayo.I don't want to hear anything right now.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo현우: 하지만 내가 도와주고 싶어서 그래요.Hyeonwoo: hajiman naega dowajugo sip-eoseo geuraeyo.But that's because I want to help you.
- 서연 Seo-yeon서연: 제발 날 혼자 내버려 둬요.Seoyeon: jebal nal honja naebeoryeo dwoyo.Please leave me alone.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo현우: 알겠어요, 나중에 다시 올게요.Hyeonwoo: algesseoyo, najunge dasi olgeyo.I understand, I'll come back later.
