제발 그만해
jebal geumanhae
In Korean, the phrase for "please stop it" is 제발 그만해 (jebal geumanhae).
This phrase is used to request or command someone to end an action that is either annoying or harmful.
Which one should you use?
While 제발 translates to "please", it carries a nuance of pleading or desperation, which makes the phrase sound more emotional than a standard polite request.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you need to be formal, you can use 제발 그만해주세요 or the more direct and formal 그만 두십시오. Additionally, 그만해주세요 can be used to mean "stop it".
How do you pronounce it?
jebal geumanhae
Did you know?
- While 제발 means 'please', it is never used for polite requests like 'please pass the salt'. For those situations, Koreans use 주세요 or 부탁드립니다, as 제발 is reserved for pleading or desperation.
- The verb 그만두다, which forms the basis of 그만해, is the standard term used when someone 'quits' a job. Depending on the context, telling someone 그만해 regarding a specific task could be misinterpreted as telling them to resign.
- In Korea's hierarchical society, using a direct command like 제발 그만해 is often viewed as a significant confrontation. To avoid this, people frequently rely on a slight frown or a specific tone of voice to signal discomfort instead of words.
Examples in context
- 제발 그만해!Please stop it!The sentence is useful for expressing the phrase 제발 그만해.Tatoeba #11104790 by intertime, translation #2843457 by AlanF_US
- 제발 그만해주세요.Please stop it.
- 제발 그만해, 너무 시끄러워.jebal geumanhae, neomu sikkeureowo.Please stop it, it is too loud.
- 장난이 심해. 제발 그만해.jangnani simhae. jebal geumanhae.The prank is too much. Please stop it.
Example conversation
Jieun is trying to study while Dohyun keeps tapping her desk.
- 지은 Ji-eun도현아, 제발 그만해.Dohyeon-a, jebal geumanhae.Dohyun, please stop it.
- 도현 Do-hyeon미안해, 집중 안 돼?mianhae, jipjung an dwae?Sorry, can you not concentrate?
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 소리 때문에 힘들어.eung, sori ttaemune himdeureo.Yes, it's hard because of the noise.
- 도현 Do-hyeon알았어, 이제 안 할게.arasseo, ije an halge.Okay, I won't do it anymore.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
