그때 봐
geuttae bwa
The English phrase "see you then" is translated into Korean as 그때 봐 (geuttae bwa).
그때 봐 is used to say goodbye after a specific time for a future meeting has been agreed upon.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 그때 (that time) and 봐 (see/look).
Which one should you use?
While 그때 봐 refers to a specific agreed-upon time, the phrase 다음에 봐요 or the informal 다음에 보자 is used to mean "See you next time."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase 그때 봐 is an informal way to say See you then when speaking with close friends. For a polite version suitable for people you are not close to or who are older than you, add the suffix 요 to say 그때 봐요. In highly formal professional settings or when speaking to someone of much higher social status, use 그때 뵙겠습니다.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 봐 is the casual/informal conjugation of 보다 (to see).
How do you pronounce it?
geuttae bwa
Did you know?
- The verb 보다 used in 그때 봐 can also be used as an auxiliary verb to describe trying an activity, such as when saying 'I will try eating this'.
- While 그때 봐 sounds like a promise to meet, Koreans may use the more general 다음에 봐 as a polite social filler that does not actually commit to a future date.
- In the formal version 그때 뵙겠습니다, the verb 뵙다 is a humble form of 'to see' that literally lowers your own status to show respect to the listener.
Examples in context
- 내일 밤에 우리 학교 앞에서 봐.Let's meet tomorrow night in front of our school.
- 알았어, 그럼 그때 봐.Got it, well, see you then.
- 그때 봐.geuttae bwa.See you then.
- 약속 장소에서 그때 봐.yak-sok jang-so-eseo geuttae bwa.See you then at the meeting place.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Hyeonwoo agree to meet at 6 PM.
- 서연 Seo-yeon우리 오후 6시에 만날까?uri ohu yeoseotsie mannalkka?Shall we meet at 6 PM?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo좋아, 6시에 보자.joa, yeoseotsie boja.Sure, let's meet at 6.
- 서연 Seo-yeon알았어, 그때 봐!arasseo, geuttae bwa!Got it, see you then!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo응, 나중에 봐.eung, najunge bwa.Yeah, see you later.
