놀람
nollam
The English word "surprise" is translated into Korean as 놀람 (nollam).
놀람 is a noun that refers to the feeling that something unexpected has happened. To express the feeling of being surprised within a sentence, the verb 놀라다 is the most common method used.
Meaning: feeling that something unexpected has happened (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The noun 놀람 is formed from the stem of the verb 놀라다 (to be surprised) combined with the nominalizing suffix -ㅁ.
Which one should you use?
While 놀라다 describes the subject's own feeling of being surprised, the phrase 놀라게 하다 is the causative form used when one person causes another to feel surprise.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
While 놀람 is the noun form, the most common way to express the feeling of being surprised in a sentence is by using the verb 놀라다.
How do you pronounce it?
nollam
When do people say it?
When something catches you completely off guard, you can use the formal expression 깜짝 놀랐어요 to convey a deeper sense of surprise. If someone suddenly startles you, a common and natural reaction is to say 깜짝이야.
Did you know?
- If a surprise is pleasant, such as a surprise party, Koreans often use the English loanword 'surprise' written in Hangul as 서프라이즈 instead of the native Korean terms.
- The word 깜짝 in the phrase 깜짝 놀랐어요 is an onomatopoeic ideophone that mimics the sudden, jerky motion of a person jumping or flinching from a shock.
- The suffix -ㅁ used to turn 놀라다 into the noun 놀람 is a common way to transform verbs into nouns, but it can also be used in text messaging to make a sentence feel more clipped and casual.
Examples in context
- 새로운 소식이 있어요!I have some news!
- 진짜요? 놀랐어요!Really? I'm surprised!
- 오늘 선물 받았어!I received a gift today!
- 헐, 완전 놀랐어!Wow, I was completely surprised!
Example conversation
Subin and Minjun are talking about a sudden party.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨, 깜짝 파티 정말 놀람이었죠?Minjun ssi, kkamjjak pati jeongmal nollam-ieotjyo?Minjun, the surprise party was a real surprise, wasn't it?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 정말 상상도 못 했어요.ne, jeongmal sangsang-do mot haesseoyo.Yes, I really couldn't have imagined it.
- 수빈 Su-bin모두가 수빈 씨를 속였어요.moduga Subin ssi-reul sogyeosseoyo.Everyone tricked Subin.
- 민준 Min-jun그래서 다들 놀란 표정이었군요.geuraeseo dadeul nollan pyojeong-ieotgunyo.That's why everyone had surprised looks.
