Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 말씀하다 | malsseumhada | [ˈma̠(ː)ɭs͈ɯmɦa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | honorific |
| 알리다 | allida | [a̠ʎʎida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The verb is used to pass information to others.
Which one should you use?
Use 알리다 when the focus is on the act of making information known to others (to notify/announce) rather than the act of speaking itself.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
말씀하다 is used as a humble form when you are speaking about your own words to a superior, or as an honorific when speaking about a superior's words. The verb 알리다 indicates the act of informing or notifying someone in a formal context. 전하다 is a formal way to communicate "tell" in Korean, mainly used when conveying information to someone of higher rank or position. 얘기하다 is an informal way of expressing "tell" in Korean commonly used in everyday conversations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The honorific form 말씀하다 can also be conjugated as 말씀하시다 to specifically honor the subject's action of speaking.
How do you pronounce it?
malsseumhada
Did you know?
- The word 말씀 is a linguistic rarity because it is used as both a high-honorific for a superior and a humble term for oneself.
- The word 알리다 is actually the causative form of 알다, which means 'to know'. In a sense, you are literally saying you 'make someone know' something.
- Before you can 'tell' someone a fact in Korean, you must first calculate the social distance and rank between you and the listener.
Examples in context
- 저는 교수님께 차후 계획을 알려드렸습니다.I told the professor about our future plans.
- 부사장님께서 신속하게 알려 주셨습니다.The vice president told me quickly.
- 친구에게 농담을 말했어.I told my friend a joke.
- 나는 형에게 지난 주말에 있었던 일을 얘기했어.I told my brother about what happened last weekend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tell” translations and entries 말씀하다, 알리다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 말씀하다, 알리다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
