그때
geuttae[kɯt͈ɛ]
The English phrase "then" (meaning "at that time") is expressed in Korean as 그때 (geuttae). Wiktionary also lists 그 때 (geu ttae).
Meaning: at that time (adv)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 그때 | geuttae | [kɯt͈ɛ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [kɯt͈e̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 그 때 | geu ttae |
그때 is an adverb used to refer to a specific point in time in the past or future. It is important to distinguish it from 그러면, which is used when "then" means "if so" or "in that case".
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a combination of 그, meaning "that" and 때, meaning "time" or "moment".
Which one should you use?
그때 refers to a specific point in time. In contrast, 그러면 is used to express a conditional "then".
How does it change in a sentence?
You can modify 그때 with particles to change its nuance. Adding the topic marker 는 results in 그때는, which emphasizes that specific time, often to contrast it with another time. Adding the particle 도 results in 그때도, which expresses that something was also true at that time or even at that time.
How do you pronounce it?
geuttae
Did you know?
- The demonstrative system used in 그때 differs from English because 그 refers to something that is neither 'here' nor 'there', but something already mentioned in the conversation.
- The word 그 in 그때 is sometimes used as a third-person pronoun, but this use is believed to have been popularized in the early 20th century as a calque of the Japanese word 'kare'.
Examples in context
- 아빠는 그 때 집에 없었어요.Dad wasn't at home then.This sentence shows how to use 그 때 to describe someone's location in the past.Tatoeba #10618448 by andotang129, translation #12114711 by sundown
- 나는 그때 준비가 되어있지 않았다I was not prepared for it then.This sentence illustrates the use of 그때 to describe a state of being unprepared.Tatoeba #9803425 by ST_Young, translation #8114595 by Ergulis
- 그럼, 무엇부터 시작합시다?Then, where should we start?
- 대학에 합격했어요. 그러면 어떻게 해야 할까요?I got accepted to college. What should I do then?
- 그럼, 오늘 저녁에 만나자!Then, let's meet for dinner tonight!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are reminiscing about their high school days.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그때 우리 진짜 어렸지?geuttae uri jincha eoryeotji?We were really young then, weren't we?
- 서연 Seo-yeon응, 그때는 매일 축구만 했어.eung, geuttaeneun maeil chukgu-man haesseo.Yeah, back then we only played soccer every day.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo서연아, 너 그때 기억나?seoyeon-a, neo geuttae gieokna?Seoyeon, do you remember that time?
- 서연 Seo-yeon당연하지, 너무 재미있었어.dang-yeonhaji, neomu jaemi-isseosseo.Of course, it was so much fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “then” translations and entries 그때, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 그, 그때, 때, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
