말도 안 돼
maldo an dwae
In Korean, 'unbelievable' is said as 말도 안 돼 (maldo an dwae).
The phrase 말도 안 돼 is used to express disbelief in various contexts. It can convey positive disbelief, such as reacting to an incredible deal or negative disbelief, such as reacting to a ridiculous lie. It can be translated as 'unbelievable', 'no way' or 'that's nonsense'.
Meaning: incredible (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, 말도 안 돼 means 'even words do not work' or 'it doesn't even make sense in words'.
Which one should you use?
While 말도 안 돼 is a common way to express disbelief in conversation, 말도 안 된다 is the plain or narrative form used in written text, news or when making a general statement of fact. For a more colloquial way to say 'unbelievable', you can use 와, 안 믿겨 and to express that something is 'really amazing' or 'incredible', you can use 진짜 대박.
How does it change in a sentence?
말도 안 돼 is used in casual or informal settings with friends or people younger than you. To use this phrase politely with strangers or superiors, add '요' to the end to get 말도 안 돼요.
How do you pronounce it?
maldo an dwae
Did you know?
- The word 말 means both 'word' and 'horse' in Korean, but in the context of 말도 안 돼, it exclusively refers to speech.
- While 말도 안 돼 is a standard reaction, the word 대박 can be used as an exclamation even when something bad happens, expressing a sense of 'unbelievable' irony or shock.
- When saying 말도 안 돼 in a state of shock, Koreans often accompany the phrase with a sharp intake of breath or a loud gasp to emphasize the disbelief.
Examples in context
- 진짜? 안 믿겨!Really? I can't believe it!
- 그건 정말 말도 안 돼.geugeon jeongmal maldo an dwae.That is truly unbelievable.
- 그 사람이 왔다고? 말도 안 돼!geu sarami watdago? maldo an dwae!He came? That's unbelievable!
Example conversation
Minji and Minjun are talking about a lottery winner.
- 민지 Min-ji민준 씨, 복권에 당첨됐대요!Minjun ssi, bokgwone dangcheomdwetdaeyo!Minjun, I heard someone won the lottery!
- 민준 Min-jun진짜요? 말도 안 돼.Jinjjayo? maldo an dwae.Really? That's unbelievable.
- 민지 Min-ji정말이에요. 엄청난 금액이래요.Jeongmarieyo. eomcheongnan geumaeryeyo.It's true. They say it's a huge amount.
- 민준 Min-jun와, 정말 믿기지 않네요.Wa, jeongmal mitgiji anneyo.Wow, I really can't believe it.
