What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 이제 어떻게 해야 해? is composed of 이제 (now), 어떻게 (how) and 해야 해 (must do/should do).
Which one should you use?
While 이제 어떻게 해야 해? is a common way to express this, other variations exist depending on your specific needs. 어떡하지? is an informal way to ask "What should I do?", and 어떻게 하면 돼? is another informal way to ask for guidance or suggestions for next steps. For more specific phrasing, 지금 뭘 해야 돼? is an informal way to ask "What should I do now?" and 어떻게 해야 할까요? is a formal way to ask "What should one do?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness changes based on the ending of the sentence. For a polite tone suitable for strangers or superiors, you can add the suffix 요 to the end to get 이제 어떻게 해야 해요? In highly formal settings, such as business presentations or military contexts, use 이제 어떻게 해야 합니까? or the highly formal 지금 제가 무엇을 해야 할까요? to ask "What should I do now?" Additionally, 어떡하지요? serves as a polite way to ask for suggestions for the next course of action.
How do you pronounce it?
ije eotteoke haeya hae?
Did you know?
- In Korean, asking 어떡하지? is often used as a rhetorical expression of panic or regret rather than a genuine request for a solution.
- While 어떻게 (eotteoke) means 'how', it is often confused with 어떡해 (eotteokhae), which is a complete verb phrase meaning 'what do I do'.
- The word 이제 (ije) is a combination of 'this' and 'when', literally implying 'this time' or 'this moment'.
Examples in context
- 어떻게 해야 할까요? 제가 좀 많이 헷갈려서요.What should I do? I am quite confused.
- 어떡해? 지금 뭐 할까?What should I do? What should we do now?
- 어떡하지? 고민이 좀 되는 거 같아.What should I do? I feel a bit worried.
- 이제 어떻게 해야 해?ije eotteoke haeya hae?What should I do now?
- 준비가 다 끝났는데, 이제 어떻게 해야 해?junbiga da kkeunnatneunde, ije eotteoke haeya hae?Everything is ready, so what should I do now?
- 계획이 바뀌었어. 이제 어떻게 해야 해?gyehoegi bakkwieosseo. ije eotteoke haeya hae?The plan changed. What should I do now?
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Jihun are looking at a broken laptop.
- 서연 Seo-yeon갑자기 화면이 안 나와. 이제 어떻게 해야 해?gapjagi hwamyeoni an nawa. ije eotteoke haeya hae?The screen suddenly won't turn on. What should I do now?
- 지훈 Ji-hun먼저 전원을 다시 켜봐.meonjeo jeonwoneul dasi kyeobwa.Try turning the power on again first.
- 서연 Seo-yeon그래도 안 되면 어떡해?geuraedo an doemyeon eotteokhae?What if it still doesn't work?
- 지훈 Ji-hun그럼 서비스 센터에 가야 해.geureom seobiseu senteoe gaya hae.Then you should go to the service center.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 어떻게, 이제, 해, CC BY-SA 4.0.
