어떻게 해야 할까요?
Eotteoke haeya halkkayo?
To say "what should we do?" in Korean, use 어떻게 해야 할까요? (Eotteoke haeya halkkayo?)
This phrase is a question used to ask for suggestions or advice on how to handle a situation.
Which one should you use?
You can also use 무엇을 해야 할까요? to mean "What should we do?" in a formal context. For a more casual approach, you can use 뭐할까?
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite version 어떻게 해야 할까요? is suitable for most social situations. The informal version 어떻게 해야 해? is used with close friends or people younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
Eotteoke haeya halkkayo?
Did you know?
- In moments of sudden panic or distress, Koreans often exclaim 어떡해! (eotteokhae) as a standalone cry. While it is grammatically a question meaning 'what should I do', it functions as an emotional expression similar to 'oh no' or 'this is terrible'.
- The phrase 어떻게 해야 할까요? often reflects a cultural emphasis on group harmony. It is used to seek a collective consensus rather than a single individual's decision.
- In many social situations, Koreans might omit the word 'we' or 'us' entirely and simply say 어떻게 할까요? The subject is often understood through context or the relationship between the speakers, making the sentence feel more natural and less heavy.
Examples in context
- 대통령께서 무엇을 하라고 말씀하셨습니까?What did the President say we should do?
- 오늘 저녁에 뭐할까?What should we do tonight?
- 비가 너무 많이 오는데 어떻게 해야 할까요?bi-ga neo-mu ma-ni o-neun-de eo-tteok-he hae-ya hal-kka-yo?It is raining too much, what should we do?
- 길을 잃었어요. 이제 어떻게 해야 할까요?gil-eul il-eot-eo-yo. i-je eo-tteok-he hae-ya hal-kka-yo?We are lost. What should we do now?
- 계획이 바뀌었는데 어떻게 해야 할까요?gye-hwek-i ba-kkwi-eot-neun-de eo-tteok-he hae-ya hal-kka-yo?The plan has changed, what should we do?
Example conversation
Minjun and Seoyeon are looking at a broken laptop screen.
- 민준 Min-jun화면이 깨졌어요. 어떻게 해야 할까요?hwa-myeon-i kkae-jyeot-eo-yo. eo-tteok-he hae-ya hal-kka-yo?The screen is broken. What should we do?
- 서연 Seo-yeon먼저 서비스 센터에 전화해 보세요.meon-jeo seo-bi-seu sen-teo-e jeon-hwa-hae bo-se-yo.First, try calling the service center.
- 민준 Min-jun서연 씨, 수리 비용이 많이 들까요?Seo-yeon ssi, su-ri bi-yong-i ma-ni deul-kka-yo?Seoyeon, do you think the repair will be expensive?
- 서연 Seo-yeon아마도 그럴 거예요.a-ma-do geu-reol geo-ye-yo.Probably so.
