도대체 뭐야!
dodaeche mwoya!
In Korean, the phrase "what the hell!" is expressed as 도대체 뭐야! (dodaeche mwoya!)
도대체 뭐야! is used to express sudden confusion, disbelief or intense annoyance at a situation or person. You can also use variations like 뭐야? to express annoyance or bewilderment, 뭐하는거야? to say "What the hell are you doing?" with surprise and annoyance or 진짜 뭐야? to say "What the hell, seriously?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 도대체, an intensifier that literally means "on earth" or "in the world" when used in questions and 뭐야!, which means "what is it!" The latter is a combination of the pronoun 뭐 (what) and the informal copula 야 (is).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal version used when addressing someone of higher status or in a professional setting, use 도대체 뭡니까!
How do you pronounce it?
dodaeche mwoya!
Did you know?
- Even though it translates to 'what the hell', the Korean phrase contains no references to the devil, hell, or any religious concepts.
- The word 도대체 is a Sino-Korean term where the character 都 actually means 'all' or 'entirely' rather than a city.
- If you use the formal 도대체 뭡니까!, the sudden switch to a high-level formal tone can actually make your disbelief sound more sarcastic or biting.
Examples in context
- 이게 도대체 뭐야!ige dodaeche mwoya!What the hell is this thing!
Example conversation
Jieun and Dohyeon are looking at a broken machine in the office.
- 지은 Ji-eun도대체 뭐야!dodaeche mwoya!What the hell is this!
- 도현 Do-hyeon갑자기 고장 났나 봐요.gapjagi gojang nanna bwayo.It looks like it broke suddenly.
- 지은 Ji-eun도대체 왜 이래!dodaeche wae irae!What the hell is wrong with it!
- 도현 Do-hyeon제가 한번 고쳐볼게요.jega hanbeon gochyeobolgeyo.I will try to fix it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 도대체, CC BY-SA 4.0.
