와
wa[wa̠]
The English phrase "woah" is translated into Korean as 와 (wa).
와 can be used informally with friends to express sudden surprise. You can increase the intensity of the expression by prolonging the pronunciation, such as 와아아.
Which one should you use?
Informal usage of 와 can sometimes be spelled as 와아 for a more exaggerated effect.
How does it change in a sentence?
놀랐다 is the past tense form of the verb 놀라다 and can be used informally to express a surprised reaction.
How do you pronounce it?
wa
Did you know?
- To express extreme shock, Koreans may use the phrase 대박, which literally means 'great hit' or 'big jackpot' but functions similarly to 'woah'.
- While 와 expresses amazement, Korean has a distinct sound-symbolic word 헐 used specifically for surprise caused by disbelief or a 'facepalm' moment.
- While 와 is an exclamation of surprise, it is also the Korean way to say 'and' when connecting two nouns. A learner might find it confusing that the same sound functions as both an emotional outburst and a simple grammatical conjunction.
Examples in context
- 일본에 가보니까, 와, 정말 아름다워요.I went to Japan, and woah, it's really beautiful.
- 어머, 이 공연은 정말 대단해요!Oh my, this performance is truly amazing!
- 와아, 이 게임 너무 어렵다!Woah, this game is so difficult!
- 와, 진짜 크다!wa, jinjja keuda!Woah, it's really big!
- 와, 정말 맛있겠다.wa, jeongmal masitgetda.Woah, that looks delicious.
- 와, 대박이다!wa, daebagida!Woah, that's amazing!
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Minji are looking at a beautiful sunset at the beach.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo와, 노을이 정말 예쁘다.wa, noeuri jeongmal yeppeuda.Woah, the sunset is really beautiful.
- 민지 Min-ji맞아, 현우야. 정말 멋져.maja, hyunwooya. jeongmal meotjyeo.You're right, Hyunwoo. It's wonderful.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo와, 사진을 찍어야겠어.wa, sajineul jjigeoyagesseo.Woah, I have to take a photo.
- 민지 Min-ji나도 같이 찍자.nado gatchi jjikja.Let's take one together too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 와, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
