그렇겠지
geureokgetji
The English phrase "yeah right" can be expressed in Korean as 그렇겠지 (geureokgetji).
This phrase is used to indicate that you agree with a statement or find something to be believable.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You should only use it with friends or people younger than you. For a formal way to convey doubt or disbelief, you might use the phrase 아니요, 믿기 어렵네요, which means "No, it's hard to believe."
How do you pronounce it?
geureokgetji
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, the act of agreeing through phrases like 그렇겠지 is often part of 'nunchi', the art of sensing another person's mood to maintain social harmony.
- The grammar in 그렇겠지 contains the suffix -겠, which typically denotes a future tense or a conjecture, showing that the speaker is 'guessing' the other person is correct.
- Depending on your tone, 그렇겠지 can flip from a warm agreement to a sarcastic 'yeah, right' that sounds like you are mocking the speaker.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Minji are talking about a difficult exam.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo이번 시험 정말 어려울 것 같아.Ibeon siheom jeongmal eoryeoul geot gata.I think this exam is going to be really hard.
- 민지 Min-ji그렇겠지. 공부 많이 해야 돼.Geureokgetji. Gongbu mani haeya dwae.Yeah right. We need to study a lot.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo내일 같이 도서관에 갈래?Naeil gachi doseogwane gallae?Do you want to go to the library together tomorrow?
- 민지 Min-ji그래, 좋아.Geurae, joa.Sure, sounds good.
