헐
heol
The English phrase "yikes" is translated into Korean as 헐 (heol).
헐 is an interjection used to express shock, disbelief or the feeling of being taken aback by an unexpected or unpleasant situation.
Meaning: expression of shock and alarm (intj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
헐 is highly informal. It is primarily used in casual speech or text messaging among peers.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an interjection, 헐 does not change its form regardless of the subject or tense of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
heol
Did you know?
- In some contexts, 헐 can be used to describe the state of something being 'empty' or 'loose', such as a loose screw, though this is a different grammatical usage.
- The word 헐 is so versatile in Korean internet slang that it can sometimes function as a reaction to both extremely good and extremely bad news.
- If you use 헐 in a formal setting or to a superior, it can be perceived as incredibly rude or even dismissive of their status.
Examples in context
- 헐, 진짜요?heol, jinjjayo?Yikes, really?
- 헐, 너무 무서워요.heol, neomu museowoyo.Yikes, it's so scary.
- 헐, 어떡해!heol, eotteokhae!Yikes, what should I do!
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin are talking about a scary movie.
- 민준 Min-jun방금 저 장면 봤어?banggeum jeo jangmyeon bwasseo?Did you see that scene just now?
- 수빈 Su-bin헐, 너무 무서워!heol, neomu museowo!Yikes, it's so scary!
- 민준 Min-jun갑자기 귀신이 나왔어.gapjagi gwisini nawasseo.A ghost suddenly appeared.
- 수빈 Su-bin진짜 깜짝 놀랐어.jinja kkamjjak nollasseo.I was really startled.
