What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built around the noun 동안, which literally means "baby face" or "youthful face".
Which one should you use?
The forms available depend on the level of respect and the specific nuance you wish to convey. While 동안이시네요 focuses on the person having a youthful face, other forms like 젊어 보이시네요 specifically mean "you look young" in a formal sense and 어려 보여! means "you look young!" in an informal sense.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness varies by form. 동안이시네요 is a polite way to offer the compliment, making it suitable for acquaintances or people older than you. For a formal way to say you look young, you can use 젊어 보이시네요. If you are speaking with close friends or people younger than you, you can use the informal 어려 보여! or the informal version of the baby face compliment, 동안이야.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 동안이시네요 incorporates the honorific suffix –시– to show respect to the person receiving the compliment.
How do you pronounce it?
donganisineyo
Did you know?
- The word 어려 in the phrase 어려 보여! is a homonym that can also mean 'to be difficult' or 'to be hard'.
- While 동안 is a compliment, the opposite term for looking old, 노안, is so sensitive that Koreans rarely say it to someone's face.
- The term 동안 is so much in demand that it has become a powerful marketing buzzword in the Korean beauty industry to sell 'age-reversing' skincare products.
Examples in context
- 이렇게 글래머러스하면서도 젊어 보이시네요.You look glamorous and young.
- 오래 안 만났는데, 완전 어려 보여!I haven't seen you for a long time, you look so young!
- 이렇게 다이어트한 덕에 많이 어려 보여.You look much younger after this diet.
- 참 젊어 보이시네요.You look so young.
- 완전 어려 보여!You look totally young!
- 정말 동안이시네요.jeongmal dongan-isineyo.You really look young for your age.
- 어쩐지 동안이시네요!eojjeonji dongan-isineyo!No wonder you look so young!
- 그분은 정말 동안이시네요.geubuneun jeongmal dongan-isineyo.That person really looks young.
Example conversation
A coworker compliments a male colleague's youthful appearance during a break.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현 씨는 정말 동안이시네요.Dohyeon ssi-neun jeongmal dongan-isineyo.Dohyeon, you really look young.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말요? 감사합니다.Jeongmalyo? Gamsahamnida.Really? Thank you.
- 수빈 Su-bin비결이 뭐예요?Bigyeori mwoyeyo?What is your secret?
- 도현 Do-hyeon그냥 건강하게 잘 자요.Geunyang geonganghage jal jayo.I just sleep well and stay healthy.
