미쳤어
michyeosseo
The English phrase "you're crazy" is translated into Korean as 미쳤어 (michyeosseo).
미쳤어 is used to tell someone they are crazy. To use this concept as an adjective to modify a noun, such as saying "crazy person", you would use the form 미친.
Which one should you use?
While 미쳤어 implies mental instability, the word 돌았어 is a very common colloquial alternative. 돌았어 literally means "to have turned/spun" and is used more frequently in slang to mean "you're out of your mind".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase itself is inherently blunt or confrontational. You can make it more polite by adding the suffix –요 to create 미쳤어요. For very stiff, official or dramatic effect, the formal interrogative 미쳤습니까? can be used to ask "are you crazy?"
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding –나 봐 to the stem creates the phrase 미쳤나 봐, which means "it looks like/it seems like (someone) is crazy".
How do you pronounce it?
michyeosseo
Did you know?
- While 미쳤어 can be an insult, it is frequently used as an exclamation of awe for something 'insanely' good, such as a delicious meal or a stunning performance.
- Korean has a specific term 미친 척하다 which means 'to pretend to be crazy', a common trope in historical tales to avoid political persecution or hide one's true intentions.
- Because 미쳤어 is inherently blunt, adding the suffix 요 to make it 미쳤어요 does not make it 'friendly'. It simply makes the insult grammatically polite, which can often make it sound even more sarcastic or condescending.
Examples in context
- 너는 미쳤어.You're crazy.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 미쳤어.Tatoeba #13250455 by qiwiwi, translation #2047350 by AlanF_US
- 그건 좀 미쳤어.geu-geon jom mi-chyeot-eo.That's a bit crazy.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a dangerous stunt.
- 서연 Seo-yeon그걸 혼자서 하겠다고?geu-geol hon-ja-seo ha-get-da-go?You're going to do that alone?
- 민준 Min-jun응, 재미있을 것 같아.eung, jae-mi-it-seul geot ga-ta.Yeah, I think it'll be fun.
- 서연 Seo-yeon너 진짜 미쳤어!neo jin-jja mi-chyeot-eo!You're seriously crazy!
- 민준 Min-jun하하, 그냥 농담이야.ha-ha, geu-nyang nong-dam-i-ya.Haha, I'm just joking.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
