키가 작아
kiga jaga
The phrase "your short" is translated into Korean as 키가 작아 (kiga jaga).
This phrase is used to tell someone that they are not tall.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a polite version suitable for speaking to people you are not close with, use 키가 작아요. If you need to say someone "are short in height" in a more respectful manner, you can use 키가 작으세요.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase polite, you can add the suffix '요' (yo) to the end to create 키가 작아요. While 귀하의 signifies "your", it is a separate component of the English phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
kiga jaga
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might use the dictionary form 키가 작다 in conversation, but this sounds unnatural. You must conjugate it to 작아 or 작아요 when speaking.
Did you know?
- The word 작다 (small) is used for height, but if you want to describe a 'short' amount of time, Koreans use a completely different word, 짧다.
- Directly telling someone 키가 작아 can be perceived as much more blunt or even rude than the English 'you are short' due to the lack of honorifics. In many social situations, commenting on someone's height is considered a breach of etiquette.
- When discussing height, Koreans often use the phrase 키가 크다 (to be tall), which literally translates to 'the height grows', treating height as something that expands upward.
Examples in context
- 그는 키가 작아.geuneun kiga jara.He is short.
- 나는 키가 작아.naneun kiga jara.I am short.
- 동생은 키가 작아.dongsaengeun kiga jara.My younger sibling is short.
Example conversation
Two friends are comparing their heights.
- 도현 Do-hyeon수빈, 너는 키가 작아.Subin, neoneun kiga jaga.Subin, you are short.
- 수빈 Su-bin나 안 작아!na an jaga!I'm not short!
- 도현 Do-hyeon진짜로 키가 작아.jinjjaro kiga jaga.You really are short.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현, 너는 너무 커.Dohyeon, neoneun neomu keo.Dohyeon, you are too tall.
