정말 잘생겼어
jeongmal jalsaenggyeosseo
To say you're so handsome in Korean to a close friend or someone younger, say 정말 잘생겼어 (jeongmal jalsaenggyeosseo).
정말 잘생겼어 is a compliment that tells a man he is physically attractive. The word 정말 means really and makes the compliment stronger. Another casual version is 완전 잘생겼어!, where 완전 means totally.
Which one should you use?
잘생겼어 is about facial features and physical good looks. 멋있어 is broader and means cool or stylish, so it can praise appearance, personality or actions, as in 진짜 멋있어!, you're really cool.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
정말 잘생겼어 is informal casual speech and should only be used with close friends or people younger than you. 진짜 멋있어! and 완전 잘생겼어! are informal too. Formal ways to give the compliment are 제가 보기에 아주 잘 생겼습니다, in my opinion you're very handsome and 정말 멋지게 생겼습니다, you look really handsome.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the ending 요 makes the phrase polite, as in 잘생겼어요. Use this with someone you are not close with or someone older.
How do you pronounce it?
The phrase is romanized jeongmal jalsaenggyeosseo.
Did you know?
- Because Korean is highly hierarchical, using the casual form 잘생겼어 to an older person can be viewed as a serious insult, even though the words themselves are a compliment.
- To a Korean speaker, telling a stranger 잘생겼어요 often functions as an overt flirtation rather than a neutral observation of beauty.
- When using 잘생겼어, you are literally saying the person was 'well-born' or 'well-formed'. The verb stem 잘생기다 implies that the features were crafted or produced in a superior way.
Examples in context
- 와, 오늘 너무 멋있어!Wow, you look really cool today!
- 고마워! 너도 멋있어!Thank you! You look handsome too!
- 선생님, 정말 멋지게 생겼어요!Teacher, you look really handsome!
- 너 정말 잘생겼어.neo jeongmal jalsaenggyeosseo.You're so handsome.
- 그 배우 정말 잘생겼어.geu baeu jeongmal jalsaenggyeosseo.That actor is really handsome.
Example conversation
Minji sees Minjun after he gets a haircut.
- 민준 Min-jun머리 잘랐어?meori jallasseo?Did you get a haircut?
- 민지 Min-ji응, 어때?eung, eottae?Yeah, how does it look?
- 민준 Min-jun정말 잘생겼어!jeongmal jalsaenggyeosseo!You're so handsome!
- 민지 Min-ji고마워, 민지야.gomawo, Minji-ya.Thanks, Minji.
