너무 못됐어
neomu motdwaesseo
The English phrase "you're so mean" can be translated into Korean as 너무 못됐어 (neomu motdwaesseo).
This phrase is used to tell someone that they are being unkind or cruel.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase 너무 못됐어, 너무 (neomu) means "too much" or "so" and 못됐어 (motdwaesseo) is the past tense form of an adjective meaning "to be bad" or "to be mean".
Which one should you use?
Other expressions can be used depending on the specific nuance. For example, 진짜 나쁘다 translates to "You are really bad" to convey meanness informally, while 험하게 대하시네요 means "You are treating me harshly" and 몹시 무례하십니다 means "You are very rude" in more formal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase 너무 못됐어 polite and suitable for speaking to someone you are not close with or someone older than you, add the suffix -요 (-yo) to the end to create 너무 못됐어요.
How do you pronounce it?
neomu motdwaesseo
Did you know?
- In romantic or close relationships, saying 너무 못됐어 (neomu motdwaesseo) can actually function as a flirtatious tease. When said with a smile, it acts as playful banter rather than a sincere accusation of cruelty.
- While 너무 (neomu) originally described only negative extremes, modern Korean speakers now frequently use it to emphasize positive qualities, such as saying someone is 'too' beautiful or 'too' kind.
- The concept of being 'mean' is linguistically framed as a transformation. Because the root is the verb 되다 (doeda), meaning 'to become', the phrase implies that the person has 'become' a bad person.
Examples in context
- 진짜 나쁘다You're so mean
- 너 진짜 너무 못됐어.neo jin-jja neo-mu mot-dwaess-eo.You are really so mean.
- 그렇게 말하다니 너무 못됐어.geu-reok-ge mal-ha-da-ni neo-mu mot-dwaess-eo.You are so mean to say that.
- 장난이 너무 못됐어.jang-nan-i neo-mu mot-dwaess-eo.That joke is so mean.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo teasing Subin about her favorite food.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo이거 네가 제일 싫어하는 거잖아.i-geo ne-ga je-il sil-heo-ha-neun geo-ja-na.This is the thing you hate most.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우 너 진짜 너무 못됐어!hyeon-u neo jin-jja neo-mu mot-dwaess-eo!Hyunwoo, you're so mean!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo미안해, 그냥 장난이야.mi-an-hae, geu-nyang jang-nan-i-ya.I'm sorry, it's just a joke.
- 수빈 Su-bin다시는 장난치지 마.da-si-neun jang-nan-chi-ji ma.Don't play jokes like that again.
