How do you say "surprised" in Korean?

놀라다

nolrada

Adjective Hangul

In Korean, "surprised" is 놀라다 (nolrada).

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Pronunciation

Nol-la-dah, just three sounds, the double l making the middle syllable linger slightly.

Writing and usage

놀라다 is written using hangul. It's a adjective, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

그녀는 선물에 놀랐다.

geunyeoneun seonmure nolratda.

She was surprised by the gift.

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How to remember 놀라다

Someone yelling 'no, la!' when a surprise party jumps out from behind the door.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 놀라다

How do you pronounce 놀라다?

Nol-la-dah, just three sounds, the double l making the middle syllable linger slightly.

Is 놀라다 formal or casual?

놀라다 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 놀라다 written in Korean?

놀라다 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as nolrada.

Where can I practice Korean words for free?

You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Surprised" in other languages

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This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Korean language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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