Korean for English speakers Farm · Lesson 2

You'd better hurry up!

Express lateness in Korean — 늦었다! 어떡하지? (I'm late! What should I do?) — colloquial speech.

Conversation

  1. Pishi Pishi

    으악! 늦었다! 어떡하지?

    Euak! Neujeotda! Eotteokaji?

    Ahh! I'm late! What should I do?

    Tip: <으악> = interjection to express crying or embarassing <늦었다> = "I'm late" (saying to oneself) <어떡하지?> = "What should I do?" (saying to oneself)

  2. Cassian Cassian

    피시 씨, 무슨 일이에요?

    Pisi ssi, museun irieyo?

    Mr. Pishi, what's wrong?

    Tip: <무슨 일이에요?> = formal way to say "What's wrong?"

  3. Pishi Pishi

    저녁 식사 초대에 늦었어요.

    Jeonyeong siksa chodaee neujeosseoyo.

    I'm late for a dinner invitation.

    Tip: <저녁 식사> = diner (Literally, "evening meal") <초대> = invitation <N에 늦었어요> = verb "to be late to/for N" (in past tense) [Note] This verb is usually used in past tense in Korean, even though it means that we are late now

  4. Cassian Cassian

    어서 서두르세요!

    Eoseo seodureuseyo!

    You'd better hurry up!

    Tip: <어서 서두르세요> = formal way to say "You'd better hurry up" (Literally, "Hurry up, quickly")

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

What does 늦었다 mean?

'I'm late!' — plain form of 늦다 (be late) + past. Used as an exclamation.

What is 어떡하지?

'What should I do?' — informal self-question. Universal Korean stress expression.

What does 무슨 일이에요? mean?

'What's wrong / what's the matter?'. 무슨 = what kind, 일 = matter/thing. Showing concern.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Korean lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

Next lesson in Farm I lost my bag →