Today, we’re going to teach you the different words and phrases expressing OK (as in ‘I got’, ‘I understand’, etc.) as well as okay (asking if someorone is well, expressing how you feel). It’s actually quite easy to learn and catch on quickly.
OK
For expressing that you understanding something and no further explanation or conversation is needed, there are a few words/phrases you can use.
알았어요 (a-lla-sseo-yo)
You can say this to someone when they’ve explained something and you want to communicate that you understand. It comes from the verb ‘알다’ which means to know something. You can just drop the ‘요’ ending when talking with your close friends or family.
However, depending on how you say this phrase, it could come across as rude. For instance, if someone is telling or explaining something to someone, and they either don’t want to listen or are just tired of hearing them talk, they could say this in a rude or sarcastic manner. Saying it in this case, would be the equivalent of be quiet.
알겠습니다 (al-ge-sseum-ni-da)
This is the same as above, only in the formal form. You would use this towards your boss, people in a position above you, or to someone older. I find that you would more commonly hear this in work settings.
내 (ne)
You may be familiar with this as meaning yes, but it can also mean “Ok I understand.”
예 (ye)
Same as 네.
오게이 (o-ke-i)
This is ok sounded out in Korean. Some will type this during messaging to sound cute or funny. People will also use this in spoken Korean since pretty much everyone knows the meaning.
Okay
For expressing the feeling of how you or someone else is feeling, or for the feeling of “It’s okay, don’t worry about it”, you will want to use the verb 괜찮다. You can’t interchange this one with the words and phrases from the first section. This verb can also be used to say “You’re welcome in Korean.“
So for example:
A. 아! 최송합니다! (a. choi-song-ham-ni-da) = Ah! Sorry!
B. 아니에요. 괜찮아요. (a-ni-yo. gwaen-cha-na-yo) = It’s nothing. It’s okay.
Or if someone has hurt themselves or if they look sick:
A. 괜찮아요? (gwaen-chan-a-yo)
B. 아니요. 배고 너무 아파요. (a-no-yo. bae-ga neo-mu a-pa-yo)
Some other uses for 괜찮아요 would be to use it when someone offers you food or a beverage. You can say 아니요, 괜찮아요 to politely refuse.
For the casual form, you can say 괜찮아. For the formal form, you can say 괜찮습니다.
We hope you’ve learned something today. Hope to see you back again for more!