Start Learning Korean in the next 30 Seconds with
a Free Lifetime Account

Or sign up using Facebook

Korean to English translation question

javiskefka
Expert on Something
Posts: 454
Joined: January 10th, 2008 9:01 am

Korean to English translation question

Postby javiskefka » May 15th, 2008 6:55 pm

What does this word, "대체" mean when used at the beginning of a sentence, as in the following example?
대체 여긴 어떻게 들어왔지? 폐쇄된 곳인데.


And here is another example of this word, used in a line of a song:
지금 어디 있나요 대체 어디서 뭘 하나요


It seems to mean something like "instead" here.

manyakumi
Expert on Something
Posts: 679
Joined: January 26th, 2008 6:49 am

Postby manyakumi » May 16th, 2008 7:00 am

대체 is same with 도대체 and it means "in the world","on earth","the heck","the hell", etc.

너는 누구냐? = Who are you?
대체 너는 누구냐? = Who the hell are you?

여긴 어떻게 들어왔지? = how could you come in?
대체 여긴 어떻게 들어왔지? = how on earth could you come in?

:wink:

Get 40% OFF Forever Discount
javiskefka
Expert on Something
Posts: 454
Joined: January 10th, 2008 9:01 am

Postby javiskefka » May 16th, 2008 5:47 pm

Thanks. These emphasizing words are hard to understand, so it helps to have a native speaker's interpretation.

Return to “Learn All About Korean (한국어에 관한 모든 것)”