Korean word

그럭저럭

Pronunciation

Romanizationkeureokjjeoreok

Meaning

  • adverbsomehow

Example

일을 그럭저럭 끝냈어요.i reul keu reok jjeo reok kkeun nae sseo yo

I somehow finished the work.

Illustration for 그럭저럭 (somehow)

More examples

요즘은 그럭저럭 지내고 있어요.yo jeu meun keu reok jjeo reok chi nae go i sseo yo

These days, I am somehow getting by.

Core concept

A task or situation reaches an acceptable state despite some difficulty or weakness.

Common phrases

  • 그럭저럭 지내다keu reok jjeo reok chi nae da

    get by

  • 그럭저럭 괜찮다keu reok jjeo reok kwaen chan ta

    be so-so

  • 그럭저럭 버티다keu reok jjeo reok peo ti da

    somehow hold out

Similar words

그나마keunama: A limited benefit still offers some relief when better options are lacking.
얼추eolchu: Being close enough in general shape, amount, or quality despite small differences.
간신히kansinhi: Managing to finish or continue only through hard effort.

Definition in Korean

크게 잘된 것은 아니지만 상태나 결과가 대체로 무난하다는 뜻을 나타내는 부사.keu ge chal doen keo seun a ni ji man sang tae na kyeol gwa ga tae che ro mu nan ha da neun tteu seul na ta nae neun pu sa

Word origin

The form developed as a fixed pairing of related demonstrative expressions, whose this-way-or-that-way pattern fits its broad sense of getting by.

Usage tips

  • Unlike the English word somehow, it often focuses less on an unexplained method and more on the merely adequate quality of the result.

Other meanings

  • so-soadverb

Opposites

  • 완벽하게wanbyeokageperfectlyadverb

Related words

  • 그럭저럭하다keureokjjeoreokadaget byverb

Word lists with this word