Korean word

당황하다

Pronunciation

Romanizationtanghwanghada

Meaning

  • verbbe flustered

Example

그 말을 듣고 당황했어요.keu ma reul teut kko tang hwang hae sseo yo

I was flustered when I heard that.

Illustration for 당황하다 (be flustered)

More examples

무대에 올라가자 갑자기 당황했어요.mu dae e ol la ga ja kap jja gi tang hwang hae sseo yo

I suddenly became flustered when I went on stage.

Core concept

An unexpected remark or situation throws someone off balance, making a smooth response difficult.

Common phrases

  • 당황한 모습tang hwang han mo seup

    flustered look

  • 당황해서 어쩔 줄 모르다tang hwang hae seo eo jjeol jjul mo reu da

    be flustered and not know what to do

Similar words

놀라다nollada: React with sudden surprise to something unexpected.
어리둥절하다eoridungjeolhada: Feel confused because the situation is hard to understand.
허둥지둥하다heodungjidunghada: Move about in a hurried, disorganized way and handle things poorly.
어쩔 줄 모르다eojjeol jjul moreuda: Have no idea how to respond when a situation calls for action.

Definition in Korean

예상치 못한 말이나 상황으로 얼굴빛·말투가 어색해지고 즉시 반응하기 어려운 상태를 가리키는 동사ye sang chi mo tan ma ri na sang hwang eu ro eol gul bit mal tu ga eo sae kae ji go cheuk ssi pa neung ha gi eo ryeo un sang tae reul ka ri ki neun tong sa

Word origin

The verb comes from the Sino-Korean term danghwang, which describes becoming unsettled when facing an unexpected event, combined with the verb-forming element hada.

Usage tips

  • Korean uses this word for a momentary loss of composure, while English panic usually suggests a stronger fear response.

Other meanings

  • be perplexedverb
  • be confusedverb
  • panicverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 당황스럽다tanghwangseureopttaflusteredadjective
  • 당황시키다tanghwangsikidaunsettleverb

Word lists with this word