Korean word

대체

Pronunciation

Romanizationtaeche

Meaning

  • adverbwhy on earth

Example

대체 왜 그래?tae che wae keu rae

Why on earth are you acting like that?

Illustration for 대체 (why on earth)

More examples

대체 뭐 하는 거야?tae che mwo ha neun keo ya

What on earth are you doing?

Core concept

A request for a reason carries a sharp feeling of what is going on here.

Common phrases

  • 대체 뭐 하는 거야tae che mwo ha neun keo ya

    What on earth are you doing

  • 대체 어떻게 된 거야tae che eo tteo ke toen keo ya

    what on earth is going on

Similar words

도대체todaeche: An insistent question pressing for an explanation of a situation that makes no sense.
왜wae: A neutral question asking for the reason behind an event or action.

Definition in Korean

강한 의문이나 불만을 나타내어 '대체 왜 그래?'처럼 쓰이는 부사kang han ui mu ni na pul ma neul na ta nae eo tae che wae keu rae cheo reom sseu i neun pu sa

Word origin

The origin of this emphatic adverbial use is uncertain, and no reliable connection to the substitution meaning should be assumed.

Usage tips

  • This expression is useful for recognizing frustration in conversation, but a neutral why is safer when the speaker wants to sound calm and respectful.

Other meanings

  • substitutenoun
  • replacementnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word