Korean word

설마

Pronunciation

Romanizationseolma

Meaning

  • adverbno way

Example

설마 네가 합격했어?seol ma ne ga hap kkyeo kae sseo

No way, you passed?

Illustration for 설마 (no way)

More examples

설마 그게 진짜야?seol ma keu ge chin jja ya

Could that really be true?

Core concept

A low-probability possibility is raised for checking, often with surprise or disbelief.

Common phrases

  • 설마 그럴 리가seol ma keu reol ri ga

    there's no way

  • 설마 아닐 거야seol ma a nil kkeo ya

    surely not

  • 설마 그래?seol ma keu rae

    no way

Similar words

혹시hokssi: A gentle way to ask about a possibility without making the question feel demanding.
어쩌면eojjeomyeon: A light guess that something may happen without saying it is certain.
아마ama: A guess that something will probably happen, though it is not certain.

Definition in Korean

가능성이 낮다고 여기면서도 혹시라는 마음으로 상대의 말을 확인하거나 놀라움을 표현할 때 쓰는 부사ka neung seong i nat tta go yeo gi myeon seo do hok ssi ra neun ma eu meu ro sang dae ui ma reul hwa gin ha geo na nol la u meul pyo hyeon hal ttae sseu neun pu sa

Word origin

The origin of this conversational adverb is uncertain, so it is best learned as a fixed expression rather than through a guessed decomposition.

Usage tips

  • Rising intonation makes it a natural way to check surprising information, while a firmer tone shows stronger disbelief.

Opposites

Word lists with this word