TOPIK · Level 350
15 words
Korean word
어찌나
Pronunciation
Romanizationeojjina
Meaning
- adverbvery
Example
어찌나 피곤한지 바로 잠들었어.eo jji na pi gon han ji pa ro cham deu reo sseo
I was so tired that I fell asleep right away.
More examples
어찌나 맛있던지 고기를 다 먹었어.eo jji na ma sit tteon ji ko gi reul ta meo geo sseo
It was so delicious that I ate all the meat.
Core concept
The speaker highlights just how intense something is, often with a following clause showing what happened.
Common phrases
어찌나 피곤한지eo jji na pi gon han ji
so tired that
어찌나 맛있던지eo jji na ma sit tteon ji
so delicious that
어찌나 웃겼는지eo jji na ut kkyeon neun ji
so funny that
Similar words
너무neomu: Shows a very high degree and can also suggest that a suitable limit has been exceeded.
아주aju: Adds strong emphasis to a description of a quality, action, or evaluation.
무척mucheok: Raises the intensity of a feeling or condition, often to express surprise or praise.
매우maeu: Expresses a high degree in a formal or written-sounding way.
Definition in Korean
말하는 이가 어떤 일의 강도나 정도를 강조할 때 쓰는 부사로, 보통 감탄문이나 결과를 설명하는 표현과 함께 나타난다.mal ha neun i ga eo tteon i rui kang do na cheong do reul kang jo hal ttae sseu neun pu sa ro po tong kam tan mu ni na kyeol gwa reul seol myeong ha neun pyo hyeon gwa ham kke na ta nan da
Word origin
The modern formation of 어찌나 (eojjina, "very") is not certain enough to divide into reliable meaningful parts, so its emphatic degree meaning is the safest guide.
Usage tips
- English learners may expect a simple equivalent of very, but this form is especially useful when the high degree explains an emotion or result.