TOPIK · Level 266
15 words
Korean word
워낙
Pronunciation
Romanizationwonak
Meaning
- adverbvery
Example
그 가게는 워낙 사람이 많다.keu ka ge neun wo nak sa ra mi man ta
That store is very crowded.
More examples
그 식당은 워낙 음식이 맛있어서 손님이 끊이지 않는다.keu sik ttang eun wo nak eum si gi ma si sseo seo son ni mi kkeu ni ji an neun da
The food at that restaurant is so delicious that customers keep coming.
Core concept
A quality is already deeply built into the situation, so its degree stands out as very high.
Common phrases
워낙 친절하다wo nak chin jeol ha da
very kind
워낙 비싸다wo nak pi ssa da
very expensive
워낙 많다wo nak man ta
very many
Similar words
너무neomu: Strengthens an expression greatly, including praise that feels warm and positive.
아주aju: Raises the degree of a description to a very high level.
많이mani: Indicates a large amount, number, or frequency in an action or situation.
원래wollae: Refers to how something was from the start or is true by its basic nature.
Definition in Korean
어떤 일이거나 성질이 본래 그러하거나 매우 심하다는 뜻으로 쓰이는 부사.eo tteon i ri geo na seong ji ri pol lae keu reo ha geo na mae u sim ha da neun tteu seu ro sseu i neun pu sa
Word origin
The native Korean adverb 워낙 (wonak, "originally or inherently") links an inherent quality with the strong degree that naturally follows from it.
Usage tips
- It often appears when speakers explain why a result is unsurprising, so it carries more background context than a bare English degree word.