Korean word

하필

Pronunciation

Romanizationhapil

Meaning

  • adverbof all people

Example

하필 네가 거기 있었어?ha pil ne ga keo gi i sseo sseo

Were you there, of all people?

Illustration for 하필 (of all people)

More examples

하필 비가 오네.ha pil pi ga o ne

It is raining, of all things.

Core concept

Among all the possible people or outcomes, this is the one that happened, and it feels especially unlucky or unwanted.

Common phrases

  • 하필 오늘ha pil o neul

    of all days, today

  • 하필 그때ha pil keu ttae

    of all times, then

Similar words

하필이면hapirimyeon: Expresses frustrated surprise when an unwanted person, time, place, or outcome happens to be the one.

Definition in Korean

하필은 여러 상황 중에서 특히 바람직하지 않거나 불운한 쪽을 가리켜 ‘왜 하필 그럴까’라는 감정을 드러낼 때 쓰는 부사이다.ha pi reun yeo reo sang hwang chung e seo teu ki pa ram ji ka ji an keo na pu run han jjo geul ka ri kyeo wae ha pil keu reol kka ra neun kam jeong eul teu reo nael ttae sseu neun pu sa i da

Word origin

The word comes from a Sino-Korean expression meaning why necessarily and developed into an adverb expressing unhappy surprise.

Usage tips

  • Unlike a neutral question about who was present, this adverb shows that a particular person or outcome feels especially unlucky, so it often sounds frustrated.

Opposites

Related words

  • 하필이면hapirimyeonof all thingsadverb

Word lists with this word