Daily Korean #7. 어떡해

✅ Phrase of the Day: “어떡해”

✨ Original Korean

어떡해

 

🔤 Romanization

eo-tteo-kae

 

📖 Literal Translation

“What to do?”

 

🌍 Natural English Expression

“Oh no!” “What should I do?”

“What am I going to do?”

 

💡 Cultural Note

This phrase is used to express distress, anxiety, or sympathy. It’s a very common emotional reaction to a negative or surprising situation. It can be a question to oneself or an exclamation shared with others. It's a fundamental phrase for expressing feelings in Korean. For example, if you find out you have a test you forgot to study for, you might say, '어떡해!'.

 

💬 Example Conversation

Friend 1: 나 오늘 아침에 지갑을 잃어버린 것 같아. (I think I lost my wallet this morning.)

Friend 2: 어떡해! 큰일이네. (Oh no! That’s a big problem.)

 

👉 Today’s expression: 어떡해 = Oh no! / What should I do? 😟

👉 Come back tomorrow for another Korean phrase! 💫