Exclamatives are words or phrases used to express strong emotions such as surprise, joy, anger, or frustration. They often stand alone or precede a sentence, and their primary function is to convey the speaker’s immediate reaction to a situation.
Let’s learn some types of exclamatives in Korean.
Positive Exclamatives
1. “와” (Wow) : Used to express amazement or admiration.
=> 와, 정말 멋지다. (Wow, that’s really cool!)
2. “우와” (Wow) : Used for greater amazement.
=> 우와, 정말 대단한데? (Wow, that is amazing!)
3. “아하” (Aha) : Used to express understanding or realization.
=> 아하, 그렇구나! 이제 이해했어. (Aha, I see! I understand now)
4. “좋아” (Great/Good) : Used to express happiness, agreement, or satisfaction
=> 좋아, 내가 이겼어! (Great/Good, I won!)
Negative Exclamatives
1. “어머” (Oh my) : Used to express surprise or concern.
=> 어머, 그게 사실이야? (Oh my, is that true?)
2. “어휴” (Phew) : Used to express exhaustion or annoyance.
=> 어휴, 정말 힘들다. (Phew, this is so tough)
3. “아이구” (Oh dear) : Used to express worry or sadness.
=> 아이구, 어떻게 이런 일이… (Oh dear, how did this happen?)
4. “에이” (Oh no) : Used to express disappointment or dissatisfaction.
=> 에이, 그럴 리가 없지. (Oh no, that can’t be true)
Other Emotions
1. “아” (Ah) : Used to express a variety of emotions depending on the context.
=> 아, 몰랐어. (Ah, I didn’t know) / 아, 그랬구나. (Ah, I see)
2. “오” (Oh) : Used to express surprise or to draw attention.
=> 오, 그거 좋은 아이디어네! (Oh, that is a good idea!)
3. “앗” (Ah) : Used to express surprise or shock.
=> 앗, 깜짝이야! (Ah, you startled me!)
4. “헉” (Gasp) : Used to express shock or astonishment.
=> 헉, 정말이야? (Gasp, are you sure?)
5. “후” (Phew) : Used to express relief.
=> 후, 다행이다. (Phew, that’s a relief)