Daebak! How to Share Awesome News in Korean
Hello! This is Maeil Hangul, here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever had amazing news you were bursting to share with a friend? Today, we’re going to learn how to do just that in Korean, specifically through text messages! Lately in Korea, social media is buzzing with good news as students get university acceptance letters and K-Pop groups win big awards. Learning these phrases will help you celebrate your own victories and cheer on your friends, just like a native speaker!
Let’s dive in and learn how to share that happy feeling!
Core Expressions for Your Big News
Here are three essential phrases you need to know to share and react to good news.
1. The Big Announcement: 나 합격했어!
- Korean Expression: 나 합격했어!
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Na hapgyeokaesseo!
- English Meaning: I passed! / I got in!
- Detailed Explanation: This is the perfect informal phrase to tell your friends you’ve passed an important test, got accepted into a school, or landed a job. ‘나 (na)’ means ‘I’ (casual), ‘합격하다 (hapgyeokada)’ is the verb ‘to pass’, and ‘-했어 (-haesseo)’ is the past tense ending you use with close friends.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
Listen closely! The word ‘합격’ is written as ‘hap-gyeok’ but is pronounced [합껵/hapkkyeok]. The ‘ㄱ (g)’ sound after a final consonant like ‘ㅂ (p)’ often becomes a strong, tense ‘ㄲ (kk)’ sound. This is called ‘된소리되기’ (tensification). So, instead of a soft ‘hap-gyeok’, push the air out for a stronger ‘hap-kkyeok’!
2. The Go-To Reaction: 대박!
- Korean Expression: 대박!
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Daebak!
- English Meaning: Awesome! / Amazing! / Whoa!
- Detailed Explanation: If you only learn one Korean slang word, make it this one! ‘대박 (Daebak)’ originally meant ‘a big hit’ or ‘jackpot’, but now it’s used to express surprise and amazement about anything – good or bad. When reacting to good news, it’s the perfect way to show you’re impressed and excited.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
This one is pretty straightforward! Just remember to emphasize it like you really mean it. The ‘ae’ sound in ‘대 (dae)’ is like the ‘a’ in the English word ‘apple’. Make it big and energetic: DAE-BAK!
3. The Heartfelt Congratulation: 진짜? 축하해!
- Korean Expression: 진짜? 축하해!
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Jinjja? Chukahae!
- English Meaning: Really? Congratulations!
- Detailed Explanation: This is a classic two-part response. ‘진짜? (Jinjja?)’ means ‘Really?’ and shows your happy surprise. ‘축하해 (Chukahae)’ is the informal way to say ‘Congratulations’ to a friend. It comes from the verb ‘축하하다 (chukahada)’.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
Here’s a super common Korean sound change rule! ‘축하해’ is written ‘chuk-ha-hae’, but nobody says it like that. The final ‘ㄱ (k)’ sound of ‘축’ and the ‘ㅎ (h)’ of ‘하’ combine to make a ‘ㅋ (k)’ sound. This is called ‘자음 축약’ (consonant aspiration). So, you should pronounce it smoothly as [추카해/chukahae]. It sounds much more natural!
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how these phrases look in a real text conversation between two friends, Minjun and Sora. Sora just got news about her favorite idol group’s concert.
Sora (소라):
민준아! 나 드디어 방탄소년단 콘서트 티켓팅 성공했어!
(Minjun! I finally succeeded in getting BTS concert tickets!)
Minjun (민준):
진짜? 대박! 완전 축하해!
(Jinjja? Daebak! Huge congrats!)
Sora (소라):
고마워! 나 합격했어! 라는 말이 저절로 나왔어 ㅋㅋ
(Thanks! The words “Na hapgyeokaesseo!” just came out of my mouth automatically haha)
Minjun (민준):
ㅋㅋㅋ 그 기분 알지! 너무 좋겠다!
(Haha I know that feeling! You must be so happy!)
🎉 Culture & Trend Deep Dive
In Korea, when someone shares good news like passing an exam or getting a new job, it’s a playful custom for friends to say “한턱내! (Hanteoknae!)”, which means “Treat us!” or “It’s on you!”.
This isn’t a serious demand for money! It’s a fun, friendly way of saying, “Your good fortune is something we should all celebrate together, and as the lucky person, you should treat us to a meal or coffee!” It’s a way of sharing the joy (and the wealth!). So, if your Korean friend shares good news, you can jokingly text them “오, 진짜? 그럼 한턱내! (Oh, really? Then you’re treating!)”. It will show you understand Korean culture and make them smile.
Let’s Practice!
Time to check what you’ve learned.
- Fill in the blank: Your friend texts you, “나 운전면허 시험 합격했어! (I passed my driver’s license test!)”. You want to say “Awesome! Congratulations!”. What do you write?
______! 축하해!
- Your Turn: You just got a perfect score on your Korean language test! How would you text this exciting news to your best friend? (Hint: Use the first expression we learned today!)
Great job today, everyone! Sharing happy moments is one of the best parts of friendship. Now you can do it in Korean, too!
Why not share some good news with us? Try using one of today’s phrases in the comments below!
