TL;DR π¦
- π€ κΈμμ... [geul-sse-yo] β "Well... / Hmm, I'm not sure"
- π 그건 μ’ μλ κ² κ°μμ [geu-geon jom a-nin geot ga-ta-yo] β "I don't think that's quite right"
- π μ, μ μκ°μ μ’ λ¬λΌμ [eum, je saeng-ga-geun jom dal-la-yo] β "Hmm, my opinion is a bit different"
- βοΈ κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§... [geu-reol su-do it-ji-man] β "That could be, but..."
- π± λ€ μ’μλ°, ... [da jo-eun-de] β "It's all good, but..."
π§ Iru Helper Note: Hear every phrase in this lesson spoken aloud and practice your pronunciation with the Iru Helper Widgets.
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π The Big Picture
Disagreeing directly in Korean β saying something is flatly wrong β can feel harsh, even between close friends. Korean speakers usually soften disagreement with hesitation words and cushioning phrases. The most iconic one is κΈμμ... [geul-sse-yo] β a stalling word that means something like "Well... / Hmm, I'm not so sure about that." It buys you time and signals "I might not fully agree" without saying "no" outright.
- A: μ΄ μκΉμ΄ μ μΌ μμ κ² κ°μμ β "I think this color is the prettiest"
- B: κΈμΌμ... μ λ λ€λ₯Έ μμ΄ λ μ’μ κ² κ°μμ β "Well... I think I like a different color better"
π Cushioning with -λλ°: "It's good, but..."
The connector -λλ° [neun-de] is essential for polite disagreement. It lets you acknowledge something positive FIRST, before gently introducing your different opinion β a structure that feels much softer than jumping straight to "but." The phrase λ€ μ’μλ°, ... [da jo-eun-de] β "it's all good, but..." β is a classic example.
- λ€ μ’μλ°, κ°κ²©μ΄ μ’ λΉμΌ κ² κ°μμ β "It's all good, but I think the price is a bit high"
- λ§μλλ°, μ’ μ§ κ² κ°μμ β "It's delicious, but I think it's a bit salty"
Pairing -λλ° with -κ² κ°μμ (from the "I think" lesson) makes your disagreement sound thoughtful and gentle rather than blunt.
𧳠Essential Phrase Kit
- κΈμμ... [geul-sse-yo] β "Well... / Hmm, I'm not sure"
- 그건 μ’ μλ κ² κ°μμ [geu-geon jom a-nin geot ga-ta-yo] β "I don't think that's quite right"
- μ, μ μκ°μ μ’ λ¬λΌμ [eum, je saeng-ga-geun jom dal-la-yo] β "Hmm, my opinion is a bit different"
- κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§... [geu-reol su-do it-ji-man] β "That could be, but..."
- λ€ μ’μλ°, ... [da jo-eun-de] β "It's all good, but..."
- κΌ κ·Έλ μ§λ μμ κ² κ°μμ [kkok geu-reo-chi-neun a-neun geot ga-ta-yo] β "I don't think that's necessarily true"
- λ€λ₯Έ μ견λ μμ μ μμ΄μ [da-reun ui-gyeon-do i-sseul su i-sseo-yo] β "There could be other opinions too"
- μμ ν λμνκΈ΄ μ΄λ €μμ [wan-jeon-hi dong-ui-ha-gin eo-ryeo-wo-yo] β "It's hard for me to fully agree"
- μΌλ¨ νλ² μκ°ν΄ λ³Όκ²μ [il-dan han-beon saeng-ga-kae bol-ge-yo] β "Let me think about it for a moment"
- μ κ° λ³΄κΈ°μλ μ’ λ€λ₯Έ κ² κ°μμ [je-ga bo-gi-e-neun jom da-reun geot ga-ta-yo] β "From my point of view, it seems a bit different"
π οΈ Putting Together
A: μ΄ λμμΈμ΄ μ μΌ κΉλν κ² κ°μμ. μ΄λ»κ² μκ°ν΄μ?
B: κΈμμ... μ λ μκΉμ΄ μ’ λ무 λ¨μν κ² κ°μμ.
A: "I think this design is the cleanest. What do you think?" B: "Well... I think the colors are a bit too plain."
π¦ Grammar note: κΈμμ followed by a pause gives you time to phrase your different opinion gently β it signals hesitation before disagreement.
A: μ΄ μλΉ μ§μ§ λ§μμ£ ?
B: λ§μλλ°, κ°κ²©μ΄ μ’ λΉμΌ κ² κ°μμ. κ·Έλμ μμ£Όλ λͺ» μ¬ κ² κ°μμ.
A: "This restaurant is really good, right?" B: "It's delicious, but I think the price is a bit high. So I don't think I can come often."
π¦ Grammar note: λ§μλλ° uses -λλ° to acknowledge the positive first before introducing the "but" β much softer than starting with κ·Έλ°λ°.
A: λ€μ μ£Όμ μΌμ ν κ°λ κ±° μ΄λμ? λ€λ€ μ’μν κ² κ°μμ.
B: κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§, λ μ¨κ° μ μ’μ μλ μμ΄μ μ’ κ±±μ λΌμ. λ€λ₯Έ μ견λ μμ μ μμΌλκΉ κ°μ΄ μκΈ°ν΄ λ΄μ.
A: "How about going on a company picnic next week? I think everyone would like it." B: "That could be, but I'm a bit worried the weather might not be good. There could be other opinions too, so let's talk about it together."
π¦ Grammar note: κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§ validates the other person's idea before raising a concern β a classic polite-disagreement opener.
π£οΈ Speaking Practice: Mini Dialogue
λ―Όμ: μ§μ μ¨, μ΄λ² μ£Όλ§μ κ·Έ μν λ³΄λ¬ κ°κΉμ? νκΈ°κ° λ€ μ’λλΌκ³ μ.
[ji-eun ssi, i-beon ju-ma-re geu yeong-hwa bo-reo gal-kka-yo? hu-gi-ga da jo-teo-ra-go-yo]
"Jieun, shall we go see that movie this weekend? The reviews are all good apparently."
μ§μ: μ, κΈμμ... μ λ κ·Έ μ₯λ₯΄λ₯Ό λ³λ‘ μ μ’μν΄μμ.
[eum, geul-sse-yo... jeo-neun geu jang-neu-reul byeol-lo an jo-a-hae-seo-yo]
"Hmm, well... I don't really like that genre."
λ―Όμ: μ, κ·Έλ κ΅°μ. κ·ΈλΌ λ€λ₯Έ κ±Έ λ³ΌκΉμ?
[a, geu-reo-kun-yo. geu-reom da-reun geol bol-kka-yo?]
"Oh, I see. Then should we watch something else?"
μ§μ: λ€, κ·Έκ² μ’μ κ² κ°μμ. μ½λ―Έλ μνλ μ΄λμ?
[ne, geu-ge jo-eul geot ga-ta-yo. ko-mi-di yeong-hwa-neun eo-ttae-yo?]
"Yes, I think that'd be better. How about a comedy movie?"
λ―Όμ: κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§, μ λ μ½λ―Έλλ μ’ λ³λ‘μμ. κ·Έλ₯ κ°μ΄ μ ν΄λ³ΌκΉμ?
[geu-reol su-do it-ji-man, jeo-neun ko-mi-di-neun jom byeol-ro-ye-yo. geu-nyang ga-chi jeong-hae-bol-kka-yo?]
"That could be, but I'm not really a fan of comedy either. Should we just decide together?"
μ§μ: μ’μμ. μΌλ¨ νλ² κ°μ΄ μ°Ύμλ΄μ.
[jo-a-yo. il-dan han-beon ga-chi cha-ja-bwa-yo]
"Sounds good. Let's look together for now."
π§ Speaking Tip
A small pause before disagreeing goes a long way in Korean. Starting your response with "μ..." or "μ΄..." before κΈμΌμ signals that you're thinking carefully, not dismissing the other person. Combined with -λλ° to acknowledge their point first, this creates the classic "yes, and... but" structure that Korean speakers use to disagree without conflict. Avoid jumping straight to your opposing view β the buildup matters as much as the content.
β οΈ Pitfalls to Dodge
- β Saying μλμμ ("no, that's wrong") to disagree with an opinion β this sounds like you're correcting a factual error, which feels harsh for opinions.
- β Skipping the hesitation words (κΈμμ, μ, κ·Έκ²) and jumping straight into your different opinion β feels abrupt.
- β Using νλ Έμ΄μ ("you're wrong / incorrect") for matters of opinion β reserve νλ Έμ΄μ for objective facts or errors, not preferences.
- β Forgetting to validate the other person's point first with -λλ° or κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§ β disagreement lands much softer when it follows acknowledgment.
You're ready to disagree politely and keep the conversation warm β νμ΄ν
! π
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Try this exercise
Instructions: For each prompt, write your response in Korean using the patterns from this lesson. Then check the toggle below for a sample answer.
1. Say "Well... / Hmm, I'm not sure" (hesitation).
Answer
κΈμμ... (Well... / Hmm, I'm not sure.)
2. Say "I don't think that's quite right."
Answer
그건 μ’ μλ κ² κ°μμ. (I don't think that's quite right.)
3. Say "Hmm, my opinion is a bit different."
Answer
μ, μ μκ°μ μ’ λ¬λΌμ. (Hmm, my opinion is a bit different.)
4. Say "That could be, but..."
Answer
κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§... (That could be, but...)
5. Say "It's all good, but..."
Answer
λ€ μ’μλ°, ... (It's all good, but...)
6. Say "It's delicious, but I think it's a bit salty" (using -λλ°).
Answer
λ§μλλ°, μ’ μ§ κ² κ°μμ. (It's delicious, but I think it's a bit salty.)
7. Say "I don't think that's necessarily true."
Answer
κΌ κ·Έλ μ§λ μμ κ² κ°μμ. (I don't think that's necessarily true.)
8. Say "There could be other opinions too."
Answer
λ€λ₯Έ μ견λ μμ μ μμ΄μ. (There could be other opinions too.)
9. Say "It's hard for me to fully agree."
Answer
μμ ν λμνκΈ΄ μ΄λ €μμ. (It's hard for me to fully agree.)
10. Say "Let me think about it for a moment."
Answer
μΌλ¨ νλ² μκ°ν΄ λ³Όκ²μ. (Let me think about it for a moment.)
Vocabulary Box
- κΈμμ β well... (hesitation)
- λ¨μνλ€ β to be plain, simple
- κ°κ²© β price
- μΌμ ν β company picnic, outing
- νκΈ° β review
- μ₯λ₯΄ β genre
- μΌλ¨ β for now, first
- μ§λ€ β to be salty
- μ견 β opinion
- νλ¦¬λ€ β to be wrong, incorrect
Pitfalls π‘
- μλμμ/νλ Έμ΄μ sound harsh for opinions.
- κΈμμ + pause softens disagreement.
- -λλ° acknowledges before disagreeing.
Want more reps? Head to the Practice Hub below for three full exercise sets!
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π― Practice Hub β Polite Disagreement: κΈμμ...
Work through these three exercises to practice disagreeing gently and keeping conversations comfortable. Try answering out loud before checking each answer β and use the Iru Helper Widgets above if you want to hear the pronunciation again.
Exercise 1 β Hesitation and Hedging Phrases π€
A. Say "Well... / Hmm" before disagreeing.
Answer
κΈμΌμ... [geul-sse-yo]
B. Say "I don't think that's quite right."
Answer
그건 μ’ μλ κ² κ°μμ. [geu-geon jom a-nin geot ga-ta-yo]
C. Say "My opinion is a bit different."
Answer
μ μκ°μ μ’ λ¬λΌμ. [je saeng-ga-geun jom dal-la-yo]
D. Say "That could be, but I'm a bit worried."
Answer
κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§, μ’ κ±±μ λΌμ. [geu-reol su-do it-ji-man, jom geok-jeong-dwae-yo]
E. Say "It's all good, but the price is a bit high."
Answer
λ€ μ’μλ°, κ°κ²©μ΄ μ’ λΉμΌ κ² κ°μμ. [da jo-eun-de, ga-gyeo-gi jom bi-ssan geot ga-ta-yo]
F. Say "I don't think that's necessarily true."
Answer
κΌ κ·Έλ μ§λ μμ κ² κ°μμ. [kkok geu-reo-chi-neun a-neun geot ga-ta-yo]
G. Say "There could be other opinions too, so let's talk about it together."
Answer
λ€λ₯Έ μ견λ μμ μ μμΌλκΉ κ°μ΄ μκΈ°ν΄ λ΄μ. [da-reun ui-gyeon-do i-sseul su i-sseu-ni-kka ga-chi ae-gi-hae bwa-yo]
H. Say "It's hard for me to fully agree."
Answer
μμ ν λμνκΈ΄ μ΄λ €μμ. [wan-jeon-hi dong-ui-ha-gin eo-ryeo-wo-yo]
I. Say "Let me think about it for a moment."
Answer
μΌλ¨ νλ² μκ°ν΄ λ³Όκ²μ. [il-dan han-beon saeng-ga-kae bol-ge-yo]
J. Say "From my point of view, it seems a bit different."
Answer
μ κ° λ³΄κΈ°μλ μ’ λ€λ₯Έ κ² κ°μμ. [je-ga bo-gi-e-neun jom da-reun geot ga-ta-yo]
Quick Reference
- κΈμμ β well... (hesitation)
- 그건 μ’ μλ κ² κ°μμ β I don't think that's right
- κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§ β that could be, but
- λ€ μ’μλ° β it's all good, but
- μΌλ¨ β for now
Exercise 2 β Cushioning with -λλ° π±
A. Say "It's delicious, but I think it's a bit salty."
Answer
λ§μλλ°, μ’ μ§ κ² κ°μμ.
B. Say "I think this design is the cleanest. What do you think?"
Answer
μ΄ λμμΈμ΄ μ μΌ κΉλν κ² κ°μμ. μ΄λ»κ² μκ°ν΄μ?
C. Respond with "Well... I think the colors are a bit too plain."
Answer
κΈμμ... μ λ μκΉμ΄ μ’ λ무 λ¨μν κ² κ°μμ.
D. Say "This restaurant is really good, right?"
Answer
μ΄ μλΉ μ§μ§ λ§μμ£ ?
E. Respond with "It's delicious, but I think the price is a bit high."
Answer
λ§μλλ°, κ°κ²©μ΄ μ’ λΉμΌ κ² κ°μμ.
F. Say "So I don't think I can come often."
Answer
κ·Έλμ μμ£Όλ λͺ» μ¬ κ² κ°μμ.
G. Say "How about going on a company picnic next week?"
Answer
λ€μ μ£Όμ μΌμ ν κ°λ κ±° μ΄λμ?
H. Respond with "That could be, but I'm a bit worried the weather might not be good."
Answer
κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§, λ μ¨κ° μ μ’μ μλ μμ΄μ μ’ κ±±μ λΌμ.
I. Say "I think everyone would like it" (λ€λ€ μ’μν κ² κ°μμ).
Answer
λ€λ€ μ’μν κ² κ°μμ.
J. Say "Let's talk about it together."
Answer
κ°μ΄ μκΈ°ν΄ λ΄μ.
Quick Reference
- -λλ° β but / and (cushioning connector)
- κΉλνλ€ β to be clean, neat
- λ¨μνλ€ β to be plain
- μΌμ ν β company picnic
- κ±±μ λλ€ β to be worried
Exercise 3 β Full Polite-Disagreement Conversations π¬
A. "μ΄λ² μ£Όλ§μ κ·Έ μν λ³΄λ¬ κ°κΉμ?" β What does this mean?
Answer
"Shall we go see that movie this weekend?"
B. Respond with "Hmm, well... I don't really like that genre."
Answer
μ, κΈμΌμ... μ λ κ·Έ μ₯λ₯΄λ₯Ό λ³λ‘ μ μ’μν΄μμ.
C. Say "Oh, I see. Then should we watch something else?"
Answer
μ, κ·Έλ κ΅°μ. κ·ΈλΌ λ€λ₯Έ κ±Έ λ³ΌκΉμ?
D. Say "Yes, I think that'd be better."
Answer
λ€, κ·Έκ² μ’μ κ² κ°μμ.
E. Say "How about a comedy movie?"
Answer
μ½λ―Έλ μνλ μ΄λμ?
F. Respond with "That could be, but I'm not really a fan of comedy either."
Answer
κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§, μ λ μ½λ―Έλλ μ’ λ³λ‘μμ.
G. Say "Should we just decide together?"
Answer
κ·Έλ₯ κ°μ΄ μ ν΄λ³ΌκΉμ?
H. Say "Sounds good. Let's look together for now."
Answer
μ’μμ. μΌλ¨ νλ² κ°μ΄ μ°Ύμλ΄μ.
I. Say "I don't think that's quite right, actually" (μ¬μ€).
Answer
μ¬μ€ 그건 μ’ μλ κ² κ°μμ.
J. Say "My opinion is a bit different, but it's all good."
Answer
μ μκ°μ μ’ λ€λ₯Έλ°, λ€ μ’μμ.
Cheat Sheet
- κΈμμ β well... (hesitation before disagreeing)
- -λλ° β but (cushioning connector)
- κ·Έλ΄ μλ μμ§λ§ β that could be, but
- λ€λ₯Έ μ견λ μμ μ μμ΄μ β there could be other opinions
- 그건 μ’ μλ κ² κ°μμ β I don't think that's right
- λ³λ‘μμ β not really my thing
π μνμ΄μ! You can now disagree politely while keeping things warm in Korean!
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