Hello, welcome to natural Korean phrasing series!
In this post I’ll share some useful Korean expressions, phrase you might be wondering how to say it naturally in Korean.
Let’s explore one by one together!
It is what it is
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This expression is often used to express that there’s nothing we can do about what has already happened. In Korean, we commonly say: 어쩔 수 없지.
The phrase “어쩔 수 없지” is a common Korean expression that conveys a sense of acceptance or resignation when something cannot be changed. It directly translates to “There is no way around it” or “It can’t be helped.”
Examples
A: 버스를 놓쳤네. (We’ve missed the bus)
B: 어쩔 수 없지. 다음꺼 타자 (It is what it is. Let’s take the next one)
A: 약속이 취소됐네. 어쩔 수 없지. (The plans got canceled. It is what it is.)
A: 걔는 바빠서 못 온대, 어쩔 수 없지. 우리끼리 놀자
(He’s busy, so he can’t come. It is what it is. Let’s have fun on our own.)
Similarly, you can say “어쩔 수 없었어”, meaning “I couldn’t help it” or “There was nothing I could do about it.” This phrase is used for situations that happened in the past where you had no control over the outcome.
Examples
늦게 와서 미안. 차가 너무 막혀서 어쩔 수 없었어.
Sorry for being late. The traffic was so bad, there was nothing I could do about it.
일을 제시간에 끝내지 못했어. 갑자기 일이 너무 많아져서 어쩔 수 없었어.
I couldn’t finish the work on time. Suddenly, there was too much work, and I couldn’t help it.
피크닉 취소했어. 비가 와서 어쩔 수 없었어.
We canceled the picnic. It rained, so there was nothing we could do about it.
운동을 못 했어. 너무 아파서 어쩔 수 없었어.
I couldn’t exercise. I was too sick, so I couldn’t help it.
We’ll figure it out
There’s no direct translation for “figure it out” in Korean; it depends on the context and situation. There are several ways to express something similar. Let me share some examples:
어떻게든 될 거야 – Somehow, it will work out.
어떻게든 되겠지 – We’ll figure it out somehow.
잘 해결할 거야– We’ll solve it well.
잘 풀릴 거야 – It will turn out well.
Examples
걱정하지마, 어떻게든 될 거야
Don’t worry, somehow, it will work out.
아 몰라 어떻게든 되겠지. 고민하고 싶지 않아
I don’t know, we’ll figure it out somehow. I don’t want to worry about it.
이 프로젝트는 어려울 것 같지만, 잘 해결할 거야.
This project seems difficult, but we’ll solve it well.
계획은 아직 다 세우지 않았지만, 어떻게든 될 거야.
We haven’t planned everything yet, but somehow, it will work out.
처음이 어렵지, 결국 다 잘 풀릴 거야.
The beginning is tough, but eventually, everything will turn out well.
준비 잘 해왔으니 모든 게 잘 풀릴 거야
We’ve prepared well, so everything will turn out well.
