KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Getting around & directions › 길을 잘못 들어서 한참 돌아왔어요

“I took a wrong turn and went a long way around” in Korean

길을 잘못 들어서 한참 돌아왔어요

gireul jalmot deureoseo hancham dorawasseoyo

Situation: Getting around & directionsLevel: Advanced (TOPIK 5–6)

Meaning

I took a wrong turn and went a long way around.

길을 잘못 들다 means “to take the wrong road.” 한참 means “a good while / a long way,” and with 돌아오다 it describes a long detour on the way back.

Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.

Syllables: 14 · Words: 5

In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.

Syllable	Letters (consonant + vowel + final)	Romanization
길을
길	ㄱ+ㅣ+ㄹ	[기] gi
을	ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ	[를] reul
잘못
잘	ㅈ+ㅏ+ㄹ	jal
못	ㅁ+ㅗ+ㅅ	[몯] mot
들어서
들	ㄷ+ㅡ+ㄹ	[드] deu
어	ㅇ+ㅓ	[러] reo
서	ㅅ+ㅓ	seo
한참
한	ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ	han
참	ㅊ+ㅏ+ㅁ	cham
돌아왔어요
돌	ㄷ+ㅗ+ㄹ	[도] do
아	ㅇ+ㅏ	[라] ra
왔	ㅇ+ㅘ+ㅆ	[와] wa
어	ㅇ+ㅓ	[써] sseo
요	ㅇ+ㅛ	yo

A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.

Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 길을 → [기를]
Final-sound reduction: every final consonant is pronounced as one of seven sounds — ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ or ㅇ. 못 → [몯]

Style: Polite (해요체)Sentence type: Statement or set phrase

Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.

These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).

Korean	Part of speech	Meaning	Level
길	noun	road, way	TOPIK level 1

Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.

Question 1 What does “길을 잘못 들어서 한참 돌아왔어요” mean?

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Answer: I took a wrong turn and went a long way around

Question 2 How do you say “I took a wrong turn and went a long way around” in Korean?

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Answer: 길을 잘못 들어서 한참 돌아왔어요 gireul jalmot deureoseo hancham dorawasseoyo

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다음 신호에서 우회전해 주십시오Please turn right at the next traffic light
막차를 놓치면 택시를 탈 수밖에 없어요If I miss the last train, I have no choice but to take a taxi
출퇴근 시간대에는 도로가 몹시 혼잡합니다Roads are extremely congested during rush hour
지름길로 가는 게 좋겠어요I think we should take the shortcut
길이 막혀서 늦을 것 같아요Traffic is heavy, so I think I’ll be late
지하철 막차가 몇 시예요?What time is the last subway train