How to Say “No, thanks” in Korean: 됐어요 (dwaesseoyo)

됐어요

dwaesseoyo

Situation: Greetings & basicsLevel: Starter (just learning Hangul)

Meaning

No, thanks. / I’m good.

Used to turn down an offer. Said flatly it can sound curt, like “enough,” so add a smile or 감사합니다.

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

Syllables: 3 · Words: 1

Said aloud, it sounds like [돼써요].

Syllable	Letters (consonant + vowel + final)	Romanization
됐	ㄷ+ㅙ+ㅆ	[돼] dwae
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. 됐어 → [돼써]

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.

한국에 온 지 일주일 됐어요It’s been a week since I came to Korea
한국어를 배운 지 얼마나 됐어요?How long have you been learning Korean
덕분에 큰 힘이 됐어요Thanks to you, I had a great source of support. It meant a lot to me
팬이 된 지 오 년 됐어요It’s been 5 years since I became a fan

Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.

Question 1 What does “됐어요” mean?

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Answer: No, thanks. / I’m good

Question 2 How do you say “No, thanks. / I’m good” in Korean?

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Answer: 됐어요 dwaesseoyo

Question 3 How is “됐어요” pronounced?

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Answer: [돼써요]

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