For autodidact students of Korean, 어떻다 (eotteotda) is the descriptive verb "how is it / what is it like." 어때요? (how is it? / what do you think?) is the most versatile question in Korean — used to ask opinions, make proposals, check on someone, and invite evaluation. 어떻게 (eotteoke) is the adverb "how" — used for manner questions. 어떤 (eotteon) is the attributive "what kind of." Together these cover English "how," "what's it like," "what kind of," and "in what way."
Key Takeaways: - 어떻다 (eotteotda): be how / be what kind — descriptive - 어때요 (eottaeyo): how is it? — state question / proposal - 어떻게 (eotteoke): how — manner adverb - 어떤 (eotteon): what kind of — attributive - 어떻게 됐어요?: how did it turn out? - 어떡해요 (eotteokhaeyo): what to do / oh no
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50.1 오늘 (oneul) today 어때요 (eottaeyo) how-is-POLITE?
50.2 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 됐어요 (dwaesseoyo) became-POLITE?
50.3 어떤 (eotteon) what-kind 음식을 (eumsiguel) food-OBJ 좋아해요 (johahaeyo) like-POLITE?
50.4 어떡해요 (eotteokhaeyo) what-to-do-POLITE！큰일났어요 (keunnilnasseoyo) big-problem-POLITE!
50.5 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 생각해요 (saenggakhaeyo) think-POLITE?
50.6 한국어 (hangugeo) Korean 어때요 (eottaeyo) how-is-POLITE?
50.7 내일 (naeil) tomorrow 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 할 거예요 (hal geoyeyo) will-do-POLITE?
50.8 몸은 (momeun) body-TOPIC 어때요 (eottaeyo) how-is-POLITE?
50.9 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 그렇게 (geureoke) like-that 잘 (jal) well 해요 (haeyo) do-POLITE?
50.10 아, 어떡해 (eo eotteokae) oh-what-to-do！
50.11 어떤 (eotteon) what-kind 사람이 (sarami) person-SUBJ 되고 (doego) become-CONJ 싶어요 (sipeoyo) want-POLITE?
50.12 생각해보니 (saenggakhaeboni) thinking-about-it 어때요 (eottaeyo) how-is-POLITE?
50.13 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 알았어요 (aRasseoyo) knew-POLITE?
50.14 어떻게든 (eotteokeden) somehow 할 거예요 (hal geoyeyo) will-do-POLITE
50.15 인생이 (insaengi) life-SUBJ 어때요 (eottaeyo) how-is-POLITE?
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50.1 오늘 어때요? "How are you today? / How is today?" 50.2 어떻게 됐어요? "How did it turn out?" 50.3 어떤 음식을 좋아해요? "What kind of food do you like?" 50.4 어떡해요! 큰일났어요! "What do we do! There's a big problem!" 50.5 어떻게 생각해요? "What do you think? / How do you think about it?" 50.6 한국어 어때요? "How is Korean? / What do you think of Korean?" 50.7 내일 어떻게 할 거예요? "How are you going to handle tomorrow?" 50.8 몸은 어때요? "How is your body? / How are you feeling?" 50.9 어떻게 그렇게 잘 해요? "How do you do it so well?" 50.10 아, 어떡해! "Oh no! / Oh, what to do!" 50.11 어떤 사람이 되고 싶어요? "What kind of person do you want to become?" 50.12 생각해보니 어때요? "Now that you've thought about it, what do you think?" 50.13 어떻게 알았어요? "How did you know?" 50.14 어떻게든 할 거예요. "I'll manage it somehow." 50.15 인생이 어때요? "How is life? / What is life like?"
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50.1 오늘 어때요? 50.2 어떻게 됐어요? 50.3 어떤 음식을 좋아해요? 50.4 어떡해요! 큰일났어요! 50.5 어떻게 생각해요? 50.6 한국어 어때요? 50.7 내일 어떻게 할 거예요? 50.8 몸은 어때요? 50.9 어떻게 그렇게 잘 해요? 50.10 아, 어떡해! 50.11 어떤 사람이 되고 싶어요? 50.12 생각해보니 어때요? 50.13 어떻게 알았어요? 50.14 어떻게든 할 거예요. 50.15 인생이 어때요?
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어때요 vs 어떻게요: 어때요 asks about state/quality: 오늘 어때요? (How is today? / How are things today?). Proposal sense: 같이 가면 어때요? (How about going together?). 어떻게요 asks about manner: 어떻게 해요? (How do you do it?). 어떻게 됐어요? (How did it turn out?).
어떡해 (eotteokae) — "what to do / oh no": Contracted from 어떻게 해 (how do [I/we] do). 어떡해요 (polite), 어떡해 (casual). Used for: panic (어떡해, 큰일났어!), helplessness (어떡해요, 모르겠어요), and occasionally resigned acceptance. Not a question — an exclamation of not knowing what to do.
어떻게든 (eotteokeden) — "somehow / in whatever way": 어떻게 (how) + 든 (whatever/any) = somehow, in any way possible. 어떻게든 할 거예요 (I'll manage it somehow). The Korean expression of determination in the face of difficulty: no specific plan, but commitment to finding a way.
어떤 (eotteon) — attributive "what kind of": 어떻다 + -(으)ㄴ = 어떤. Always before a noun: 어떤 사람 (what kind of person), 어떤 음식 (what kind of food), 어떤 일 (what kind of work). Both interrogative and indefinite: 어떤 사람이 왔어요 (some person / a certain person came).
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오늘 어때요? (How is today?) — broader than "how are you," this question asks about the day itself. Korean social enquiry frames wellbeing temporally: 오늘 어때요? (how is today?), 요즘 어때요? (how are things lately?), 몸은 어때요? (how is your body?). The body, the day, life itself — all are addressed through 어때요, making it the most fundamentally social verb in Korean.
어떻게든 할 거예요 (I'll manage it somehow) — Korean resilience grammar. The word 어떻게든 (somehow) combined with 할 거예요 (will do) expresses the Korean determination to find a way regardless of current obstacles. Korean 빨리빨리 (hurry-hurry) culture and its problem-solving energy are embedded in this construction: there's always 어떻게든.
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정지용 (Jeong Jiyong), 《유리창》— Glass Window, 1930
유리에 차고 슬픈 것이 어른거린다.
F-A: Interlinear — 유리에 (yurie) glass-AT 차고 (chago) cold-CONJ 슬픈 (seulpeun) sad 것이 (geosi) thing-SUBJ 어른거린다 (eoreungeorinda) shimmers-PLAIN
F-B: Translation — "On the glass, a cold and sad thing shimmers."
F-C: Original — 유리에 차고 슬픈 것이 어른거린다.
F-D: Notes — 어떤 (what kind of) is the question this poem poses without asking: 어떤 것이 유리에 어른거리는가? (What kind of thing shimmers on the glass?). The answer is the poem: cold and sad — his dead child's reflection, implied but never named.
F-E: Commentary — 어때요 asks about the quality of things. Jeong Jiyong's poem is an answer to a 어때요 that was never asked: how is the window? Cold and sad shimmers on it. How is grief? It's the cold, sad thing on the glass. Learning to answer 어때요 with more than 좋아요 or 나빠요 — learning to say 어른거려요 (it shimmers) — is learning Korean.
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The course's final dialogue — 어때요 and 어떻게 as the lesson comes full circle.
50.16 선생님: 한국어 (hangugeo) Korean 공부한 지 (gongbuhan ji) studying-since 얼마나 (eolmana) how-long 됐어요 (dwaesseoyo) became-POLITE?
50.17 학생: 일 년이 (il nyeoni) one-year-SUBJ 됐어요 (dwaesseoyo) became-POLITE。어떻게든 (eotteokeden) somehow 여기까지 (yeogikkaji) to-here 왔어요 (wasseoyo) came-POLITE
50.18 선생님: 어때요 (eottaeyo) how-is-POLITE？한국어가 (hangugeoga) Korean-SUBJ 어떤 것 같아요 (eotteon geot gatayo) what-kind-seems-POLITE?
50.19 학생: 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 말할지 (malhalji) say-QUOT 모르겠어요 (moreugesseoyo) don't-know-POLITE。복잡하고 (bokjaphago) complex-CONJ 아름다운 (areumdaun) beautiful 언어예요 (eoneoye yo) language-is-POLITE
50.20 선생님: 처음에는 (cheoeuMeneun) at-first 어땠어요 (eottaesseoyo) how-was-POLITE?
50.21 학생: 처음에는 (cheoeuMeneun) at-first 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 시작해야 할지 (sijakaeya halji) start-must-QUOT 몰랐어요 (mollasseoyo) didn't-know-POLITE。어떤 (eotteon) what-kind 방법으로 (bangbeomeuro) method-BY 배워야 (baewooya) must-learn 할지 (halji) QUOT도 (do) also
50.22 선생님: 지금은 (jigeumneun) now-TOPIC 어때요 (eottaeyo) how-is-POLITE?
50.23 학생: 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 됐는지 (dwaenNeunjji) became-QUOT 모르겠지만 (moreugEtjiman) don't-know-but 지금은 (jigeumneun) now-TOPIC 정말 (jeongmal) really 좋아요 (joayo) good-POLITE
50.24 선생님: 어떤 (eotteon) what-kind 부분이 (bubuni) part-SUBJ 제일 (jeil) most 좋아요 (joayo) like-POLITE?
50.25 학생: 어떤 (eotteon) what-kind 말이든 (marideun) word-whatever 한국어로 (hangugeoro) in-Korean 말할 수 (malhal su) can-say 있을 때 (isseul ttae) when-can 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 표현할지 (pyohyeonhalji) express-QUOT 알아요 (arayo) know-POLITE。그게 (geuge) that-SUBJ 좋아요 (joayo) good-POLITE
50.26 선생님: 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 그렇게 (geureoke) like-that 발전했어요 (baljeOnhaesseoyo) developed-POLITE?
50.27 학생: 매일 (maeil) every-day 어떻게든 (eotteokeden) somehow 조금씩 (jogeumssik) little-by-little 했어요 (haesseoyo) did-POLITE。어떤 날은 (eotteon nareun) on-some-days 잘 (jal) well 안 됐지만 (an doetjiman) didn't-go-well-but
50.28 선생님: 어떤 (eotteon) what-kind 말이 (mari) words-SUBJ 도움이 (doumiGA) help-SUBJ 됐어요 (dwaesseoyo) became-POLITE?
50.29 학생: 어떻게든 (eotteokeden) somehow 된다는 (doendaneun) will-work-QUOT 말이요 (mariyO) words-POLITE。어떡해야 (eotteokhaeya) what-must-do 할지 (halji) QUOT 막막할 때 (makmakhal ttae) when-at-a-loss 그 말이 (geu mari) those-words-SUBJ 도움이 (doumiGA) help-SUBJ 됐어요 (dwaesseoyo) became-POLITE
50.30 선생님: 어떻게 (eotteoke) how 됐든 (dwaettdeun) however-it-turned-out 여기까지 (yeogikkaji) to-here 온 게 (on ge) having-come-NMLZ-SUBJ 대단해요 (daedanhaeyo) amazing-POLITE。계속 (gyesok) continue 배워요 (baewoyo) keep-learning-POLITE
50.16 「한국어 공부한 지 얼마나 됐어요?」 "'How long has it been since you started studying Korean?'" 50.17 「일 년이 됐어요. 어떻게든 여기까지 왔어요.」 "'It's been a year. Somehow I got to here.'" 50.18 「어때요? 한국어가 어떤 것 같아요?」 "'How is it? What does Korean seem like?'" 50.19 「어떻게 말할지 모르겠어요. 복잡하고 아름다운 언어예요.」 "'I don't know how to say it. It's a complex and beautiful language.'" 50.20 「처음에는 어땠어요?」 "'How was it at the beginning?'" 50.21 「처음에는 어떻게 시작해야 할지 몰랐어요. 어떤 방법으로 배워야 할지도.」 "'At first I didn't know how to start. Nor what method to learn by.'" 50.22 「지금은 어때요?」 "'How is it now?'" 50.23 「어떻게 됐는지 모르겠지만 지금은 정말 좋아요.」 "'I don't know how it happened, but now it's really good.'" 50.24 「어떤 부분이 제일 좋아요?」 "'What part do you like most?'" 50.25 「어떤 말이든 한국어로 말할 수 있을 때 어떻게 표현할지 알아요. 그게 좋아요.」 "'When I can say anything in Korean I know how to express it. That's what I like.'" 50.26 「어떻게 그렇게 발전했어요?」 "'How did you develop like that?'" 50.27 「매일 어떻게든 조금씩 했어요. 어떤 날은 잘 안 됐지만.」 "'Every day I somehow did a little. Even on days when it didn't go well.'" 50.28 「어떤 말이 도움이 됐어요?」 "'What words were helpful?'" 50.29 「어떻게든 된다는 말이요. 어떡해야 할지 막막할 때 그 말이 도움이 됐어요.」 "'The words 'it'll work out somehow.' When I was at a loss for what to do, those words helped.'" 50.30 「어떻게 됐든 여기까지 온 게 대단해요. 계속 배워요.」 "'However it turned out, having come this far is amazing. Keep learning.'"
50.16 「한국어 공부한 지 얼마나 됐어요?」 50.17 「일 년이 됐어요. 어떻게든 여기까지 왔어요.」 50.18 「어때요? 한국어가 어떤 것 같아요?」 50.19 「어떻게 말할지 모르겠어요. 복잡하고 아름다운 언어예요.」 50.20 「처음에는 어땠어요?」 50.21 「처음에는 어떻게 시작해야 할지 몰랐어요. 어떤 방법으로 배워야 할지도.」 50.22 「지금은 어때요?」 50.23 「어떻게 됐는지 모르겠지만 지금은 정말 좋아요.」 50.24 「어떤 부분이 제일 좋아요?」 50.25 「어떤 말이든 한국어로 말할 수 있을 때 어떻게 표현할지 알아요. 그게 좋아요.」 50.26 「어떻게 그렇게 발전했어요?」 50.27 「매일 어떻게든 조금씩 했어요. 어떤 날은 잘 안 됐지만.」 50.28 「어떤 말이 도움이 됐어요?」 50.29 「어떻게든 된다는 말이요. 어떡해야 할지 막막할 때 그 말이 도움이 됐어요.」 50.30 「어떻게 됐든 여기까지 온 게 대단해요. 계속 배워요.」
어떻게 됐든 (eotteoke dwaettdeun) — "however it turned out": 어떻게 (how) + 됐든 (however it became — -든 = whatever). Accepts all possible outcomes: 어떻게 됐든 (however it turned out), 어떻게 하든 (however you do it), 무슨 일이 있든 (whatever happens). The grammar of unconditional acceptance of outcomes.
막막하다 (makmakhada) — "be at a loss / face a blank wall": Feeling of complete uncertainty or blankness when you don't know how to proceed. 막막할 때 (when at a loss). 막막하다 — the sensation of not knowing which way to turn, when every direction looks the same blankness. One of Korean's most expressive emotional adjectives.
어떻게든 된다 (eotteokeden doenda) — "it'll work out somehow": The great Korean reassurance. 어떻게든 (somehow) + 된다 (it becomes / it works) = it'll work out one way or another. 어떻게든 돼요, 어떻게든 할 수 있어요 — the optimism that every impossible situation will eventually resolve. Korean resilience in three syllables.
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어때요 (eottaeyo) — IPA: /ʌ.t͈ɛ.jo/ — Three syllables: /ʌ/ + fortis /t͈ɛ/ (tense ㄷ + /ɛ/) + /jo/. The ㄷ in 때 is fortis (tense/strengthened) after ㅎ dropping: 어떻+아요 → 어때요 → [ʌ.t͈ɛ.jo]. 어떻게 (eotteoke) — IPA: /ʌ.t͈ʌ.kʰe/ — Three syllables: /ʌ/ + /t͈ʌ/ + aspirated /kʰe/ (ㄱ+ㅎ). 어떡해 (eotteokae) — IPA: /ʌ.t͈ʌ.kʰɛ/ — Contracted from 어떻게 해.
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