Dictionary — Entry No. 0674
걱정마
geokjeong-ma · expression
걱정마
geokjeong-ma
[guhk-JUHNG-mah]
expressionbeginner
Meaning
Don’t worry! — a direct contraction of 걱정 (worry) + 마 (the imperative particle meaning ‘don’t/stop’). It’s casual and warm, the kind of thing you say to someone you care about. The formal equivalent is 걱정하지 마세요.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
걱정마 is the phrase K-Drama fans clip and rewatch endlessly — the moment a lead character says it to someone vulnerable, the emotional payoff is enormous. TWICE’s comforting anthem ‘Feel Special’ carries the same energy of unconditional reassurance that 걱정마 embodies, and fan communities use it constantly to encourage each other during hard times.
Example Sentences
걱정마, 내가 있잖아.
Geokjeong-ma, naega itjana.
Don’t worry, I’m right here for you. (deeply reassuring, often in romantic or protective contexts)
걱정 마세요, 제가 할게요.
Geokjeong maseyo, jega halgeyo.
Please don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. (formal, respectful)
그냥 걱정마.
Geunyang geokjeong-ma.
Just don’t worry about it. (casual, can sound dismissive or gentle depending on tone)
⚠️ Don’t use geokjeong-ma when…
걱정마 is casual speech — using it with elders, teachers, or in professional settings comes across as rude. Switch to 걱정하지 마세요 in those contexts. Second, fans sometimes hypercorrect it to 걱정하지마 (writing it as one block), which is the same meaning but slightly more emphatic — both are correct, don’t let the spelling variation confuse you.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Goblin (도깨비) — The Goblin tells Eun-tak 걱정마 in a pivotal scene, his quiet authority meeting her vulnerability in one of the drama’s most emotionally loaded exchanges.
- K-Pop: TWICE — Feel Special
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.