Dictionary — Entry No. 0158
정말
jeongmal · adverb
정말
jeongmal
[juhng-MAL]
adverbbeginner
Meaning
Jeongmal (정말) means ‘really,’ ‘truly,’ or ‘seriously’ and is used to emphasize sincerity or genuine feeling. It intensifies statements much like ‘I really mean it’ in English, signaling that the speaker is being completely honest. K-drama fans will recognize it instantly as it appears in nearly every emotional confession or heartfelt moment.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
In BTS’s beloved song ‘Spring Day,’ the line ‘정말 보고 싶다’ (‘I really miss you’) captures the word’s emotional weight perfectly. K-drama heroines from ‘Crash Landing on You’ to ‘Goblin’ use 정말 in tearful confessions, making it one of the first words international fans instinctively absorb. It carries a sense of earnest vulnerability that resonates deeply across hallyu storytelling.
Example Sentences
정말 고마워.
Jeongmal gomawo.
Thank you so much. (warm, heartfelt gratitude — used when words feel almost insufficient)
정말? 믿을 수가 없어!
Jeongmal? Mideul suga eopseo!
Really? I can’t believe it! (stunned disbelief — the gasped ‘jeongmal?’ is a staple K-drama reaction shot)
나 정말 너를 좋아해.
Na jeongmal neoreul joahae.
I really like you. (a sincere romantic confession that carries more emotional weight than omitting jeongmal)
⚠️ Don’t use jeongmal when…
1) Fans often mix up 정말 and 진짜 (jinjja) — both mean ‘really,’ but 진짜 is more slang/casual while 정말 sounds earnest and literary. Using 진짜 in a heartfelt speech can accidentally sound flippant. 2) Adding 요 to make 정말요? is the polite way to ask ‘Really?’ — dropping 요 with strangers or elders sounds blunt or rude.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Crash Landing on You — Se-ri whispers ‘정말이야?’ (Is it really true?) when Jeong-hyeok confesses his feelings, one of the drama’s most quoted emotional beats.
- K-Pop: BTS — Spring Day (봄날)
💡 Did You Know? Koreans sometimes stack 정말 and 진짜 together — ‘진짜 정말?’ — for extra dramatic emphasis, a habit K-drama scriptwriters exploit so reliably that fans use it as a meme format.
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.