A1 Idiom محايد

말이 안 돼요.

1874

It doesn't make sense

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use '말이 안 돼요' to politely but firmly express that someone's statement is illogical, absurd, or impossible.

  • Means: 'That doesn't make sense' or 'That is absurd'.
  • Used in: Disagreements, reacting to shocking news, or pointing out logical fallacies.
  • Don't confuse: It is not used for 'I don't understand the language' (use '이해가 안 돼요').
Confused face + Hand gesture = '말이 안 돼요'

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means 'that is not logical'. Use it when you hear something impossible or wrong. It is very useful for daily conversations.
It is a common idiom used to express disbelief or disagreement. It literally means 'words do not become'. It is used when a situation is unfair or illogical.
This phrase is a standard way to challenge the validity of a statement. It is used in both formal and informal contexts to signal that a claim lacks coherence or is factually impossible.
Functioning as a pragmatic marker of dissent, this phrase allows speakers to reject propositions without necessarily attacking the interlocutor's character. It is essential for navigating social boundaries in professional and personal settings.
The phrase serves as a linguistic tool for managing cognitive dissonance in discourse. By attributing the 'lack of sense' to the speech itself rather than the speaker, it maintains a degree of social decorum while effectively halting an illogical line of reasoning.
From a cognitive linguistics perspective, '말이 안 돼요' conceptualizes logic as a structural property of language. When a statement fails to meet the criteria of rational discourse, the speaker invokes this phrase to categorize the input as 'non-sensical', thereby re-establishing the boundaries of acceptable communication within the shared cultural framework.

المعنى

Expresses that something is illogical.

🌍

خلفية ثقافية

Used to maintain social harmony by focusing on the logic of the situation rather than the person. Similar to '話にならない', emphasizing that the topic is not worth discussing. Directly translates to 'That makes no sense', often used in debates. Uses '说不通' to indicate that the logic cannot be traversed.

💡

Use the particle

Always use '이' after '말'. '말이 안 돼요' is the standard.

💬

Politeness

If you are in a professional setting, use '말이 안 됩니다' to be safe.

المعنى

Expresses that something is illogical.

💡

Use the particle

Always use '이' after '말'. '말이 안 돼요' is the standard.

💬

Politeness

If you are in a professional setting, use '말이 안 됩니다' to be safe.

اختبر نفسك

Fill in the blank with the correct phrase.

그 계획은 너무 비현실적이에요. 정말 ______.

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: 말이 안 돼요

The correct idiom is '말이 안 돼요'.

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Choose the correct one.

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: 말이 안 돼요.

The subject particle '이' is used with '말'.

Match the situation to the response.

Your friend says they can run 100km in one hour.

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: 말이 안 돼요!

This is an impossible claim, so you use '말이 안 돼요'.

Complete the dialogue.

A: 이 식당은 물도 돈을 받아요. B: ______!

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: 말이 안 돼요

Charging for water is seen as unreasonable.

🎉 النتيجة: /4

وسائل تعلم بصرية

الأسئلة الشائعة

3 أسئلة

Yes, but use '말이 안 됩니다' or '말이 안 돼요' to remain polite.

It can be, depending on your tone. Keep it neutral to be safe.

Use '이해가 안 돼요' instead.

عبارات ذات صلة

🔗

말도 안 돼

specialized form

That's absurd!

🔗

어이가 없다

similar

I'm dumbfounded.

🔗

이해가 안 돼요

contrast

I don't understand.

🔗

말이 안 되는 소리

builds on

Nonsense talk.

أين تستخدمها

💰

Unfair Price

Seller: 이 사과는 5만원입니다.

Buyer: 말이 안 돼요! 너무 비싸요.

neutral
📅

Impossible Deadline

Boss: 오늘까지 이 보고서 다 쓰세요.

Employee: 죄송하지만, 그건 말이 안 됩니다.

formal
😲

Shocking News

Friend: 철수가 복권에 당첨됐대!

You: 말도 안 돼!

informal
🧠

Flawed Argument

Debater: 비가 오니까 해가 뜰 거예요.

You: 그건 말이 안 돼요.

neutral
💻

Broken Tech

Tech: 컴퓨터가 꺼져 있는데 켜져 있네요.

You: 말이 안 되는 소리 하지 마세요.

neutral
📱

Dating App

Match: 저는 사실 200살이에요.

You: 말이 안 돼, 장난치지 마!

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine a horse (말) trying to speak, but it just makes noise. It makes no sense!

Visual Association

A person trying to put a square peg in a round hole while shaking their head and saying '말이 안 돼요'.

Story

Min-su told me he could fly to the moon by tomorrow. I looked at him, confused, and said '말이 안 돼요!'. He laughed, but I knew he was just joking. It's important to call out things that don't make sense.

Word Web

말 (speech/horse)안 (not)되다 (become)논리 (logic)이해 (understanding)거짓말 (lie)

تحدٍّ

For 5 minutes, listen to a news clip or read a post and identify one thing that '말이 안 돼요'.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

No tiene sentido

Spanish uses 'tener' (to have), Korean uses '되다' (to become).

French high

Ça n'a aucun sens

French emphasizes the lack of any sense (aucun).

German high

Das ergibt keinen Sinn

German uses 'ergeben' (to result in/yield).

Japanese high

話にならない

Japanese uses 'hanashi' (story/talk) instead of 'mal' (speech).

Arabic moderate

هذا غير منطقي

Arabic is more direct/formal compared to the idiomatic Korean.

Chinese high

这说不通

Chinese focuses on the 'path' of the logic.

Korean n/a

말이 안 돼요

N/A

Portuguese high

Isso não faz sentido

Portuguese uses 'fazer' (to make) like English.

Easily Confused

말이 안 돼요. مقابل 이해가 안 돼요

Learners often use this when they mean 'that's illogical'.

Use '이해가 안 돼요' for 'I don't get it', use '말이 안 돼요' for 'that's crazy'.

말이 안 돼요. مقابل 말이 안 통하다

Learners confuse 'not making sense' with 'not being able to communicate'.

'말이 안 통하다' means you cannot reach an understanding with someone.

الأسئلة الشائعة (3)

Yes, but use '말이 안 됩니다' or '말이 안 돼요' to remain polite.

It can be, depending on your tone. Keep it neutral to be safe.

Use '이해가 안 돼요' instead.

هل كان هذا مفيداً؟

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