Explanation at your level:
You use 잘못 when you make a mistake. If you say a word wrong, you use this word. It is very simple: 잘못 + verb.
At this level, you start using 잘못 with common verbs. Use it when you mishear someone or take the wrong path. It is a very useful word for daily life.
Intermediate learners use 잘못 to explain misunderstandings. You can say 'I misunderstood' (잘못 알았습니다). It helps you navigate social situations where you need to apologize or clarify.
As you reach B2, you will use 잘못 in more complex sentences. It helps describe complex errors in logic or planning. You can express nuance by combining it with different verb endings.
At the advanced level, 잘못 is used to analyze situations. You might discuss '잘못된 판단' (wrong judgment) or '잘못된 관행' (incorrect practice) in a professional or academic essay.
Mastery of 잘못 involves understanding its subtle role in social accountability. It is used in literary contexts to describe the tragic arc of characters who make a '잘못된 선택' (wrong choice) that leads to their downfall.
واژه در 30 ثانیه
- It means wrongly or mistakenly.
- It is an adverb.
- Use it before verbs.
- Common in daily life.
Hey there! 잘못 (jal-mot) is a super common word in Korean that you will hear all the time. Think of it as the go-to word for 'wrongly' or 'mistakenly'. Whether you accidentally took the wrong bus or misread a sign, this is the word you need.
It acts as an adverb, so it usually sits right before a verb to explain how something happened. It’s like saying, 'I did it, but not the way I was supposed to.' It’s a very helpful tool for admitting mistakes or explaining why things didn't go as planned in your day-to-day life.
The word 잘못 is a compound word derived from '잘' (well) and '못' (cannot/not). Historically, it combines the concept of 'doing well' with the concept of 'inability', creating a word that defines the space between success and failure.
Over centuries, this evolved from a descriptive phrase into a fixed adverb. It reflects the Korean cultural emphasis on precision and social harmony—where identifying a 'wrong' action is the first step toward correcting it. It’s fascinating how such a simple combination of two basic particles covers so many types of human error!
You will mostly see 잘못 paired with verbs like 'to see' (보다), 'to hear' (듣다), or 'to know' (알다). For example, '잘못 알다' means to have a misconception about something.
It is used in both casual and formal settings. If you are talking to a friend, you might say '잘못했어' (I did it wrong/I'm sorry). In a business meeting, you might use it to clarify a misunderstanding. It is extremely versatile and fits almost any register, making it a must-have for your Korean toolkit.
1. 잘못 짚다: To guess wrong or be mistaken about a situation. 2. 잘못 걸다: To dial a wrong number. 3. 잘못 들다: To mishear something. 4. 잘못되다: To go wrong or fail. 5. 잘못하다: To make a mistake or be at fault.
These expressions show how '잘못' isn't just about 'bad' things; it's about the little glitches in our daily interactions. Using these will make you sound much more like a native speaker!
Grammatically, 잘못 is an adverb. It does not change form based on tense or subject, which is great news for learners! You just place it before the verb you want to modify.
Pronunciation-wise, focus on the 'j' sound—it’s like the 'j' in 'jump'. The 'l' sound is a bit soft, and the 'mot' ends with a crisp 't' sound that you don't fully release. It rhymes loosely with 'shot' or 'got' in English, though the Korean vowels are more pure.
Fun Fact
It perfectly captures the Korean philosophy of 'doing it right' vs 'not doing it'.
Pronunciation Guide
Crisp 'j', soft 'l', short 'o', ending in a stop 't'.
Similar to UK, ensure the 't' is not aspirated.
Common Errors
- Pronouncing the 't' too hard
- Dropping the 'l'
- Making the 'o' sound like 'oh'
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy to read
Need to use correct verbs
Very easy to use
Very common
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
پیشرفته
Grammar to Know
Adverb placement
잘못 + Verb
Verb conjugation
잘못했다
Politeness levels
잘못했습니다
Examples by Level
잘못했어요.
I / did wrong.
Adverb + Verb
잘못 알았어요.
I / wrongly / knew.
Adverb + Verb
잘못 읽었어요.
I / wrongly / read.
Adverb + Verb
잘못 들었어요.
I / wrongly / heard.
Adverb + Verb
잘못 썼어요.
I / wrongly / wrote.
Adverb + Verb
잘못 갔어요.
I / wrongly / went.
Adverb + Verb
잘못 봤어요.
I / wrongly / saw.
Adverb + Verb
잘못 말했어요.
I / wrongly / spoke.
Adverb + Verb
잘못된 길로 갔어요.
번호를 잘못 눌렀어요.
이름을 잘못 불렀어요.
시간을 잘못 알았어요.
계산을 잘못했어요.
답을 잘못 적었어요.
순서를 잘못 알았어요.
그거 잘못된 거예요.
제 잘못이 아닙니다.
잘못된 정보를 들었어요.
그렇게 하면 잘못될 거예요.
잘못 짚으신 것 같아요.
잘못 전달된 것 같습니다.
잘못된 선택을 했어요.
잘못 이해한 것 같아요.
잘못된 습관을 고쳐야 해요.
그것은 사회적으로 잘못된 행동입니다.
판단을 잘못 내린 것 같습니다.
역사적으로 잘못된 해석입니다.
잘못된 관행을 바로잡아야 합니다.
그 결정은 잘못된 것으로 판명되었습니다.
잘못된 방향으로 가고 있어요.
잘못된 만남이었습니다.
잘못된 믿음을 가지고 있네요.
그것은 명백히 잘못된 논리입니다.
잘못된 정책이 경제를 망쳤습니다.
잘못된 인식에서 비롯된 문제입니다.
그의 잘못된 행동은 비난받아 마땅합니다.
잘못된 가정을 바탕으로 한 연구입니다.
잘못된 관점을 수정할 필요가 있습니다.
잘못된 시대에 태어난 것 같습니다.
잘못된 정보가 확산되고 있습니다.
그의 잘못된 신념은 비극을 초래했습니다.
잘못된 권력의 행사가 큰 파장을 낳았습니다.
잘못된 관습을 타파하는 것이 중요합니다.
잘못된 역사 인식은 미래를 어둡게 합니다.
잘못된 판단이 가져온 치명적인 결과입니다.
그는 잘못된 길을 걸어왔음을 깨달았습니다.
잘못된 제도를 개혁하는 것은 어렵습니다.
잘못된 가치관이 사회를 병들게 합니다.
ترکیبهای رایج
Idioms & Expressions
"잘못 짚다"
To make a wrong guess.
너는 사람을 잘못 짚었어.
casual"잘못 걸다"
To dial a wrong number.
전화를 잘못 거셨어요.
neutral"잘못 들다"
To mishear.
제가 잘못 들었나 봐요.
neutral"잘못되다"
To go wrong/fail.
모든 게 잘못됐어.
casual"잘못하다"
To be at fault/apologize.
제가 잘못했습니다.
formal"잘못 먹다"
To get food poisoning.
상한 음식을 잘못 먹어서 배가 아파요.
casualEasily Confused
Both mean mistake.
실수 is a noun, 잘못 is an adverb.
실수를 했다 vs 잘못했다.
Both mean wrong.
틀리다 is a verb (to be wrong), 잘못 is an adverb.
답이 틀렸다 vs 잘못 적었다.
Both mean bad.
나쁘다 is an adjective (bad), 잘못 is an adverb (wrongly).
날씨가 나쁘다 vs 잘못했다.
Both mean error.
오류 is formal/technical, 잘못 is daily.
시스템 오류 vs 길을 잘못 들었다.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + 잘못 + Verb
내가 잘못 말했어.
제 잘못입니다.
모두 제 잘못입니다.
잘못된 + Noun
그건 잘못된 생각이야.
잘못 + Verb + 었습니다
잘못 들었습니다.
Verb + (으)면 + 잘못될 수 있다
그렇게 하면 잘못될 수 있어요.
خانواده کلمه
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
مرتبط
How to Use It
10/10
Formality Scale
اشتباهات رایج
잘못 is an adverb.
Meaning difference.
Correct spacing.
잘못 is for mistakes, not moral evil.
Contextual appropriateness.
Tips
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a 'Jal-Mot' robot that always does things backwards.
When Native Speakers Use It
Whenever they realize they made a small error.
Cultural Insight
Taking responsibility is key in Korean culture.
Grammar Shortcut
Just put it before the verb.
Say It Right
Keep the 't' at the end soft.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't say '잘못하다' as one word if you want to emphasize the error.
Did You Know?
It is one of the most frequent words in Korean.
Study Smart
Practice with the 5 most common verbs.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
JAL (well) + MOT (not) = Not well = Wrong!
Visual Association
A person writing a test and crossing out a wrong answer.
Word Web
چالش
Try to say 'I made a mistake' in Korean today.
ریشه کلمه
Korean
Original meaning: Combination of 'well' and 'cannot'.
بافت فرهنگی
None, very neutral.
Directly correlates to 'wrong' or 'mistakenly'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At school
- 문제를 잘못 풀었어요
- 이름을 잘못 썼어요
- 답을 잘못 적었어요
At work
- 보고서를 잘못 작성했어요
- 시간을 잘못 알았어요
- 잘못된 정보를 전달했어요
Travel
- 길을 잘못 들었어요
- 버스를 잘못 탔어요
- 역을 잘못 내렸어요
Daily life
- 전화를 잘못 걸었어요
- 음식을 잘못 먹었어요
- 잘못 들었어요
Conversation Starters
"Did you ever take the wrong bus?"
"Have you ever misheard a song lyric?"
"How do you apologize when you make a mistake?"
"What is a common mistake people make in your country?"
"Do you think it's easy to admit when you are wrong?"
Journal Prompts
Describe a time you made a mistake.
What is a common '잘못' you make in your daily routine?
How do you feel when someone tells you that you are wrong?
Write about a mistake you made while learning Korean.
سوالات متداول
8 سوالNo, it is an adverb. You must add a verb like 하다 or 되다.
Yes, as a short answer to 'Did I do this wrong?'
No, it means incorrect or mistaken.
Say '제가 잘못했어요'.
It is neutral and used in all levels.
Yes, '계산을 잘못했어요'.
No, it is an adverb.
No, it is one of the first words you learn!
خودت رو بسنج
제가 ___ 했습니다.
잘못하다 is the correct verb phrase.
Which means 'I misheard'?
들다 is to hear.
잘못 is a noun only.
It is primarily an adverb.
Word
معنی
Matching verbs to meaning.
Subject + Adverb + Verb.
امتیاز: /5
Summary
잘못 is your essential word for admitting mistakes and describing errors in everyday life!
- It means wrongly or mistakenly.
- It is an adverb.
- Use it before verbs.
- Common in daily life.
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a 'Jal-Mot' robot that always does things backwards.
When Native Speakers Use It
Whenever they realize they made a small error.
Cultural Insight
Taking responsibility is key in Korean culture.
Grammar Shortcut
Just put it before the verb.
مثال
제가 잘못 말했어요.
Related Content
واژههای بیشتر food
~정도
A1Suffix meaning "about" or "approximately."
추가
A2Addition, extra (e.g., extra order).
몇 개
A2How many items?
~은/는 후에
A2After ~ing; indicates an action that occurs subsequent to another.
중에서
A2Among, out of (selection).
식욕
A2Appetite.
에피타이저
A2An appetizer.
전채
A2Appetizer.
먹음직스럽다
B2To look appetizing, delicious.
사과
A1apple
