What does aigoo mean? 아이고 and 8 other sounds K-drama characters make
Every K-drama has a soundtrack under the soundtrack: the sighs, gasps and one-syllable reactions that subtitles usually skip. 아이고 is the one everyone asks about, because it turns up in every genre and every generation, but it has company.
None of these take a speech level, which makes them easy to pick up and easy to misuse. Most belong among friends and family; the notes say which ones to keep away from your boss.
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아이고
aigo
Oh dear / oh my / ugh
The sound of a body sitting down, a mother finding a mess, a grandmother hearing bad news. It covers exhaustion, sympathy and exasperation, and at funerals it is the sound of grief itself. Fans spell it aigoo; 아이구 (aigu) is a common spoken variant.
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어머
eomeo
Oh my
A startled gasp, mostly from women; 어머나 is the longer version. Men tend to say 어 or 헉 instead, which is why a male character saying 어머 is usually played for laughs.
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헉
heok
(a sharp gasp)
A sudden intake of breath, written as often as it is said. In texts 헉 is shock and 헉헉 is panting.
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헐
heol
No way / whoa
Disbelief, good or bad: a plot twist, a price tag, a friend's news. Young people's slang, so not for your boss or your partner's parents.
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대박
daebak
Awesome / wow
Literally: Big hit, jackpot
Started as 'a smash hit' and became a reaction to anything huge. It can be stunned-negative too: 대박 사건 (a daebak incident) is what a character says when something scandalous comes out.
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아 진짜
a jinjja
Oh, come on / seriously
Literally: Ah, really
Exasperation with a person, said to a sibling, a friend or a partner who is being annoying. Aimed flatly at a superior it is a mistake you only make once.
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에이
ei
Nah / come on
A brush-off: waving away a compliment, doubting an excuse, declining a favour gently. The tone does the work; drawn out, it means 'I do not believe you'.
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아싸
assa
Yes / score
A small private victory: the last seat, a cancelled class, a free coffee. Said to yourself or to friends, not in a meeting.
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어떡해
eotteokae
What do I do / oh no
Literally: How (do I) do
Technically a verb, in practice the sound of panic, often doubled: 어떡해 어떡해. Spelled 어떡해, not 어떻게 (how), a mix-up Koreans make too.
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One pattern worth knowing: the older the character, the more 아이고; the younger, the more 헐 and 대박. If you want to sound like the age you are, pick from the right end of the list.