(이)야말로
(i)yamallo
Grammar · 1 sense
really is, truly is, the very
Examples
한글이야말로 세계에서 가장 우수한 문자예요.
Hangul really is the best alphabet in the world.
운동이야말로 가장 중요한 것이라고 생각해요.
I think exercise is the most important thing.
When you'd hear it
This emphatic pattern appears in speeches, essays, presentations, and confident everyday statements. It is common when highlighting a noun as the clearest or most important example, and is not limited to highly formal Korean.
What learners get wrong
(이)야말로 does more than mean “really”: it presents the noun as the very best or most fitting example. Unlike 특히, which means “especially” without necessarily making a strong claim, it often has a contrastive or persuasive force.
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