깜짝 놀랐어

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What does 깜짝 놀랐어 mean?

깜짝 놀랐어 means "was suddenly very startled" in Korean.

How it works here

‘깜짝’ and ‘놀랐어’ combine to express sudden, strong surprise. The ending ‘-았어’ presents it as something the speaker actually experienced.

Key expression

깜짝 놀라다

To be suddenly very startled

Adding ‘깜짝’ emphasizes that the surprise was sudden and momentary. It commonly appears as ‘깜짝 놀라다’. Unlike ‘무섭다’ (to be scary), it focuses on sudden surprise rather than fear.

When it's used

Used for an immediate, strong reaction to something unexpected.

The line

너무 깜짝 놀랐어! 이건 진짜 놀랐어

I was so startled! This really startled me.

Said as an immediate emotional reaction to an unexpected situation.

Scene from “EP.1 버려진 자의 방 | Knight Of Blood Moon | ENHYPEN (엔하이픈) ‘EN-O’CLOCK SPIN OFF’” · Channel: ENHYPEN Watch on YouTube

More examples

문이 갑자기 열려서 깜짝 놀랐어요.
The door suddenly opened, so I was startled.
휴대폰이 울려서 회의 중에 깜짝 놀랐어.
My phone rang, and I was startled during the meeting.

Quick check

When would you use this expression?

깜짝 놀랐어

너무 깜짝 놀랐어! 이건 진짜 놀랐어

I was so startled! This really startled me.

Feeling disappointed because an appointment was suddenly canceled.
Quietly organizing an empty classroom.
Reacting with sudden surprise to something unexpected.

Show the answer

Reacting with sudden surprise to something unexpected.

to be suddenly very startled. Adding ‘깜짝’ emphasizes that the surprise was sudden and momentary. It commonly appears as ‘깜짝 놀라다’. Unlike ‘무섭다’ (to be scary), it focuses on sudden surprise rather than fear.

Other words in this line

너무: Very; to a great degree
깜짝: Enough to be suddenly startled
놀라다: To be surprised
이것: This
진짜: Really

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