🎵 K-Culture A2

헐

heol

OMG / no way (interjection)

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What it means

헐 is an exclamatory slang expressing shock, disbelief, or mild horror — like OMG, No way!, or Seriously?! Can react to good or bad news depending on context.

Nuance & when to use

Pure casual slang. Widely used in texts, social media, and informal conversation among young Koreans. Inappropriate in formal settings. Follow-up sentences reveal whether the surprise is pleasant or unpleasant.

⚠ Common mistake

헐 is not inherently offensive — it's just casual slang. Using it with elders or in formal contexts, however, would seem inappropriate and immature.

Example sentences

헐, 진짜? 그런 일이 있었어? Heol, jinjja? Geureon iri isseosseo? No way, really? Did that actually happen?
헐! 이거 얼마야? 너무 비싸다. Heol! Igeo eolmaya? Neomu bissada. Whoa! How much is this? It's so expensive.
헐, 몰랐어. 언제부터 그랬어? Heol, mollasseo. Eonjebuteo geuraeosseo? OMG, I didn't know. Since when?
헐... 어떡해. 많이 힘들겠다. Heol... eotteokae. Mani himdeulgetda. Oh no... what to do. That must be really tough.

See also

대박 세상에 어머 설마
References Naver Korean Dictionary ↗ 국립국어원 표준국어대사전 ↗ Wikipedia ↗
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More A2 lessons

시간 sigan time -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 -(eu)l su itda Can / to be able to -고 있다 -go itda Currently doing (progressive)
← 행운 형제 →

FAQ

When is this used?

Pure casual slang. Widely used in texts, social media, and informal conversation among young Koreans. Inappropriate in formal settings. Follow-up sentences reveal whether the surprise is pleasant or unpleasant.

What's a common mistake?

헐 is not inherently offensive — it's just casual slang. Using it with elders or in formal contexts, however, would seem inappropriate and immature.

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