3 different ways to say HOW in Korean -Otoke

There are many names/ words for how in Korean language. They are 어덯게 (Otoke), 어때요, 얼마나. These words are used to ask how did you do it? how was your day today? how are you in the Korean language. These are (어떻게, 어때요, 얼마나) 3 main ways to say HOW in Korean.

어떻게 meaning

어떻게 is used to know about the ways, methods or manner of something. Suppose someone did something and you want to know how he/ she did it? in this case, 어덯게 is used. 어떻게 is combined with general verbs like do, know, go, eat, drink etc. Let’s see examples-

그 사람을 어떻게 만날 수 있어요. How can I meet that person?
How did you know it? – 어떻게 알았요?
How do I get there? 거기 어떻게 가요?
How do you turn this on? – 이거 어떻게 겨요?
How did you do it? – 어떻게 했어요?

어때요 meaning

When a speaker wants to know the feeling or opinion of someone 어때요 is used. 어때요 is derived from descriptive verb 어떻다 which means condition or quality of something in a certain state. 어때요 is used in present tense and 어땠어요 is used in the past tense. Let’s see examples-
How are you feeling? – 기분 어때요?
How is your hand? – 손 어때요?
How was your day? – 오늘 하루 어땠어요?
How is your new car? 새 차 어때요?
What do/would you say? 어때요?
How’s that? 어때요?
Hello, how are you today? 오늘 기분이 어때?
How do you like it? 어때요? 좋아요?
How are the kids? 아이들은 어때요?
How’s the weather? 날씨가 어때요?

얼마나 meaning

얼마나 is also used to know about the condition of something but it focuses on degree/ intent. 얼마나 is followed by adj./ adv./ much/ many. 얼마나 is used to ask the degree or volume of something. Let’s see examples –
How much time do you have? 시간 얼마나 남았어요?
How much beer did you drink today? 오늘 맥주 얼마나 마셨어요?
How often do you study? 공부 얼마나 자주 해요?
How cold is it? 얼마나 추워요?

How to use HOW in Korean language

HOW is used to ask method, way, feeling, opinion, degree/ volume of something etc. But there is an exception also. All these 3 forms of HOW in Korean (어떻게, 어때요, 얼마나) can not be used when asking the age of a person and price of something. For example-

How old are you in Korean?

몇 살이에요? This is a direct way of asking age. You can also say 나이가 어떻게 되세요? This is the more polite and recommended way to ask age in Korean.

How much is it in Korean?

얼마에요 means how much is it in Korean. You can use it when asking the price of something. Sometimes 얼마에요 is also used to ask the number or quantity also.

How Korean sentences

How long should I wait? 얼마나 오래 기다려야 돼요?
How is the weather there? 거기 날씨는 어때요?
How did you make this bread? 소스 어떻게 만들었어요?
How much do we look alike? 우리 얼마나 닮았어요
How many sheets of paper do you need? 종이 얼마나 필요해요?
How will you get home? 집에 어떻게 갈 거에요?
얼마나 걸립니까? How long does it take? How long will it take?
얼마나 걸릴까요? How long will it be? About how much longer is it?
얼마나 더 기다려야 하나요? How long do I have to wait?
얼마나 머무르실 겁니까? How long will you be staying?
얼마나 기다려야 합니까? How long is the wait? About how long will we have…
얼마나 늦을 것 같으세요? How late are you going to be?
얼마나 되는데? How much do you have?
어떻게 지냈어? How have you been? What have you been up to?
어떻게 지내세요? How are you doing? Is everything all right?
어떻게 지내셨어요? How have you been? How have been doing?
어떻게 할 수가 없다 be in a deadlock, have no control
어떻게 해서라도 somehow, one way or another
어떻게 그런 생각을 했죠? How did you come up with the idea? Where did you …
어떻게 생각해요? What do you think about it? What do you say?

얼마나 걸립니까? How long does it take? How long will it take?
얼마나 걸릴까요? How long will it be? About how much longer is it?
얼마나 더 기다려야 하나요? How long do I have to wait?
얼마나 머무르실 겁니까? How long will you be staying?
얼마나 기다려야 합니까? How long is the wait? About how long will we have…
얼마나 늦을 것 같으세요? How late are you going to be?
얼마나 되는데? How much do you have?

How are you feeling? – 기분 어때요?
How is your hand? – 손 어때요?
How was your day? – 오늘 하루 어땠어요?
How is your new car? 새 차 어때요?
What do/would you say? 어때요?
How’s that? 어때요?
Hello, how are you today? 오늘 기분이 어때?
How do you like it? 어때요? 좋아요?
How are the kids? 아이들은 어때요?
How’s the weather? 날씨가 어때요?

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