괜찮다

Korean

Etymology

A contraction of 괜 (gwaen) [＜ 공연 (空然, gong'yeon, “in vain, unnecessariness”), (> 괜하— (gwaenha-, “useless, futile”))] + 하— (ha-, “to do”) + —지 (-ji, connective suffix for negative verbs/adjectives) + 아니— (ani-, “to be not”) + 하— (ha-, “to do”) + —다 (-da, citation form ending). Equivalent to 괜 (gwaen) + —찮다 (-chanta).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kwɛɲt͡ɕʰa̠ntʰa̠] ~ [kwe̞ɲt͡ɕʰa̠ntʰa̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [괜찬타/궨찬타]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gwaenchanta
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gwaenchanhda
McCune–Reischauer?	kwaench'ant'a
Yale Romanization?	kwayn.chanhta

Adjective

괜찮다 • (gwaenchanta) (infinitive 괜찮아, sequential 괜찮으니)

1. to be nice, good, passable, OK, all right

   괜찮아 ― gwaenchana ― OK

   괜찮으시다면

   gwaenchaneusidamyeon

   if it is OK with you; if you don't mind

   괜찮으세요?

   gwaenchaneuseyo?

   Are you OK?

   지금까지는 괜찮았지만 정작은 이제부터다.

   jigeumkkajineun gwaenchanatjiman jeongjageun ijebuteoda.

   So far so good, but we shall have to be ready for the worse.

2. (of a person) to be allowed to ...; may, can; it is OK to ...
3. to be safe, secure

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the adjective 괜찮다 (gwaenchanta): consonant-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	괜찮다 gwaenchanta	괜찮아 gwaenchana	괜찮아요 gwaenchanayo	괜찮습니다 gwaenchanseumnida
	Past	괜찮았다 gwaenchanatda	괜찮았어 gwaenchanasseo	괜찮았어요 gwaenchanasseoyo	괜찮았습니다 gwaenchanatseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	괜찮으냐 gwaenchaneunya	괜찮아 gwaenchana	괜찮아요 gwaenchanayo	괜찮습니까 gwaenchanseumnikka
	Past	괜찮았냐 gwaenchanannya	괜찮았어 gwaenchanasseo	괜찮았어요 gwaenchanasseoyo	괜찮았습니까 gwaenchanatseumnikka
Assertive		괜찮겠다 gwaenchanketda	괜찮겠어 gwaenchankesseo	괜찮겠어요 gwaenchankesseoyo	괜찮겠습니다 gwaenchanketseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		괜찮아 gwaenchana	괜찮아서 gwaenchanaseo	괜찮으니 gwaenchaneuni	괜찮으니까 gwaenchaneunikka
Contrast		괜찮지만 gwaenchanchiman	괜찮은데 gwaenchaneunde	괜찮더니 gwaenchanteoni
Conjunction		괜찮고 gwaenchanko
Condition		괜찮으면 gwaenchaneumyeon	괜찮아야 gwaenchanaya
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		괜찮음 gwaenchaneum	괜찮기 gwaenchanki
Past-tense verbal nouns		괜찮았음 gwaenchanasseum	괜찮았기 gwaenchanatgi
Determiners	Present		괜찮은 gwaenchaneun
	Future		괜찮을 gwaenchaneul

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Plain (해라체)	Informal (해체)	Polite (해요체)	Formal (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	괜찮으시다 gwaenchaneusida	괜찮으셔 gwaenchaneusyeo	괜찮으세요, 괜찮으셔요 gwaenchaneuseyo, gwaenchaneusyeoyo	괜찮으십니다 gwaenchaneusimnida
	Past	괜찮으셨다 gwaenchaneusyeotda	괜찮으셨어 gwaenchaneusyeosseo	괜찮으셨어요 gwaenchaneusyeosseoyo	괜찮으셨습니다 gwaenchaneusyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	괜찮으시냐 gwaenchaneusinya	괜찮으셔 gwaenchaneusyeo	괜찮으세요, 괜찮으셔요 gwaenchaneuseyo, gwaenchaneusyeoyo	괜찮으십니까 gwaenchaneusimnikka
	Past	괜찮으셨냐 gwaenchaneusyeonnya	괜찮으셨어 gwaenchaneusyeosseo	괜찮으셨어요 gwaenchaneusyeosseoyo	괜찮으셨습니까 gwaenchaneusyeotseumnikka
Assertive		괜찮으시겠다 gwaenchaneusigetda	괜찮으시겠어 gwaenchaneusigesseo	괜찮으시겠어요 gwaenchaneusigesseoyo	괜찮으시겠습니다 gwaenchaneusigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		괜찮으셔 gwaenchaneusyeo	괜찮으셔서 gwaenchaneusyeoseo	괜찮으시니 gwaenchaneusini	괜찮으시니까 gwaenchaneusinikka
Contrast		괜찮으시지만 gwaenchaneusijiman	괜찮으신데 gwaenchaneusinde	괜찮으시더니 gwaenchaneusideoni
Conjunction		괜찮으시고 gwaenchaneusigo
Condition		괜찮으시면 gwaenchaneusimyeon	괜찮으셔야 gwaenchaneusyeoya
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		괜찮으심 gwaenchaneusim	괜찮으시기 gwaenchaneusigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		괜찮으셨음 gwaenchaneusyeosseum	괜찮으셨기 gwaenchaneusyeotgi
Determiners	Present		괜찮으신 gwaenchaneusin
	Future		괜찮으실 gwaenchaneusil

Derived terms

• 괜찮아지다 (gwaenchanajida, “to get better”)
• 괜찮이 (gwaenchani, “in an alright way”)

Descendants

• → Japanese: ケンチャナヨ (kenchanayo) (from inflection 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo))