완전

wanjeon

Perfection, completeness

TOPIK 4

Meaning and Usage

The Korean adverb '완전' means 'completely' or 'totally' and is often used in casual speech to emphasize the degree of something. It can describe completeness, perfection, or an extreme state.

Common Contexts

You will hear '완전' frequently in everyday conversations to express strong feelings or opinions, such as "완전 좋아" (totally good) or "완전 끝났어" (completely finished).

Collocations and Patterns

  • 완전 + adjective: emphasizes the adjective (e.g., 완전 예뻐요 - totally pretty)
  • 완전 + verb ending: emphasizes the action (e.g., 완전 이해했어요 - completely understood)
  • 완전 + noun (less common, but possible in slang or casual speech)

Register and Politeness

'완전' is informal and mostly used in spoken language among friends or younger people. It is not typically used in formal writing or speech.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse '완전' with '완전히' which is the adverbial form of '완전하다' and more formal. Use '완전' in casual contexts and '완전히' in formal or written contexts.

Example Sentences

이 계획은 완전 성공했어요.

I gyehoeg-eun wanjeon seonggonghaess-eoyo.

This plan was a complete success.

그 사람은 완전 착해요.

Geu saram-eun wanjeon chakaeyo.

That person is totally kind.

완전 맛있어서 또 먹고 싶어요.

Wanjeon masisseoseo tto meokgo sipeoyo.

It's so delicious that I want to eat it again.