How to say “No way” in Korean
- 말도 안 돼maldo an dwae
No way
"No way" in Korean is 말도 안 돼 (maldo an dwae), which literally means "it doesn't even make sense". If you mean "absolutely not" as a refusal, say 절대 안 돼 (jeoldae an dwae) instead.
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 말도 안 돼 maldo an dwae | Casual | "No way!" or "That's ridiculous!" for disbelief. Very common. |
| 말도 안 돼요 maldo an dwaeyo | Polite | Polite version for coworkers or older people. |
| 설마 seolma | Any | "No way... surely not?" When you can't believe something might be true. |
| 헐 heol | Casual | Slangy "No way!" or "What?!" with friends. |
| 어이없어 eoieopseo | Casual | "Unbelievable" or "That's absurd". Shows you are shocked and a bit annoyed. |
| 절대 안 돼 jeoldae an dwae | Casual | "No way" as a firm refusal: "absolutely not". Polite: 절대 안 돼요. |
Examples
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Hearing a friend won the lottery
Finding out the sale ended
Refusing a risky idea
Tips
English "no way" has two meanings, and Korean splits them. Disbelief is 말도 안 돼 or 설마. Refusal is 절대 안 돼 or just 안 돼 (an dwae, "you can't").
말도 안 돼 is spelled with a space between 안 and 돼. A common spelling mistake is 안 되 or 안돼; the standard form is 안 돼.
Questions learners ask
What does 설마 mean?
설마 means "surely not" or "no way, don't tell me". It is used when you suspect something bad or surprising might be true.
Is 말도 안 돼 rude?
No, it is just casual. Add 요 (말도 안 돼요) for people you should be polite to.