What does 그럼 (geureom) mean?
- 그럼geureom
Of course! / Then...
Casual: friends and people younger than you
그럼 (geureom) means "Of course!" when you answer someone, and "Then" or "In that case" at the start of a sentence. Both uses are very common in everyday Korean.
Where it comes from
그럼 is a shortened form of 그러면, "if so" or "then". The "of course" meaning grew from that: "If you ask, then naturally."
How to use 그럼
As an answer, 그럼! is a warm, confident "Of course!" With people you should be polite to, say 그럼요!
At the start of a sentence, 그럼 means "then" or "so": 그럼 내일 봐 ("Then see you tomorrow"). This 그럼 is fine in casual talk, and you can follow it with a polite sentence when speaking to elders.
그럼 그렇지 means "I knew it" or "Of course that happened", often said with a sigh.
Examples
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A friend asks if you will come to their party
Making plans at the end of a call
Your teacher asks if you did your homework
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 그럼요 | Of course | Polite answer. |
| 그러면 | Then / If so | Full form. |
| 그럼 그렇지 | I knew it | Something turned out as expected. |
| 그럼 이만 | Well then, that's all | Used to wrap up a talk or message. |
Questions learners ask
What does geureom mean in Korean?
그럼 means "of course" as an answer, and "then" or "in that case" at the start of a sentence.
Is geureom polite?
As a one-word answer it is casual. Say 그럼요 to be polite.
What is the difference between geureom and geureomyeon?
그럼 is the short form of 그러면. In speech, 그럼 is far more common.