What does 혹시 (hoksi) mean?
- 혹시hoksi
By any chance / Maybe
Fine in most situations
혹시 (hoksi) means "by any chance" or "perhaps". Koreans put it at the start of a question to make it softer and more polite, as in 혹시 시간 있어요? ("Do you have time, by any chance?").
Where it comes from
혹시 comes from the Chinese characters 或是, which together carry the sense of "perhaps" or "possibly".
How to use 혹시
혹시 is one of the most useful softeners in Korean. Starting a question with it makes it sound careful and considerate, which is why it is common when asking strangers, coworkers or people you just met.
It fits any politeness level: add it to casual questions with friends or polite questions with elders. It is also used in K-dramas when someone nervously asks something personal, like "Do you, by any chance, like me?"
혹시나 and 혹시 모르니까 mean "just in case": 혹시 모르니까 우산 가져가 ("Take an umbrella, just in case").
Examples
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Meeting someone abroad
Asking a friend to hang out
Your friend is unusually quiet
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 혹시나 | Just in case / Possibly | Adds a feeling of doubt or caution. |
| 혹시 모르니까 | Just in case | Said before taking a precaution. |
| 혹시요 | By any chance? / Do you mean...? | Polite, used when checking something. |
Questions learners ask
What does hoksi mean in Korean?
혹시 means "by any chance" or "perhaps". It softens a question and makes it sound more polite.
Is hoksi polite?
혹시 is neutral, so it fits both casual and polite speech. It actually makes questions sound more considerate.
What does hoksina mean?
혹시나 means "just in case" or "in the off chance", often showing a bit of worry or hope.