What does 제발 (jebal) mean?

제발 (jebal) means "please" in Korean, in the sense of begging or pleading. It shows that you really, really want something to happen or stop.

Where it comes from

제발 is an adverb used to plead. It adds urgency to a request or wish.

How to use 제발

Use 제발 for strong wishes and pleas: hoping you passed an exam, begging a friend to stop teasing you, or wishing for good weather.

A common mistake is using 제발 for everyday polite requests. To order food or ask for something politely, use 주세요 instead. Saying 제발 to a waiter sounds desperate.

제발 itself is fine with anyone, but the rest of the sentence decides how polite you are. With older people, use a polite ending, as in 제발 도와주세요 (Please help me).

Examples

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Other ways to say it

Hear it in songs

Real lines from songs broken down on Hanbok. Open a song to see every line explained.

• 멈춰 제발, 멈추지 마 멈춰 제발, 멈추지 마 (Ah)Please stop, don't stop. Please stop, don't stop (Ah)FEVER · ENHYPEN
• 제발 떨어지지 말아주오 떨어지지 말아줘 바스라지는 고엽Please, don't fall, don't fall. Crumbling, withered leaves.Autumn Leaves · BTS
• 제발 한번만 기회를 달라고Please, just give me one more chance.I’ll Be Your Man · BTOB
• [지민/뷔] 괜찮다고 하지 마 [지민/뷔] 괜찮지 않으니까 [지민/뷔] 제발 혼자 두지 말아 줘 너무 아파[Jimin/V] Don't say it's okay. [Jimin/V] Because it's not okay. [Jimin/V] Please, don't leave me alone, it hurts too much.Blue & Grey · BTS