5 Common Mistakes When You Translate English to Korean with Standard Apps

When you translate English to Korean using standard apps like Google Translate, you often get results that look correct but are actually wrong for your situation. Here are the five most common mistakes.

1. Ignoring Honorifics Completely

Standard translation apps don't know who you're talking to. They give you one translation, but Korean has multiple levels of politeness.

Example:

• "Thank you" could be:

- 고마워 (casual, for friends)

- 감사해요 (polite, for strangers)

- 감사합니다 (formal, for bosses)

Most apps default to one form without asking.

2. Literal Word-for-Word Translation

English and Korean have completely different sentence structures. Word-by-word translation often sounds unnatural.

Example:

• "I love you" literally is "나는 너를 사랑한다"
• But Koreans actually say "사랑해" (casual) or "사랑해요" (polite)

3. Wrong Context for Words with Multiple Meanings

Many English words have multiple Korean translations depending on context.

Example:

• "Free" could mean:

- 자유로운 (freedom)

- 무료 (no cost)

A tattoo saying "무료 영혼" means "no-cost soul" — not "free spirit."

4. Using Dictionary Forms Instead of Natural Speech

Translation apps often give dictionary/formal forms that nobody actually uses in conversation.

Example:

• "What are you doing?" → 당신은 무엇을 하고 있습니까? (too formal)
• Natural Korean: 뭐 해요? (polite) or 뭐 해? (casual)

5. Not Adapting Names Properly

English names need to be phonetically adapted, not literally spelled.

Example:

• "David" should be 데이비드, not 다비드
• "Victoria" should be 빅토리아, not 비크토리아

The Solution

When you translate English to Korean, always consider:

1. Who are you talking to?

2. What's the context?

3. Is this how Koreans actually speak?

Use a translator that lets you choose the tone level, like our tool at translateenglishtokorean.com.