Nuance Dictionary / Social Dynamics
알아서 al-a-seo
According to one's own judgment / intuitively taking care of things without needing explicit instructions
What does 알아서 mean?
알아서 (al-a-seo) means: According to one's own judgment / intuitively taking care of things without needing explicit instructions.
Far from abdication of duty, telling someone '알아서 해줘' (do it as you see fit) is the ultimate compliment of trust in a relationship. It acknowledges that the other person understands your preferences so completely that verbal confirmation is an unnecessary friction.
🔊 From the story above
알아서 — Al-a-seo
알아서 해줘 — al-a-seo haejwo, "just take care of it as you see fit"
눈치 — nunchi
골고루 — gol-go-ru
본 콘텐츠는 — listen & repeat
기술을 활용하여 제작되었습니다 — listen & repeat
🎙️ 알아서는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [아라서]로 소리나요 (연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 회의 안건은 네가 알아서 잘 정리해 줘.
hoeui angeoneun nega araseo jal jeongnihae jwo.
Just handle and organize the meeting agenda as you see fit.
💡 An expression of full professional trust in a colleague's competence. - 숙제는 학교 가기 전에 알아서 끝내라.
sukjeneun hakgyo gagi jeone araseo kkeunnaera.
Finish your homework on your own accord before going to school.
💡 Telling someone to take personal responsibility without nagging. - 메뉴는 다들 취향이 다르니까 알아서 각자 시키자.
menyuneun dadeul chihwangi dareunikka araseo gakja sikija.
Everyone has different tastes, so let's just order whatever we each want independently.
💡 Leaving decisions up to individual preference smoothly.
Related words in Social Dynamics
골고루 gol-go-ru양보하다 yang-bo-ha-da배려하다 bae-ryeo-ha-da투정부리다 tu-jeong-bu-ri-da유치하다 yu-chi-ha-da