Nuance Dictionary / Emotions & Feelings
설마 seolma
A theatrical gasp in word form, used to call someone out on an absurd assumption or jokingly accuse them of plotting something silly.
What does 설마 mean?
설마 (seolma) means: A theatrical gasp in word form, used to call someone out on an absurd assumption or jokingly accuse them of plotting something silly.
Speakers use this adverb when questioning whether someone could possibly have done something absurd or unexpected, often as gentle banter between acquaintances. It appears when reacting to a suggestion that sounds improbable or humorous, inviting the other person to confirm or deny with a smile. In dialogue exchanges, it pairs with questions about serious or embarrassing possibilities framed in a light tone.
Can sound like affectionate teasing rather than genuine suspicion, especially when accompanied by a lighthearted tone between close friends or family members.
Can sound like affectionate teasing rather than genuine suspicion, especially when accompanied by a lighthearted tone between close friends or family members.
Other sides of 설마
◆ Existential Dread — Speakers reach for this adverb in moments of sudden realization when a negative outcome appears possible despite all hope to the contrary. It combines with rhetorical questions and negative suppositions, often appearing in sentences ending with forms like -(이)ㄹ까 or -(이)는 아니겠지. It occurs in conversational exchanges where one speaker checks a disturbing possibility against another person's actions or intent.
Can convey a sharp spike of anxiety or sinking realization, where the speaker is desperately hoping to be proven wrong.
◆ Gentle Reassurance — Speakers reach for this when comforting someone or pushing back against a worrisome thought that a negative outcome might be true. It turns up when one person seeks reassurance or expresses anxious suspicion about another person's actions. The structure frequently pairs with negative suppositions or rhetorical questions questioning whether something bad has occurred.
When used for reassurance, it can soften a pointed question by signaling that the speaker hopes the answer is no.
Can convey a sharp spike of anxiety or sinking realization, where the speaker is desperately hoping to be proven wrong.
◆ Gentle Reassurance — Speakers reach for this when comforting someone or pushing back against a worrisome thought that a negative outcome might be true. It turns up when one person seeks reassurance or expresses anxious suspicion about another person's actions. The structure frequently pairs with negative suppositions or rhetorical questions questioning whether something bad has occurred.
When used for reassurance, it can soften a pointed question by signaling that the speaker hopes the answer is no.
How it's actually used
- 사귀자는 말, 설마 진심은 아니지?
sagwija-neun mal, seolma jinsim-eun aniji?
You surely don't mean that about going out, right?
💡 reacting to a romantic proposal with playful skepticism - 너 설마 집에 애를 혼자 놓고 온 건 아니겠지?
neo seolma jib-e ae-reul honja nohgo on geon anigetji?
You couldn't possibly have left the kid alone at home, right?
💡 teasingly questioning someone's judgment on a minor detail - 설마 아이가 나에게 거짓말을 했을까?
seolma aiga na-ege geojismal-eul haesseulkka?
Could the child really have lied to me?
💡 raising an improbable possibility to test a doubt
Related words in Emotions & Feelings
심심하다 sim-sim-ha-da속이 시원하다 Sogi siwonhada속이 타다 Sogi tada속마음 Sok-ma-eum수줍다 sujubda