What does 대충 mean?

대충 (dae-chung, daechung)

‘대충’ (daechung) means roughly or carelessly in Korean, used in casual and business contexts.

Korean word 대충 meaning roughly or carelessly

Definition & nuance

Core meaning and shades learners miss.

대충(dae-chung, daechung)

‘대충’ means doing something roughly or carelessly without paying attention to details.

Nuances

  • Similar to ‘roughly’ but implies carelessness or lack of effort.
  • In positive contexts, means ‘simply’ or ‘quickly.’
  • In negative contexts, implies lack of sincerity or incompleteness.

When to use

Casual conversation, Business meeting, Deadline work, Cooking preparation

In context

‘대충’ is an adverb modifying verbs or adjectives to indicate an action or state done roughly or approximately. It is mainly used in spoken language and is suitable for casual conversations or brief explanations in business settings, but not formal documents.

Real-world examples

  • 숙제는 대충 했어요.

    suk-je-neun dae-chung haess-eo-yo., suk je neun dae chung haess eo yo.

    ‘대충’ modifies the verb ‘하다’ indicating it was done carelessly or roughly.

  • 대충 준비했지만 괜찮아요.

    dae-chung jun-bi-haess-ji-man gwaen-chan-a-yo., dae chung jun bi haess ji man gwaen chan a yo.

    ‘대충’ modifies ‘prepare’ meaning roughly prepared but acceptable.

  • 그는 대충 대답하지 않았다.

    geu-neun dae-chung dae-dap-ha-ji an-ass-da., geu neun dae chung dae dap ha ji an ass da.

    In negation, ‘대충’ modifies ‘answer’ meaning he answered sincerely.

  • 대충하게 숙제했어요.

    dae-chung-ha-ge suk-je-haess-eo-yo., dae chung ha ge suk je haess eo yo.

    ‘대충’ is an adverb and should not combine with ‘-하게’; correct form is ‘대충 했다’.

  • 대충 먹었어요.

    dae-chung meok-eoss-eo-yo., dae chung meok eoss eo yo.

    ‘대충’ modifies ‘eat’ meaning ate roughly or without care.

  • 회의를 대충 끝냈어요.

    hoe-ui-reul dae-chung kkeut-naess-eo-yo., hoe ui reul dae chung kkeut naess eo yo.

    ‘대충’ modifies ‘finish’ meaning finished roughly or carelessly.

  • 대충하게 말했어요.

    dae-chung-ha-ge mal-haess-eo-yo., dae chung ha ge mal haess eo yo.

    ‘대충’ should not be combined with ‘-하게’; correct is ‘대충 말했어요’.

Quick quiz

  1. What does ‘대충’ mean?

    ‘대충’은 어떤 뜻인가요?(‘dae-chung’euneo-tteontteus-in-ga-yo?, ‘daechung’euneotteontteusingayo?)
  2. Which sentence best fits the use of ‘대충’?

    ‘대충’과 가장 잘 어울리는 문장은?(‘dae-chung’gwaga-jangjaleo-ul-ri-neunmun-jang-eun?, ‘daechung’gwagajangjaleoulrineunmunjangeun?)
  3. Which is incorrect usage of ‘대충’?

    ‘대충’을 쓸 때 틀린 표현은?(‘dae-chung’eulsseulttaeteul-rinpyo-hyeon-eun?, ‘daechung’eulsseulttaeteulrinpyohyeoneun?)

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