Translate English to Korean that sounds natural to Korean readers
Launching an app in Korea or writing to a Korean partner? Korean grammar changes with politeness, and translating "you" as 당신 can sound cold or even rude. Your todo.is agent picks the right speech level, drops pronouns Korean does not need and keeps your text short enough for small screens.
The prompt
- Translate [ATTACH THE FILE OR PASTE THE TEXT] from English into Korean. It is [WHAT IT IS, E.G. APP STORE TEXT OR AN EMAIL] for [WHO WILL READ IT]. Use the [SPEECH LEVEL, E.G. POLITE 해요체 OR FORMAL 합니다체] style. Avoid 당신 and other pronouns where Korean leaves them out. Keep the app or brand name [APP NAME] as written and keep buttons under [MAX CHARACTERS] Korean characters. Return the Korean text, a back-translation in English and a list of terms with the Korean you chose, as a Word file.
What to change
- [ATTACH THE FILE OR PASTE THE TEXT]: App strings in a spreadsheet, a store listing, an email or a Word file.
- [WHAT IT IS, E.G. APP STORE TEXT OR AN EMAIL]: Also: "release notes", "a product page", "a message to a K-beauty supplier".
- [WHO WILL READ IT]: E.g. "Korean users in their 20s and 30s" or "a manager at a Seoul company".
- [SPEECH LEVEL, E.G. POLITE 해요체 OR FORMAL 합니다체]: 해요체 (-요 endings) is friendly and polite; 합니다체 is formal, for finance, official and business text.
- [APP NAME]: Your product or brand name, e.g. "Stepwise".
- [MAX CHARACTERS]: Longest button text allowed, e.g. "8". Write "no limit" if it does not matter.
Example result
- Translation: Stepwise app, App Store text
- English → Korean · polite 해요체 · App Store and Google Play
- English
- Walk more, stress less. Stepwise turns your daily steps into small challenges with friends. Set a goal, track your streak and earn badges. New in version 3.2: weekly reports and dark mode.
- Korean
- 더 많이 걷고, 스트레스는 줄이세요. Stepwise는 매일의 걸음 수를 친구와 함께하는 작은 챌린지로 바꿔 줘요. 목표를 정하고, 연속 기록을 확인하고, 배지를 모아 보세요. 3.2 버전 새 기능: 주간 리포트와 다크 모드.
- Back-translation
- Walk more and reduce stress. Stepwise turns your daily step count into small challenges with friends. Set a goal, check your streak and collect badges. New in version 3.2: weekly reports and dark mode.
- Terms
- • streak → 연속 기록
- • challenge → 챌린지 (the loanword Korean fitness apps use)
- • badge → 배지
- • dark mode → 다크 모드
- • weekly report → 주간 리포트
- Notes
- • "You" is left out completely. Korean sentences are clear without it, and 당신 would sound distant.
- • 해요체 (-요 endings) is friendly but polite, the usual style for consumer apps. Banks and public services often use 합니다체.
- • Many tech words are loanwords written in Hangul (리포트, 모드). Native alternatives like 보고서 exist but feel more formal.
- • Korean usually takes fewer characters than English, so all buttons fit.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the type of text, the audience and the speech level.
- Attach a Word file or spreadsheet of app strings, or paste the text, in todo.is.
- Check the back-translation and term list, then copy the Korean into your store listing.
- Later, send your agent Korean user reviews and ask for an English summary and polite replies.
Tips for a better result
- Do not translate "you" every time. Korean drops pronouns, and 당신 can sound cold, poetic or even confrontational.
- Use 해요체 for friendly consumer apps and 합니다체 for finance, public services and formal announcements.
- Korean puts the verb at the end, so long English sentences often need splitting. Short sentences read best on phones.
- Keep one fixed list of feature names in Korean and ask your agent to remember it for every update.
translate English to Korean: FAQ
- What are Korean speech levels? Korean verb endings change with politeness. 합니다체 is formal, 해요체 is polite and friendly, and 반말 is casual, used with close friends and younger people.
- Why shouldn't I use 당신 for "you"? 당신 is used between spouses, in poems or in arguments, so it sounds strange to customers. Korean usually leaves "you" out or uses a name or title.
- Is Korean text longer than English? Usually it is shorter in characters, because one Hangul block holds a whole syllable. Lines may still wrap differently, so check your layouts.
- Can my agent translate Korean messages into English? Yes. Paste a Korean message or attach a screenshot and ask for English, with notes on tone and politeness.
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