Korean · Real conversations
How to say “Something has come up.” in Korean
Explain that an unexpected matter has interrupted your plan.
갑자기 일이 생겼어요.gapjagi iri saenggyeosseoyo.
Something has come up.
The expression gives a brief reason without requiring private details.
Use it in three situations
A last-minute message
갑자기 일이 생겼어요.gapjagi iri saenggyeosseoyo.
Something has come up.
Explaining a cancellation
회사에 급한 일이 생겼어요.hoesae geupan iri saenggyeosseoyo.
Something has come up at work.
Changing a social plan
급한 일이 생겨서 약속을 변경해야 해요.geupan iri saenggyeoseo yaksogeul byeongyeonghaeya haeyo.
Something has come up, so I need to change our plans.
What to watch for
Use an expression for an unexpected event rather than translating physical upward movement.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine changing plans. Say this in Korean: Something has come up at work.
Reveal a sample reply
회사에 급한 일이 생겼어요.hoesae geupan iri saenggyeosseoyo.
Something has come up at work.
Build a useful exchange
Explain a change and offer a clear next step.
This expression in other languages
A note on speaking Korean
Most examples use polite 해요-style endings. A more formal ending may appear when addressing staff or making a careful request. Do not switch to casual speech with a stranger simply because the English translation sounds friendly.
Hangul is the main text; romanization helps you read along. Korean often leaves a clear subject unstated. Particles and endings carry information that English may express with separate words.
