#koreanlanguage

if you're a frequent k-drama watcher, then you probably know a thing or two about swearing in Korean. but it actually goes so much deeper than what is popularly known on the internet so here is a list of the more common Korean swears! obviously, this is just for funsies and you probably shouldn't be going around saying these words to people.

바보 (babo) - fool, dummy, idiot, stupid

등신 (deungshin) - dumbass

병신 (byeongshin) - literally translates to "diseased body (病身)", and has a similar connotation to the English r-slur (but is very rarely used in that way)

씨발 (shibal) - fuck, comes from archaic verb 씹하다 shibhada (to have sex)

새끼 (saekki) - literally means "animal offspring" but is used as a swear in certain circumstances, it's also used affectionately when mothers refer to their children. you might hear a Korean mom say something like, "내 새끼~~" (nae saekki) which literally means "my babyyyy" in English.

개___ (gae___) - literally means "dog" but is used in front of other swear words to increase the severity and offensiveness

eg. 개새끼 (gae saekki) - son of a bitch

eg. 개씨발 (gae shibal) - FUUUUCCCCCK

닥쳐 (dakchyeo) - shut up

꺼져 (ggeo-jyeo) - fuck off

뒈지다 (dwejida) - to die and go to hell

놈/년 (nom/nyeon) - bastard/bitch, can also have other words in front of it to describe the person

eg. 미친놈/년 (michin nom/nyeon) - crazy bastard/bitch

eg. 썅놈/년 (shyang nom/nyeon) - fucking bastard/bitch

지랄 (jiral) - speaking nonsense/spouting bullshit

또라이 (ttorai) - a freak

엿 먹어 (yeot meogeo) - literally means "eat yeot" (a traditional Korean confectionary), it basically means "fuck you", "eat shit", etc

젠장 (jenjang) - interjection such as saying shit! fuck! damn it!

좆 (jot) - dick

보지 (boji) - pussy

"내 손녀가 '시대에 맞춰가야 한다'고 했어. 3주가 지난 지금, 200만 명의 십대들이 나를 '홀섬 킹'이라고 부르는데, 둘 중 뭐가 더 모욕적인지 모르겠다."

[My granddaughter said I needed to 'get with the times.' Three weeks later, I'm being called a 'wholesome king' by two million teenagers, and I don't know which part insults me more.]

이 모든 난리는 에밀리가 내 폰에 그 빌어먹을 틱톡이란 걸 깔면서 시작됐다. 그게 "정신을 활발하게 해줄 거"라고 했다. 마치 40년 동안 폭탄 해체하는 일이 내 정신을 충분히 날카롭게 만들어주지 않은 것처럼 말이다. 하지만 그 애가 그런 표정을 지었다 - 할머니가 예전에 짓곤 했던 그 표정 - 그래서 난 고개를 끄덕이고 관심 있는 척했다.

[The whole mess started when Emily installed that damn TikTok thing on my phone. Said it would "keep my mind active." As if forty years of defusing bombs hadn't kept my mind sharp enough. But she had that look—the same one her grandmother used to give me—so I nodded and pretended to care.]

내가 올린 첫 영상은 열리지 않는 피클 병에 욕을 하는 거였다. 녹화되고 있다는 것도 몰랐다. 에밀리가 내가 그 병과 씨름하는 동안 폰을 세워뒀는데, 내 헝클어진 회색 머리는 여느 때처럼 아인슈타인처럼 보였다. "군대에서 30년을 있었는데," 난 그 병을 향해 으르렁거렸다. "네가 날 이길 수 있을 거라 생각해? 난 음식물 분쇄기도 겁먹을 만한 걸 먹어봤다고."

[First video I posted was me cursing at a jar of pickles that wouldn't open. Didn't even know I was being recorded. Emily had propped up my phone while I wrestled with the thing, my wild gray hair doing its usual Einstein impression. "Thirty years in the military," I growled at the jar, "and you think you can outlast me? I've eaten things that would make a garbage disposal nervous."]

결국 그 병이 이겼다. 고무 그립을 써야 했다.

[The jar won. I had to use the rubber grip thing.]

24시간이 지나고 에밀리가 전화해서 내가 바이럴이 됐다고 소리를 질렀다. 난 내가 코로나에 걸린 줄 알았다.

[Twenty-four hours later, Emily called, screaming something about me going viral. I thought I'd caught COVID.]

"아니야, 할아버지! 트렌딩이에요! 조회수가 50만이나 돼요!"

["No, Grandpa! You're trending! Half a million views!"]

알고 보니 사람들은 이 늙은이가 절인 오이와 싸워서 지는 걸 완전 재밌어했다. 댓글엔 "이분 꼭 지켜드려야 해" 랑 "할아버지 에너지 뿜뿜" 같은 말들이 가득했다. 도대체 그게 무슨 뜻인지 알 수가 있나.

[Turns out, people found it hilarious—this angry old coot losing a battle with preserved cucumbers. The comments were full of things like "protect him at all costs" and "grandfather energy intensifies." What in the sam hill does that even mean?]

정신을 차려보니 에밀리는 날 "리액션 비디오"라는 걸 찍게 만들었다. 내가 백플립하는 사람들을 보고 (멍청이들), 요즘 은어를 이해하려 하고 ("노캡"이 거짓말 안 한다는 뜻이라고? "솔직히"라고 하면 될 걸), 에너지 드링크를 리뷰하는 ("배터리를 설탕물에 녹인 맛이군") 영상들이었다.

[Before I knew it, Emily had me doing what she called "reaction videos." Me watching people doing backflips (idiots), trying to understand modern slang ("no cap" means they're not lying? What happened to just saying "honestly"?), and reviewing energy drinks ("Tastes like someone melted a battery in sugar water").]

내 가장 인기 있는 영상? 이 어린 녀석들한테 병원식 모서리로 침대를 제대로 정리하는 법을 가르쳐주는 거였다. "동전을 던졌을 때 튀어 오를 정도가 돼야 해. 그래도 아직 부족해!" 내가 카메라를 향해 고함을 쳤다. "그리고 네 목숨이 걸린 것처럼 그 모서리를 단단히 접어. 언젠가는 진짜 그럴 수도 있으니까!"

[My most popular video? Me teaching these young punks how to properly make a bed with hospital corners. "If you can bounce a quarter off it, it's still not tight enough," I barked at the camera. "And tuck in those corners like your life depends on it, because one day, it might!"]

댓글들이 미쳤다:

[The comments were wild:]

"화가 난 게 아니라 우리 침대 정리 실력이 실망스러우신 거야 😭"

["He's not mad, he's just disappointed in our bed-making skills 😭"]

"2025년에 우리에게 필요했던 에너지다"

["This is the energy we needed in 2025"]

"POV: 너의 할아버지가 몰래 주인공이었음"

["POV: Your grandpa is secretly the main character"]

에밀리가 POV가 무슨 뜻인지 설명하려고 했는데, 난 내 뇌가 귀에서 새어나오기 전에 그만하라고 했다.

[Emily tried explaining what POV means, but I told her to stop before my brain started leaking out my ears.]

지난주엔 마트에서 어떤 애가 내 사인을 해달라고 했다. 난 그 애한테 침대를 제대로 정리하는 걸 보여주면 영수증에 사인해주겠다고 했다. 불쌍한 녀석, 마치 내가 다빈치 코드를 해독하라고 한 것처럼 보였다.

[Last week, some kid at the grocery store asked for my autograph. I told him I'd sign his receipt if he showed me he could make his bed properly. Poor kid looked like I'd asked him to decode the Da Vinci Code.]

이제 에밀리는 "수익 창출"이니 "브랜드 딜"이니 하는 얘기를 하고 있다. 어떤 매트리스 회사가 자기네 제품을 홍보해달라고 한다는군. 나한테 말이다! 평생 반은 돌덩이 위에서 자면서 그걸 호화로운 숙소라고 불렀던 바로 그 사람한테.

[Now Emily's talking about "monetization" and "brand deals." Apparently, some mattress company wants me to promote their products. Me! The same guy who spent half his career sleeping on rocks and calling it luxury accommodation.]

진짜 웃긴 건? 내 옛 부대에서 이 소식을 들었다는 거다. 존슨 상사한테 문자가 왔다: "상관님, 죄송하지만, 이제 틱톡 스타가 되셨다고요? 세상이 정말 미쳐가나 봅니다."

[The real kicker? My old unit caught wind of it. Got a text from Johnson, my former sergeant major: "Sir, with all due respect, you're a TikTok star now? The world really has gone to hell."]

난 에밀리가 가르쳐준 그 바보같은 춤을 추는 영상을 보내줬다, 그저 그를 고통스럽게 하려고.

[I sent back a video of me doing that stupid dance Emily taught me, just to watch him suffer.]

아마도 이 "시대에 맞춰가는" 것도 그렇게 나쁘진 않은 것 같다. 하지만 누군가 날 한 번만 더 "베스티"라고 부르면, 인터넷을 통째로 지워버릴 거다. 젠장맞을 인터넷 전체를. 방법은 찾아내겠지.

[Maybe this "getting with the times" thing isn't so bad after all. Though if one more person calls me "bestie," I'm deleting the internet. The whole damn thing. I'm sure I can figure out how.]

적어도 그 피클 병은 이제 유명해졌다. 아직도 안 열린 채로 내 선반에 트로피처럼 놓여있다. 어떤 싸움은 품위 있게 지는 거고, 어떤 싸움은 콘텐츠로 만드는 거다. 에밀리 말로는 그렇다나. 난 그냥 복수라고 부르지만.

[At least the pickle jar is now famous. It sits on my shelf like a trophy, still unopened. Some battles you lose with dignity, and some you turn into content. That's what Emily calls it anyway. I just call it revenge.]

요즘 애들이 뭔가를 알고 있는 것 같다, 비록 침대는 제대로 정리할 줄 모르지만. 하지만 에밀리한텐 내가 이런 말 했다고 하지 마라. 내 명성을 지켜야 하니까.

[The kids these days might be onto something, even if they can't make their beds worth a damn. But don't tell Emily I said that. I've got a reputation to maintain.]

이제 실례하지만, 난 "POV: 군대 할아버지가 너의 게이밍 셋업을 평가한다"라는 걸 찍어야 한다고 한다. 그게 뭔진 모르겠지만. 이 녀석들 케이블 정리가 제대로 안 돼있으면 혼쭐을 내줄 거다.

[Now, if you'll excuse me, apparently I need to film something called a "POV: Military grandpa rates your gaming setup." Whatever that means. These kids better have their cables properly managed, or they're in for an earful.]

그림: painting, picture, drawing, sketch, illustration

페인팅: painting (영어)

페인트칠: painting (한국어)

그리다: to paint, draw, sketch a picture

끌다: to pull, draw/attract (someone's attention)

긋다: draw a line

만들다: to make (a movie, book, song), produce, direct (a movie), compose (a song)

사진: picture, photo

영화: picture, video, movie, film

영상: picture, video, image (shown on a screen)

화면: picture, image (space filled by a photo)

그림자: shadow, silhouette, reflection (on a mirror/water)

그늘: shade, dark part

미행: shadowing (secretly following someone to keep an eye on them or get evidence)

느끼다: to feel (experience an emotion in one's mind), realize, being aware of

기분: mood, feeling, atmosphere (the situation surrounding)

감정: emotion, feeling (towards a certain incident or person)

도자기: pottery, ceramics, chinaware (도기 is a bowl made of clay, and 자기 is baked at a higher temperature-1200°C-)

도예: abbreviation of '도자기 공예' -ceramic arts-

도기: pottery, earthenware

회: raw fish, round (ONLY when it's added to a number, aka a counter)

둥근: round, spheroid

차례: order, turn

계속: continuosly, consecutively

형태: shape, form, figure, appearance (of an object)

모양: shape (outer appearance/aspect) -mostly used-

형성하다: to form, build, develop a certain character or form

생기다: to be formed, come into being (something that didn't exist to come into existence)

예술: art (very broad sense, including music, painting, sculpture, architecture)

미술품: art work, fine art, work of art

미술: art (painting and sculpture)

기술: technology, skill, technique

닦다: to clean, scrub, wipe

양치: brushing teeth

붓: writing/painting brush

빗다: to brush/comb one's hair

비디오: video

텔레비전: TV

녹화: video, record, tape, videotape

무비: movie

원: circle; ￦

돌다: to turn, rotate, spin; to go around, circle

그룹: group, a circle (of people)

사회: society, circle

잉크: ink

서명하다: to sign

서명: signature, autograph

먹물: black ink (ink + water), squid ink

광장: square, plaza

사각형: square, quadrangle, tetragon, quadrilateral

평방: square (ej metros cuadrados)

제곱: square (of -maths-)

네모: square

조각: piece (of), slice; sculpture, statue

작품: piece (of music), work (of art); product, production

부분: piece, part, section, portion

하나: one, piece

하나씩: one by one, one at a time, piece by piece

일부: some/any part, portion, section, partially, partly

즐기다: to enjoy (oneself), have fun

하세요: do it, allowing someone to do something

누리다: authority to enjoy what you have in life; to enjoy someone's rights or benefits

즐겁게: delightfully

재미있다: funny, interesting, amusing, entertaining

점토: clay

진흙: mud

춤: dance (dynamic, b-boing, -방탄소년단-)

무용: dance (soft movement -ballet-)

추다: to dance

페인트: paint (pintura)

칠하다: to paint, coat, varnish

물감: paint, dye (to draw a picture or dye cloth)

색칠하다: to paint, color (something)

크레용: crayon

~을 크레용으로 그리다: to draw with crayons

~을 사생하다: to draw exactly as it is (not used in conversational korean)

주변 경치를 사생하다: draw exactly how it is viewed

사생대회: drawing/painting contest

납작한: flat (to be)

평면: plane/flat surface

아파트: flat, apartment

시시한: flat, petty, small minded; insignificant, trivial

한 푼 없는: have no money

포스터: poster

영화계: the film world (-hollywood-)

박막: a thin film (anatomical jargon)

촬영: shooting, filiming

필름: film (영화 필름, 카메라 필름, 휴대폰 액정보호 필름, etc)

행동하다: to act, behave

법률: law, act, legislation

연기하다: to act, perform (personality, behavior, etc of a role); to delay, postpone

행위: act, action (with intention, will)

대행하다: to do something for someone

source: 영단어는 관리다 app

You want to understand your favorite K-Pop songs and want to understand K-Dramas without the subtitles? No more procrastination.

Here are things I did or used to get better at Korean:

Learn Hangul

It´s so easy and you can learn it very quickly in a few days.

2. Do not use Duolingo

This was my mistake for a long time. Duolingo wont make you proficient in Korean. They also dont explain it very well. Just dont waste your time with it and ditch Duo.

3. Use the correct textbooks and websites

Talk To Me In Korean is a goldmine. Seriously. Use them. There are also PDF version if you dont want to learn with a physical book. They go through all the basics with you in a very nicely explained way. You can also use their website for further grammar lessons or listening practices. Can recommend! Also, if you´re stuck with a specific grammar, just google "xyz grammar in Korean+ meaning/grammar". E.g.: -는 거야 grammar. There are many websites explaining it simply and quickly.

Plus: Watch YouTube Videos of real life conversations. Often these are also shorts, so you do not have to watch a 10 minute video. Replay those shorts a lot until you understand what the Korean speaking person is saying.

4. My blog

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! It's the perfect time to start learning some new and romantic Korean phrases to express your love for that special someone. Here are some lovely Korean phrases to add to your vocabulary: 1. 내 발렌타인이 되어 줄래? (nae balrentaini dweojulrae)

(Will you be my Valentine?) 2. 나랑 사귈래? (narang sagwilrae)

(Will you go out with me?) 3. 사랑해 (saranghae)

(I love you.) 4. 내 곁에 있어줘 (nae gyote issojwo)

(Stay with me.) 5. 난 네꺼야 (nan nekkoya)

(I'm yours.) 6. 넌 내 전부야 (non nae jonbuya)

(You are my everything.) 7. 우리는 천생연분이야 (urineun chonsaengnyonbuniya)

(We're meant for each other.) 8. 하늘만큼 땅만큼 사랑해 (haneulmankeum ttangmankeum saranghae)

(I love you to the moon and back.) 9. 진심으로 사랑해 (jinsimeuro saranghae)

(I love you from the bottom of my heart.) 10. 시간이 지날수록 더 사랑해 (sigani jinalsurok do saranghae)

(I love you more as time goes by.) 11. 제 사랑을 말로 다 표현할 수가 없어 (je sarangeul malro da pyohyonhal ssuga opsso)

(Words can't express how much I love you.) 12. 행복하게 해줄게 (haengbokage haejulge)

(I will make you happy.) 13. 키스해도 돼? (kisseuhaedo dwae)

(Can I kiss you?) 14. 앞으로 우리 오래오래 예쁜 사랑하자 (apeuro uri oraeorae yeppeun saranghaja)

(Let's love each other for a long time.) 15. 나랑 결혼해 줄래? (narang gyolhonhaejulrae)

(Will you marry me?) Spread the love and share your favorite Korean Valentine's Day phrases in the comments! 💕🇰🇷 #ValentineInKorean #KoreanLoveWords #SayingIloveYouInKoreanShare 

🌸 🌼 🌻

My goals for 2023

Long-term goals:

Korean: reach B2 level.

English: I am already C2, but I want to keep improving it, specially my reading and writing. Maybe study for the IELTS.

Spanish: I have some classes at school, but I would like to self-study a bit to be able to have a conversation in Spanish (at least?).

Short-term goals:

Korean: start studying it again, everyday. I also would like to review my beginner grammar book and start using mainly contextualized books, with conversations and vocabulary.

English: read some of the books in English I've bought, like Pride and Prejudice.

After a VERY long hiatus (sorry y’all) I bring you- phrases to learn before visiting Korea!!