Korean films, dramas, and conversations sometimes include swear words. Some close friends use them jokingly, but that does not make them harmless or appropriate with everyone. This guide explains ten expressions so you can recognize their meaning and strength. English equivalents are approximate and depend on context.
The romanizations below use Revised Romanization. These are informal or offensive expressions, not polite conversational vocabulary. Adding ㅋㅋ (laughter) does not automatically make an insult friendly.
씨발 (ssibal): fuck; a strong expletive
씨발 is a strong swear word that can express anger, frustration, shock, or other intense emotion. Translating it simply as “damn” understates its force. It does not mean “prostitute” or “incest.” Do not assume a friend will be amused if you direct it at them.
씨발! — “Fuck!” The intended emotion depends on tone and context. In messages, ㅋㅋ can mark laughter and ㅠㅠ can suggest crying, but the swear word remains vulgar.
존나 (jonna): fucking; very (vulgar intensifier)
존나 intensifies the word that follows it. It is linked to an obscene word for the penis, but its everyday function is emphasis; translating an example as a body part falling off is misleading. It is much ruder than neutral 정말 or 아주.
- 존나 웃기네. — “That’s fucking funny.”
- 존나 짜증 나네. — “That’s fucking annoying.”
- 존나 싫어. — “I fucking hate it.”
지랄 (jiral): bullshit; obnoxious behavior (offensive)
지랄 has a derogatory historical association with seizures. As an insult, it dismisses someone’s behavior or words as ridiculous or objectionable. It is not a neutral medical term, and its association with illness has not simply disappeared.
- 지랄이네. — Roughly, “What bullshit” or “What a ridiculous performance.”
- 지랄하지 말고 꺼져. — “Stop that bullshit and get lost.” This is openly hostile.
염병 (yeombyeong): a curse expressing anger or disgust
염병 is an old term associated with typhoid fever and is also used as a curse. In an exclamation, a translation such as “damn it” may fit, depending on context. The literal disease meaning does not provide a natural translation of every insulting use.
염병하지 말고 꺼져. — Roughly, “Stop that crap and get lost.” This is insulting, not a friendly phrase to use automatically when someone makes a mistake.
개새끼 (gaesaekki): son of a bitch; bastard
Literally, 개새끼 refers to a dog’s offspring. Directed at a person, it is a severe insult. The prefix 개- can have meanings such as inferior or false in some words and can also act as a vulgar intensifier in slang; dogs do not appear in every Korean insult.
개새끼야! — “You son of a bitch!” Some people use it in rough banter, but friendship alone does not make it acceptable.
상놈 (sangnom): a contemptuous insult for a man
상놈 historically disparaged a commoner or someone considered low-status. It does not mean “merchant.” Modern use insults a man as vulgar, ill-mannered, or contemptible. 상년 is a related derogatory term directed at a woman. These are class-based and gendered insults, not ordinary words for greedy people or business owners.
병신 (byeongsin): an ableist insult
병신 is a derogatory word associated with disability and also used to insult someone as an idiot or incompetent person. It is not a neutral term for disabled people. Even when the target is not disabled, the expression remains ableist and offensive.
좆같다 (jotgatda): to be fucking awful
좆 is an obscene word for the penis. 좆같다 literally makes a comparison with it, but in use it expresses strong contempt or dissatisfaction: “fucking awful,” “shitty,” or a similar vulgar judgment. It does not simply mean “out of control.”
- 옷 좆같이 입었네. — “You’re dressed like shit.” This insults someone’s appearance.
- 좆같네. — “This is fucking awful.”
또라이 (ttorai): nutcase; weirdo (insulting)
또라이 insults someone as foolish, irrational, or eccentric. It is not a clinical term for mental illness. Its appearance on television does not mean that people will find it harmless.
- 또라이야? — “Are you nuts?”
- 너 또라이지? — “You’re a nutcase, aren’t you?”
젠장 (jenjang): damn it
젠장 expresses annoyance, disappointment, or frustration. “Damn it” is usually a closer guide to its force than “fuck.” It is milder than 씨발, but still informal and impolite. It does not mean “physical punishment” in these examples.
- 젠장, 시험이 왜 이렇게 어려워? — “Damn it, why is this exam so difficult?”
- 젠장, 주말에도 일하라고? — “Damn it, you want me to work on the weekend too?”
Conclusion
Recognizing these words can help you understand Korean media and conversations. Their force depends on tone, context, and the relationship between speakers; do not assume that a word used jokingly by one group is welcome elsewhere.
For more Korean words and expressions, see: