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Korean · Soju Rules

꼰대

kkondae

KKOHN-deh · /k͈on.dɛ/

Boomer-boss / condescending elder who pulls rank — 'back in MY day…'

2/5 Bar-safe

coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances

Literally

"(slang) a condescending old-timer"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The defining insult of Korean office culture, best served over beer after work. A 꼰대 pulls seniority instead of making sense: lectures uninvited, demands deference, begins sentences with "나 때는" ("in MY day" — parodied as "Latte is horse"). It skewers behavior, not age; a 30-year-old can be a 꼰대, and "젊은 꼰대" (young kkondae) is its own diagnosis. A 2 gossiping about an absent offender — the word's natural habitat — but calling your actual boss one to his face converts it instantly to fighting words via the hierarchy it mocks. The after-work 소주 round exists substantially to process 꼰대 encounters.

Heard in the wild

부장님 또 라떼 시전하시더라. 진짜 꼰대야.

The department head did his 'back in my day' routine again. Total kkondae.

Where it lands

South Korea (universal); the word of the decade for office life

Quick answers

What does "꼰대" mean?
In Korean, "꼰대" means "Boomer-boss / condescending elder who pulls rank — 'back in MY day…'". Literally it's "(slang) a condescending old-timer". The defining insult of Korean office culture, best served over beer after work. A 꼰대 pulls seniority instead of making sense: lectures uninvited, demands deference, begins sentences with "나 때는" ("in MY day" — parodied as "Latte is horse"). It skewers behavior, not age; a 30-year-old can be a 꼰대, and "젊은 꼰대" (young kkondae) is its own diagnosis. A 2 gossiping about an absent offender — the word's natural habitat — but calling your actual boss one to his face converts it instantly to fighting words via the hierarchy it mocks. The after-work 소주 round exists substantially to process 꼰대 encounters.
Is "꼰대" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
How do you pronounce "꼰대"?
Say it "KKOHN-deh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: k͈on.dɛ.

Related in Korean

개새끼 gaesaekki geh-SEH-kkee Son of a bitch / bastard — a real insult with no soft reading. 새끼 saekki SEH-kkee Punk / little shit — literally a baby animal, and that's the insult. 놈 nom nohm Guy / bastard — the male half of Korean's asymmetric insult pair. 년 nyeon nyun Bitch — the female counterpart of 놈, and far, far harsher. 바보 babo bah-BOH Dummy / silly — the soft, safe, often affectionate 'idiot.' 또라이 ttorai ttoh-RAH-ee Nutjob / psycho / total weirdo.

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