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Korean · Soju Rules

술고래

sulgorae

sool-goh-REH · /sul.ɡo.ɾɛ/

A heavyweight drinker — someone who drinks like a whale drinks seawater.

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"liquor whale"

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

How to use it

Not a fish, a whale — the image is a creature that swallows the sea. 술고래 is the friend whose glass empties itself and who walks straight out of round three; it's said with more awe than judgment, drinking capacity being a quietly-admired stat in Korean social life. Grandma-safe teasing — she may well use it about her own husband. Related fauna and flora: 술꾼 (sulkkun, a drinker by vocation) and 술이 술을 마신다 ("the liquor drinks the liquor"), the proverb for the point of no return. Being labeled one as a guest is a compliment and a warning about future invitations.

Heard in the wild

쟤는 소주 세 병을 마시고 멀쩡해. 완전 술고래야.

He had three bottles of soju and he's fine. An absolute liquor whale.

Where it lands

South Korea (universal)

Quick answers

What does "술고래" mean?
In Korean, "술고래" means "A heavyweight drinker — someone who drinks like a whale drinks seawater.". Literally it's "liquor whale". Not a fish, a whale — the image is a creature that swallows the sea. 술고래 is the friend whose glass empties itself and who walks straight out of round three; it's said with more awe than judgment, drinking capacity being a quietly-admired stat in Korean social life. Grandma-safe teasing — she may well use it about her own husband. Related fauna and flora: 술꾼 (sulkkun, a drinker by vocation) and 술이 술을 마신다 ("the liquor drinks the liquor"), the proverb for the point of no return. Being labeled one as a guest is a compliment and a warning about future invitations.
Is "술고래" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "술고래"?
Say it "sool-goh-REH" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: sul.ɡo.ɾɛ.

Related in Korean

개맛있어 gaemasisseo geh-mah-SHEE-ssuh Insanely delicious — the dog prefix doing its finest work. 짠! jjan jjahn Cheers! — the toast is the sound effect itself. 원샷! wonsyat wuhn-SHAHT Bottoms up! — empty the glass in one go. 마셔 마셔! masyeo masyeo mah-SHYUH mah-SHYUH Drink! Drink! — the table chant that overrules your better judgment. 폭탄주 poktanju pohk-tahn-JOO The bomb shot — soju depth-charged into beer, i.e. somaek. 숙취 쩔어 sukchwi jjeoreo sook-chwee JJUH-luh Brutally hungover — the morning-after status report.

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