Korean · The Essential Kit
아이씨
aissi
ah-ee-SSHEE · /a.i.ɕ͈i/
Damn it / ugh — the everyday defused version of the F-word.
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
Literally
"ah + ssi (the clipped first syllable of ssibal)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The genius of Korean cursing is the fuse system: 씨발 is the bomb, 씨 (ssi) is the fuse, and 아이씨 is the fuse fizzling harmlessly. You'll hear it dozens of times a day — the spilled coffee, the missed subway doors, the phone at 1%. Everyone knows exactly which word it's standing in for, which is why it's bar-safe rather than Grandma-safe: teens say it in front of teachers and get a look, not detention. The fully sanitized versions are 아이참 (aicham) and the classic 아이고. A traveler can use 아이씨 freely at objects and situations — just don't aim it at a person.
Heard in the wild
아이씨, 또 배터리 나갔네.
Damn it, the battery died again.
Where it lands
South Korea (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "아이씨" mean?
- In Korean, "아이씨" means "Damn it / ugh — the everyday defused version of the F-word.". Literally it's "ah + ssi (the clipped first syllable of ssibal)". The genius of Korean cursing is the fuse system: 씨발 is the bomb, 씨 (ssi) is the fuse, and 아이씨 is the fuse fizzling harmlessly. You'll hear it dozens of times a day — the spilled coffee, the missed subway doors, the phone at 1%. Everyone knows exactly which word it's standing in for, which is why it's bar-safe rather than Grandma-safe: teens say it in front of teachers and get a look, not detention. The fully sanitized versions are 아이참 (aicham) and the classic 아이고. A traveler can use 아이씨 freely at objects and situations — just don't aim it at a person.
- Is "아이씨" 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 "아이씨"?
- Say it "ah-ee-SSHEE" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: a.i.ɕ͈i.
Related in Korean
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Damn".
- French Putain ! Damn! / F***! / The all-purpose intensifier — punctuation, really
- German Scheiße! Shit! / Damn! — the all-purpose German expletive
- Greek γαμώτο Damn it! / Dammit!
- Italian Cazzo! Fuck! / Damn! / The all-purpose Italian curse.
- Japanese くそ Damn! / Crap! / Shit!
- Polish kurwa Fuck / damn / shit — the load-bearing word of Polish, and its most common comma.
- Portuguese Porra! Damn! / Fuck! — but mostly used as pure punctuation
- Russian Блин! Damn! / Darn! / Shoot!
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