Korean · The Essential Kit
개―
gae-
geh · /kɛ/
Dog- as a prefix: 'insanely / totally' — and slang-positive as often as negative.
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
Literally
"dog-"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The dog is Korean cursing's workhorse. Traditionally 개- prefixed to a noun made it worse (개새끼, dog's offspring — see insults), but 2010s slang flipped it into a pure intensifier that swings positive: 개맛있어 (insanely delicious), 개좋아 (love it so much), 개웃겨 (hilarious), 개비싸 (outrageously expensive). Grandparents hear a curse; anyone under forty hears "very." That gap is the point — it's bar-safe 2 among peers and mildly scandalous to elders, so don't 개- your way through dinner with your host's parents. As a rule: 개 + noun is an insult, 개 + adjective is enthusiasm.
Heard in the wild
야, 저 가방 개비싸다.
Whoa, that bag is insanely expensive.
Where it lands
South Korea (universal among under-40s); slang register
Quick answers
- What does "개―" mean?
- In Korean, "개―" means "Dog- as a prefix: 'insanely / totally' — and slang-positive as often as negative.". Literally it's "dog-". The dog is Korean cursing's workhorse. Traditionally 개- prefixed to a noun made it worse (개새끼, dog's offspring — see insults), but 2010s slang flipped it into a pure intensifier that swings positive: 개맛있어 (insanely delicious), 개좋아 (love it so much), 개웃겨 (hilarious), 개비싸 (outrageously expensive). Grandparents hear a curse; anyone under forty hears "very." That gap is the point — it's bar-safe 2 among peers and mildly scandalous to elders, so don't 개- your way through dinner with your host's parents. As a rule: 개 + noun is an insult, 개 + adjective is enthusiasm.
- Is "개―" 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 "개―"?
- Say it "geh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: kɛ.
Related in Korean
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "That's awesome".
- French Ça déchire ! That rocks! / That's awesome!
- German Geil! Awesome! / Sick! / Hell yes!
- Greek ρε μαλάκα Hey man / dude / bro — the affectionate-insult greeting between friends.
- Italian Figo! Cool! / Awesome! / Sick!
- Japanese やばい Insane / crazy / no way — good OR bad, from context
- Polish zajebisty Fucking awesome / badass — the great slang-POSITIVE of the jebać family.
- Portuguese Do caralho Fucking awesome — OR, with 'casa do', the middle of nowhere
- Russian Класс! Awesome! / Great! / Cool!
how to say "That's awesome" →how to say "Outrageously expensive" →
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