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Korean · Reactions & Noises

진짜?

jinjja

jeen-JJAH · /tɕin.tɕ͈a/

Really?! / seriously — the conversational heartbeat.

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"real / genuine"

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

How to use it

Korean conversation runs on 진짜 the way an engine runs on pistons. Rising ("진짜?") it's "really?!"; flat ("진짜.") it's "I'm serious"; exasperated ("진짜아…") it's "ugh, honestly." As an intensifier it's the polite-company version of 존나: 진짜 맛있어 = really delicious, safe for any audience. Grandma-safe throughout. Its twin 정말 (jeongmal) is interchangeable and a touch more formal. Master the four intonations of 진짜 and you can hold up your end of a Korean conversation for a surprisingly long time.

Heard in the wild

진짜? 그게 공짜였다고?

Seriously? That was free?

Where it lands

South Korea (universal)

Quick answers

What does "진짜?" mean?
In Korean, "진짜?" means "Really?! / seriously — the conversational heartbeat.". Literally it's "real / genuine". Korean conversation runs on 진짜 the way an engine runs on pistons. Rising ("진짜?") it's "really?!"; flat ("진짜.") it's "I'm serious"; exasperated ("진짜아…") it's "ugh, honestly." As an intensifier it's the polite-company version of 존나: 진짜 맛있어 = really delicious, safe for any audience. Grandma-safe throughout. Its twin 정말 (jeongmal) is interchangeable and a touch more formal. Master the four intonations of 진짜 and you can hold up your end of a Korean conversation for a surprisingly long time.
Is "진짜?" 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 "진짜?"?
Say it "jeen-JJAH" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: tɕin.tɕ͈a.

Related in Korean

미친 michin mee-CHEEN Crazy — from 'that's insane(ly good)!' to 'you lunatic' to a genuine slur on someone's sanity. 어떡해 eotteokae uh-TTUH-keh Oh no / what do I do?! — the national noise of small panic. 헐 heol hul Whoa / no way / I can't even — the all-purpose stunned noise. 대박 daebak DEH-bahk Amazing! / jackpot! / no way! — awe in both directions, good and terrible. 뭐야 mwoya MWUH-yah What the— / what is this?! — indignant bafflement. 어머나 eomeona UH-muh-nah Oh my goodness! — the gasp, feminine-coded and fully wholesome.

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "No way".

how to say "No way" →

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