Korean · Frustration & Doom
귀찮아
gwichana
gwee-CHAH-nah · /kwi.tɕʰa.na/
Can't be bothered / ugh, effort — the sacred national mood.
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"(it is) bothersome"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
귀찮아 names the specific heaviness of a task too annoying to start: replying to that text, washing the dishes, leaving the house. It's less "I'm busy" than "my soul refuses." A whole personality type — the 귀차니스트 (gwichanist), one who has elevated can't-be-bothered to a philosophy — is built on this word. Grandma-safe, universal, and best delivered face-down on the floor of a heated room. Note it can offend if the bothersome thing is a person's request: "귀찮아" as an answer to "help me move?" is honest but bruising.
Heard in the wild
운동 가야 되는데… 아 귀찮아.
I should go work out… ugh, I can't be bothered.
Where it lands
South Korea (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "귀찮아" mean?
- In Korean, "귀찮아" means "Can't be bothered / ugh, effort — the sacred national mood.". Literally it's "(it is) bothersome". 귀찮아 names the specific heaviness of a task too annoying to start: replying to that text, washing the dishes, leaving the house. It's less "I'm busy" than "my soul refuses." A whole personality type — the 귀차니스트 (gwichanist), one who has elevated can't-be-bothered to a philosophy — is built on this word. Grandma-safe, universal, and best delivered face-down on the floor of a heated room. Note it can offend if the bothersome thing is a person's request: "귀찮아" as an answer to "help me move?" is honest but bruising.
- Is "귀찮아" 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 "귀찮아"?
- Say it "gwee-CHAH-nah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: kwi.tɕʰa.na.
Related in Korean
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