Korean · 16 phrases
Insults & Asymmetries
Korean insult-craft is modular — 새끼 is a chassis that takes whatever prefix you can afford — and treacherously asymmetric: the female 년 wounds far deeper than its male twin 놈. From the fond 바보 to the fighting-words dog compounds, here's the range, with the warning labels attached where the freight is real.
바보 babo bah-BOH Dummy / silly — the soft, safe, often affectionate 'idiot.' 바람둥이 baramdungi bah-rahm-DOONG-ee Player / womanizer — a serial flirt with commitment allergies. 자식 jasik jah-SHEEK This kid… / you rascal — the gruff-fond word for someone junior. 꼰대 kkondae KKOHN-deh Boomer-boss / condescending elder who pulls rank — 'back in MY day…' 놈 nom nohm Guy / bastard — the male half of Korean's asymmetric insult pair. 닥쳐 dakchyeo dahk-CHYUH Shut up! — blunt, banmal, and aimed. 개소리 gaesori geh-soh-REE Bullshit / utter nonsense — what a dog says, which is to say nothing. 인마 inma een-MAH You punk / kid — gruff, senior-to-junior, drama-dad certified. 지랄 jiral jee-RAHL Bullshit / drama / throwing a fit — 'quit your nonsense.' 꺼져 kkeojyeo kkuh-JYUH Get lost / piss off — you're telling a human to power down. 새끼 saekki SEH-kkee Punk / little shit — literally a baby animal, and that's the insult. 또라이 ttorai ttoh-RAH-ee Nutjob / psycho / total weirdo. 개새끼 gaesaekki geh-SEH-kkee Son of a bitch / bastard — a real insult with no soft reading. 년 nyeon nyun Bitch — the female counterpart of 놈, and far, far harsher. 씨발 ssibal sshee-BAHL Fuck / fucking hell — the load-bearing Korean curse. 엿 먹어라 yeot meogeora yut MUH-guh-rah Screw you / shove it — an order to eat candy, meaning anything but.