Korean · Insults & Asymmetries
개새끼
gaesaekki
geh-SEH-kkee · /kɛ.s͈ɛ.k͈i/
Son of a bitch / bastard — a real insult with no soft reading.
aimed at a person, will start something
Literally
"dog's offspring / son of a dog"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The classic Korean insult: 개 (dog) + 새끼 (offspring) — the same arithmetic as "son of a bitch," and it lands just as hard. Fighting-words 4: aimed at a person's face it's a challenge, full stop. You'll hear it constantly in dramas and between men in traffic, and occasionally between very close friends as rough affection, but a foreigner has no business testing that exception. The stack extends upward — 개XX 새끼 combinations get creative — and text-speak abbreviates it ㄱㅅㄲ. Comprehension first, deployment basically never.
Heard in the wild
저 개새끼가 내 자리 뺏었어.
That son of a bitch took my parking spot.
Where it lands
South Korea (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "개새끼" mean?
- In Korean, "개새끼" means "Son of a bitch / bastard — a real insult with no soft reading.". Literally it's "dog's offspring / son of a dog". The classic Korean insult: 개 (dog) + 새끼 (offspring) — the same arithmetic as "son of a bitch," and it lands just as hard. Fighting-words 4: aimed at a person's face it's a challenge, full stop. You'll hear it constantly in dramas and between men in traffic, and occasionally between very close friends as rough affection, but a foreigner has no business testing that exception. The stack extends upward — 개XX 새끼 combinations get creative — and text-speak abbreviates it ㄱㅅㄲ. Comprehension first, deployment basically never.
- Is "개새끼" offensive?
- Yes — very. It rates 4/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Fighting words). aimed at a person, will start something. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
- How do you pronounce "개새끼"?
- Say it "geh-SEH-kkee" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: kɛ.s͈ɛ.k͈i.
Related in Korean
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Screw you".
- French Enculé ! Motherf***er / bastard (one of the hardest personal insults)
- German Verpiss dich! Piss off! / Clear off (with force)!
- Greek άντε γαμήσου Go fuck yourself / get lost / piss off.
- Italian Vaffanculo! Fuck off! / Go to hell!
- Japanese クソ野郎 Piece of shit / shitty bastard
- Polish ty kurwo You whore / you bitch — the aimed kurwa, a different animal entirely.
- Portuguese Filho da puta Son of a bitch / bastard
- Russian Средний палец Screw you / the finger
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.