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Korean · Joy & Jackpots

짱

jjang

jjahng · /tɕ͈aŋ/

The best / awesome — thumbs-up in word form.

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"the top / the best (slang)"

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

How to use it

짱 is "the best," full stop: 이 집 짱이야 (this place is the best), 너 짱이다 (you're the best), or just 짱! with a thumbs-up. As a prefix it intensifies — 짱 맛있어 (SO good) — with a distinctly playground-to-twenties flavor; it's the wholesome ancestor of the ruder intensifiers. Grandma-safe and sweetly retro-cute in 2020s mouths, like an American saying "rad" — everyone uses it, slightly tongue-in-cheek. Also the root of 얼짱 (best face) and 몸짱 (best body), Korea's very direct compliment architecture.

Heard in the wild

이 김치찌개 진짜 짱이다.

This kimchi stew is honestly the best.

Where it lands

South Korea (universal); slightly retro-cute, still everywhere

Quick answers

What does "짱" mean?
In Korean, "짱" means "The best / awesome — thumbs-up in word form.". Literally it's "the top / the best (slang)". 짱 is "the best," full stop: 이 집 짱이야 (this place is the best), 너 짱이다 (you're the best), or just 짱! with a thumbs-up. As a prefix it intensifies — 짱 맛있어 (SO good) — with a distinctly playground-to-twenties flavor; it's the wholesome ancestor of the ruder intensifiers. Grandma-safe and sweetly retro-cute in 2020s mouths, like an American saying "rad" — everyone uses it, slightly tongue-in-cheek. Also the root of 얼짱 (best face) and 몸짱 (best body), Korea's very direct compliment architecture.
Is "짱" 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 "짱"?
Say it "jjahng" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: tɕ͈aŋ.

Related in Korean

개― gae- geh Dog- as a prefix: 'insanely / totally' — and slang-positive as often as negative. 대박 daebak DEH-bahk Amazing! / jackpot! / no way! — awe in both directions, good and terrible. 아싸! assa AH-ssah Yes! / score! — the fist-pump syllables. 개이득 gaeideuk geh-EE-deuk Massive win / total steal — profit so good it needs the dog prefix. 꿀잼 kkuljaem KKOOL-jem So much fun / hilarious — honey-grade entertainment. 개맛있어 gaemasisseo geh-mah-SHEE-ssuh Insanely delicious — the dog prefix doing its finest work.

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "That's awesome".

how to say "That's awesome" →

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