How do you pronounce "병신"?

Say it "byung-SHEEN" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: pjʌŋ.ɕin.

Work in progress! Native speakers are still checking every phrase. Spot something off? Tell us.

cursing.in curse like a local

Korean · Words You'll Hear But Must Never Say

병신

byeongsin

byung-SHEEN · /pjʌŋ.ɕin/

Moron / useless idiot — extremely common, and an ableist slur at its root. Never say it.

5/5 Do not deploy

nuclear/taboo — comprehension only, never recommended

Literally

"sick/deformed body (a term for a disabled person)"

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

How to use it

We're telling you so you understand it, not so you say it. 병신 literally means a disabled person, and its use as "idiot" is a disability slur at the root — younger Koreans increasingly call this out, and disability advocates have campaigned against it for years. The trap is its sheer frequency: you WILL hear it constantly, especially in gaming and between young men (ㅂㅅ in text), and that ubiquity is exactly what tempts learners into repeating it. It is not yours to calibrate. Reach for 바보 or 멍청이 (meongcheongi, dummy) instead — they cover the ground without the freight. Severity 5, comprehension-only.

Heard in the wild

[Everywhere in game chat and street arguments — understand it, use 바보 instead.]

[Understand it when it flies past; choose the harmless words yourself.]

Where it lands

South Korea (universal but increasingly contested); ableist origin

Quick answers

What does "병신" mean?: In Korean, "병신" means "Moron / useless idiot — extremely common, and an ableist slur at its root. Never say it.". Literally it's "sick/deformed body (a term for a disabled person)". We're telling you so you understand it, not so you say it. 병신 literally means a disabled person, and its use as "idiot" is a disability slur at the root — younger Koreans increasingly call this out, and disability advocates have campaigned against it for years. The trap is its sheer frequency: you WILL hear it constantly, especially in gaming and between young men (ㅂㅅ in text), and that ubiquity is exactly what tempts learners into repeating it. It is not yours to calibrate. Reach for 바보 or 멍청이 (meongcheongi, dummy) instead — they cover the ground without the freight. Severity 5, comprehension-only.
Is "병신" offensive?: Yes — very. It rates 5/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Do not deploy). nuclear/taboo — comprehension only, never recommended. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
How do you pronounce "병신"?: Say it "byung-SHEEN" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: pjʌŋ.ɕin.

Related in Korean

짱깨 jjanggae JJAHNG-kkeh An ethnic slur for Chinese people — also slang for Chinese food, which does not launder it. Never say it. 쪽바리 jjokbari JJOHK-bah-ree An ethnic slur for Japanese people, rooted in colonial-era hatred. Never say it. 니 애미 ni aemi nee EH-mee The Korean 'your mom' — the nuclear escalation of any argument. Never say it. 김치녀 kimchinyeo keem-chee-NYUH A misogynist slur labeling Korean women as gold-diggers. You'll see it online; never use it. 미친 michin mee-CHEEN Crazy — from 'that's insane(ly good)!' to 'you lunatic' to a genuine slur on someone's sanity. 개새끼 gaesaekki geh-SEH-kkee Son of a bitch / bastard — a real insult with no soft reading.

Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.