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Korean · Words You'll Hear But Must Never Say

김치녀

kimchinyeo

keem-chee-NYUH · /kim.tɕʰi.njʌ/

A misogynist slur labeling Korean women as gold-diggers. You'll see it online; never use it.

5/5 Do not deploy

nuclear/taboo — comprehension only, never recommended

Literally

"kimchi-woman"

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. 김치녀 ("kimchi woman") rose from 2010s misogynist internet culture as a catch-all sneer painting Korean women as materialistic and entitled, and it sits inside a whole ecosystem of gendered-slur warfare (한남, "Korean male," is the counterstrike; the -녀 suffix generates new slurs weekly in the gender-war corners of the internet). You'll meet it in comment sections rather than conversation — polite society treats it as the red flag it is. A foreigner repeating it doesn't sound fluent; he sounds like he's been marinating in the worst forums. Severity 5, comprehension-only. Do not deploy.

Heard in the wild

[Comment-section misogyny; listed for comprehension only.]

[A gendered slur — recognize the red flag, never wave it.]

Where it lands

South Korea; online-born, a slur throughout

Quick answers

What does "김치녀" mean?
In Korean, "김치녀" means "A misogynist slur labeling Korean women as gold-diggers. You'll see it online; never use it.". Literally it's "kimchi-woman". We're telling you so you understand it, not so you say it. 김치녀 ("kimchi woman") rose from 2010s misogynist internet culture as a catch-all sneer painting Korean women as materialistic and entitled, and it sits inside a whole ecosystem of gendered-slur warfare (한남, "Korean male," is the counterstrike; the -녀 suffix generates new slurs weekly in the gender-war corners of the internet). You'll meet it in comment sections rather than conversation — polite society treats it as the red flag it is. A foreigner repeating it doesn't sound fluent; he sounds like he's been marinating in the worst forums. Severity 5, comprehension-only. Do not deploy.
Is "김치녀" 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 "김치녀"?
Say it "keem-chee-NYUH" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: kim.tɕʰi.njʌ.

Related in Korean

병신 byeongsin byung-SHEEN Moron / useless idiot — extremely common, and an ableist slur at its root. Never say it. 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. 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.

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