나쁜 여자
nappeun yeoja
The English phrase 'bad girl' is translated into Korean as 나쁜 여자 (nappeun yeoja).
The phrase is used to describe a woman or girl who behaves poorly or lacks moral integrity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective 나쁜 (bad) and the noun 여자 (woman/girl).
Which one should you use?
While 여자 can mean 'woman' or 'girl', it is more commonly used for adult women. For young children, Korean speakers more often use the term 여자아이.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 나쁜 is the adjective form of 나쁘다 (to be bad) used to modify a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
nappeun yeoja
Did you know?
- In modern Korean pop culture, calling someone a 나쁜 여자 can actually function as a provocative compliment, implying a 'femme fatale' persona.
- In Korean, the word 여자 is actually composed of two characters meaning 'female' and 'offspring', reflecting a historical view of children and women through the lens of lineage.
- If a girl is being naughty in a cute or playful way, Koreans avoid 나쁜 여자 and instead use 말썽꾸러기, which means 'troublemaker'.
Examples in context
- 그녀는 불량소녀로 알려져 있습니다.She is known as a bad girl/delinquent girl.
- 그녀는 나쁜 여자야.She is a bad girl.
- 그녀는 정말 악녀다.She is really a bad girl.
- 그 영화 속 여자는 정말 나쁜 여자였어.geu yeonghwa sok yeojaneun jeongmal nappeun yeojayeosseo.The woman in that movie was a truly bad girl.
- 그녀는 주변 사람들을 괴롭히는 나쁜 여자야.geunyeoneun jubyeon saramdeureul goeropineun nappeun yeojaya.She is a bad girl who bullies the people around her.
Example conversation
Minjun and Minji are discussing a character in a drama.
- 민준 Min-jun민지야, 그 드라마 주인공 봤어?Minji-ya, geu deurama juingong bwasseo?Minji, did you see the main character in that drama?
- 민지 Min-ji응, 정말 나쁜 여자더라.Eung, jeongmal nappeun yeojadeora.Yes, she was a really bad girl.
- 민준 Min-jun맞아, 너무 비도덕적이었어.Maja, neomu bidojeokjeogieosseo.Right, she was so immoral.
- 민지 Min-ji진짜 나쁜 여자였어.Jinja nappeun yeojayeosseo.She was a truly bad girl.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 여자, CC BY-SA 4.0.
