나쁜 사람
nappeun saram
The phrase for "bad person" in Korean is 나쁜 사람 (nappeun saram).
나쁜 사람 is used to describe someone who lacks moral principles or behaves in an unkind or harmful way toward others.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the adjective 나쁜, which means "bad" and the noun 사람, which means "person".
Which one should you use?
While 나쁜 사람 is a standard way to describe a bad person, other terms exist for specific nuances. 악인 is a term used for someone who is specifically wicked or morally corrupt. Colloquially, you might use 별로인 사람 to describe someone who is simply not good or not desirable. For a much more insulting and derogatory tone, the phrase 나쁜 놈 can be used to mean "bad guy" or "bastard".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is formed by conjugating the adjective 나쁘다 into its attributive form 나쁜 so that it can modify the noun 사람.
How do you pronounce it?
nappeun saram
Did you know?
- In romantic contexts or dramas, 나쁜 사람 is often used playfully or teasingly to describe a partner who is being mischievous or 'mean' in a flirtatious way.
- The word 사람 is a doublet of the word 삶, which means 'life'.
- While 사람 is the general word for 'person', using 놈 in the phrase 나쁜 놈 transforms the meaning from a moral description to a gendered insult, specifically targeting males.
Examples in context
- 톰은 아주 나쁜 사람이야.Tom is a very bad person.This sentence is useful for illustrating how to use 나쁜 사람 to describe someone.Tatoeba #8365057 by Eunhee, translation #6655835 by CK
- 그 사람은 나쁜 사람이에요.That person is a bad person.
- 그는 정말 나쁜 사람이에요.geuneun jeongmal nappeun saram-ieyo.He is a truly bad person.
- 나쁜 사람을 조심해야 해요.nappeun saram-eul josimhaeya haeyo.You must be careful of bad people.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Seoyeon are discussing a character in a drama.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그 드라마 주인공은 너무 나쁜 사람이야.geu deurama juin-gong-eun neomu nappeun saram-iya.The main character in that drama is such a bad person.
- 서연 Seo-yeon맞아, 정말 못됐어.maja, jeongmal motdwaesseo.Right, he is really mean.
- 지훈 Ji-hun서연 씨는 어떻게 생각해?Seoyeon ssi-neun eotteoke saenggak-hae?What do you think, Seoyeon?
- 서연 Seo-yeon나도 그 사람이 정말 싫어.nado geu saram-i jeongmal sireo.I hate that person too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 사람, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
