욕
yok
The Korean word for "bad word" is 욕 (yok).
The noun 욕 refers to a vulgar word. For example, the term 개 translates as dog but is often used to emphasize a negative characteristic of a person. Other common informal insults include 미친놈, which can be translated as crazy jerk and is used to insult someone acting irrationally or foolishly and 병신, which literally means retard or mentally handicapped but is used as an offensive insult.
Meaning: vulgar word (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 욕 is the common word for a bad word, 욕설 is a more formal or technical term used to refer to profanity or abusive language in a general sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun 욕 is most commonly used with the verb 하다 (to do) to form the phrase meaning 'to swear'.
How do you pronounce it?
yok
Did you know?
- In many Korean media productions, instead of actually saying a 욕, characters will use highly stylized, nonsense sounds that mimic the rhythm of a swear word to bypass censorship.
- In Korean culture, the act of 욕 is often tied to hierarchy. Using a 'bad word' toward someone of a higher social status is considered significantly more offensive than the words themselves.
- The word 욕 can be written with two different Chinese characters, one meaning 'insult' and the other meaning 'desire' or 'lust'. While they sound identical, they represent very different concepts in written Korean.
Examples in context
- 욕은 하지 마세요.yogeun haji maseyo.Please do not use bad words.
- 그 사람이 욕을 했어요.geu sarami yogeul haesseoyo.That person used a bad word.
- 욕을 들으면 기분이 나빠요.yogeul deureumyeon gibuni nappayo.I feel bad when I hear bad words.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Do-hyeon are talking about a movie they watched.
- 지은 Ji-eun그 영화에 욕이 너무 많아요.geu yeonghwa-e yogi neomu manayo.There are too many bad words in that movie.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말요? 저는 몰랐어요.jeongmallyo? jeoneun mollasseoyo.Really? I didn't know.
- 지은 Ji-eun도현 씨는 욕을 안 쓰니까 괜찮아요.Do-hyeon ssi-neun yogeul an sseunikka gwaenchanayo.It's fine since you don't use bad words, Do-hyeon.
- 도현 Do-hyeon고마워요, 지은 씨.gomawoyo, Ji-eun ssi.Thank you, Ji-eun.
