대장
daejang[ˈtɛ(ː)d͡ʑa̠ŋ]
The English phrase 'big boss' is translated into Korean as 대장 (daejang).
대장 refers to a person who is the leader or the highest-ranking member of a group. While it can denote a high-ranking leader, it is frequently used in a playful or informal way to refer to the leader of a small group, such as a group of friends or a scout leader.
Which one should you use?
For a more formal way to say 'big boss', you can use 대표님.
How do you pronounce it?
daejang
Did you know?
- Because the word 대장 can also mean 'large intestine' in Korean, you might find it quite funny or even slightly gross if someone uses it in a medical context.
- The term 대장 comes from the Sino-Korean characters meaning 'senior general', which was historically used to denote high-ranking military commanders.
- If you are calling a person a 'big boss' in a professional office setting, using 대장 might sound like you are treating them like a gang leader or a child playing pretend.
Examples in context
- 여러분, 대표님은 지금 회의실에 계십니다.Everyone, the big boss is currently in the conference room.
- 저는 대표님과 오늘 약속이 있어요.I have an appointment with the big boss today.
- 대표가 나한테 오후 2시에 만나자고 했어.The boss asked me to meet at 2 PM.
- 대표가 오늘 늦게 출근했어.The boss came to work late today.
- 우리 동네 길고양이 대장이야.uri dongne gilgoyangi daejang-iya.He is the boss of the neighborhood stray cats.
- 이 모임의 대장은 누구인가요?i moim-ui daejang-eun nuguingayo?Who is the leader of this group?
- 그는 우리 팀의 대장이다.geuneun uri tim-ui daejang-ida.He is the boss of our team.
Example conversation
Subin and Minjun are talking about their new group project.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨가 우리 조 대장이에요?Minjun ssiga uri jo daejang-ieyo?Minjun, are you the leader of our group?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 제가 대장을 하게 됐어요.ne, jega daejang-eul hage dwaesseoyo.Yes, I ended up becoming the leader.
- 수빈 Su-bin역시 대장답게 믿음직하시네요.yeoksi daejang-dapge mideumjik-hasineyo.As expected of a leader, you are reliable.
- 민준 Min-jun고마워요. 다 같이 잘 해봐요.gomawoyo. da gat-i jal haebwayo.Thank you. Let's all do our best together.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 대장, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 대장, CC BY-SA 4.0.
