자랑하다
jaranghada[t͡ɕa̠ɾa̠ŋɦa̠da̠]
To boast in Korean is 자랑하다 (jaranghada). Wiktionary also lists 자만하다 (jamanhada) and 뽐내다 (ppomnaeda).
Meaning: intransitive: to brag, to talk loudly in praise of oneself (verb)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 자랑하다 | jaranghada | [t͡ɕa̠ɾa̠ŋɦa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 자만하다 | jamanhada | [t͡ɕa̠ma̠nɦa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 뽐내다 | ppomnaeda | [p͈o̞mnɛda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [p͈o̞mne̞da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The verb 자랑하다 means to brag or to talk loudly in praise of oneself. If you want to refer to a specific thing or achievement that one can boast about, use the noun 자랑거리.
Which one should you use?
While 자랑하다 is used for both positive and neutral boasting, such as showing off an achievement or a beautiful object, other forms have different nuances. 자만하다 focuses on the internal state of being conceited or overconfident rather than the act of speaking about one's achievements. 뽐내다 implies a more physical or outward display of pride, such as flaunting one's beauty or a specific skill.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 자랑하다 is 자랑했다. To express the desire to boast, you add –고 싶다 to the stem of the verb to get 자랑하고 싶다.
How do you pronounce it?
jaranghada
Did you know?
- While 'boasting' in English often carries a negative connotation of vanity, 자랑하다 is frequently used as a warm expression of love when parents talk about their children.
- The word 뽐내다 is specifically used to describe how a peacock spreads its feathers or a bird puffs out its chest before being applied to humans.
- The term 자만하다 uses a Chinese character that means 'slow' or 'negligent', implying that conceit makes a person careless.
Examples in context
- 자랑하면서 말하다 보면 성취감을 느낄 수 있어요.When you speak while boasting, you can feel a sense of achievement.
- 요즘 나 그림을 엄청 잘 그리는데, 자랑하고 싶어서 말해봤어!Lately, I've been drawing really well, so I wanted to boast and tell you about it!
- 너무 자주 자랑하다 보면 미움을 받아요.neo-mu ja-ju ja-rang-ha-da bo-myeon mi-um-eul ba-da-yo.If you boast too often, people will dislike you.
- 그녀는 새 차를 자랑하다가 들켰어요.geu-nyeo-neun sae cha-reul ja-rang-ha-da-ga deul-kyeoss-eo-yo.She was caught boasting about her new car.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boast” translations and entries 자랑하다, 자만하다, 뽐내다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 자랑하다, 자만하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
