따라쟁이
ttarajaengi
The Korean word for copycat is 따라쟁이 (ttarajaengi), someone who imitates what others do or copies their work.
따라쟁이 is colloquial and often used in a teasing or mildly mocking way, especially among children or in casual settings.
Meaning: one who imitates or plagiarizes others' work (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
따라쟁이 comes from 따라 하다, meaning to follow or imitate, plus the suffix -쟁이, which marks a person who habitually does something.
Which one should you use?
모방자 is a formal, neutral noun for an imitator, used in academic or professional contexts. 똑같이 따라하는 사람 is a descriptive phrase meaning a person who imitates exactly.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
따라쟁이 is informal and playful.
How does it change in a sentence?
따라쟁이 is a noun and does not change its form. It simply takes particles after it, such as -가 or -를.
How do you pronounce it?
Say ttarajaengi with a tense, unaspirated t at the start, stronger than an English d but without a puff of air.
Did you know?
- In Korean pop culture and variety shows, the act of mimicking someone is often called 성대모사 when it refers specifically to imitating a person's voice, a much more technical term than the playful 따라쟁이.
- While 따라쟁이 is often used playfully by children, using it with a social superior in Korea would be considered a significant breach of etiquette due to the informal and mocking nature of the suffix.
- The suffix -쟁이 in 따라쟁이 is often used for both positive and negative traits, such as in 멋쟁이 (a stylish person), but in the case of 'copycat', it leans toward a mocking tone.
Examples in context
- 그는 정말 지독한 따라쟁이야.geuneun jeongmal jidokhan ttarajaengiya.He is a real copycat.
- 내 아이디어를 훔친 따라쟁이를 찾고 있어.nae aideeoreul humchin ttarajaengireul chatgo isseo.I am looking for the copycat who stole my idea.
- 따라쟁이는 정말 싫어.ttarajaengineun jeongmal sireo.I really hate copycats.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Jieun are talking about a classmate's behavior.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo민수 씨는 정말 따라쟁이 같아요.minsu ssineun jeongmal ttarajaengyi gatayo.Minsu seems like such a copycat.
- 지은 Ji-eun맞아요, 제 옷 스타일까지 따라해요.majayo, je ot seutailkkaji ttara-haeyo.That's true, he even copies my clothing style.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은 씨, 너무 신경 쓰지 마세요.jieun ssi, neomu singyeong sseuji maseyo.Jieun, please don't let it bother you too much.
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 그래도 좀 불쾌하네요.ne, geuraedo jom bulkaehaneyo.Yes, but it is still a bit unpleasant.
