Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 개 | gae | [kɛ(ː)] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ke̞(ː)] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 견 | gyeon | [kjʌ̹n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [kjɘ(ː)n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 강아지 | gang'aji | [ka̠ŋa̠d͡ʑi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The primary way to refer to the animal is 개. However, you may also encounter 강아지, which specifically means puppy but is frequently used by pet owners to refer to their adult dogs in an affectionate way. Additionally, 견 is a Sino-Korean root used mostly in formal or technical settings, such as when discussing specific dog breeds.
Which one should you use?
개 is the general, standard term for dog. 강아지 is used for puppies or to express affection toward a dog. 견 functions as a formal or technical root used primarily in compound words.
How does it change in a sentence?
개 is a noun that does not change its form based on number. The same word is used to express both one dog and multiple dogs.
How do you pronounce it?
gae
When do people say it?
In modern Korean culture, it is very common for pet owners to use the term 강아지 to refer to their adult dogs to sound more affectionate, even if the dog is no longer a puppy.
Did you know?
- The word 개 can actually be used as a vulgar intensifier in Korean slang, similar to how 'fucking' is used in English to emphasize an adjective.
- The word 개 is believed to be a distant relative of the Tamil word for dog, நாய் ('nāy').
- In Korean, 개 can be used as a prefix to mean 'fake' or 'wild', such as in 개천 for 'wild stream' or 개떡 for 'poor quality rice cake'.
Examples in context
- 개가 짖는 걸 멈췄어.The dog stopped barking.This sentence shows the use of 개 to describe an action.Tatoeba #8365022 by Eunhee, translation #2545851 by CK
- 톰 강아지는 정말 커.Tom's dog is very big.This sentence demonstrates the use of 강아지 to refer to a specific dog.Tatoeba #8365027 by Eunhee, translation #4494543 by CK
- 그 개는 우리 것이다.The dog is ours.This sentence shows how to use 개 to indicate ownership.Tatoeba #11104640 by intertime, translation #1828442 by Amastan
- 저는 개를 좋아해요.I like dogs.
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin are walking in a park.
- 민준 Min-jun저기 귀여운 개가 있어요.jeogi gwiyeoun gae-ga isseoyo.There is a cute dog over there.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 작고 예쁘네요.jeongmal jakgo yeppeuneyo.It is really small and pretty.
- 민준 Min-jun개 좋아하세요?gae joahaseyo?Do you like dogs?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 정말 좋아해요.ne, jeongmal joahaeyo.Yes, I like them very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dog” translations and entries 개, 견, 강아지, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 개, 견, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
