몽상가
mongsangga[ˈmo̞(ː)ŋsʰa̠ŋɡa̠]
The Korean word for 'dreamer' is 몽상가 (mongsangga).
몽상가 refers to a person who dreams. It often carries a slightly negative or skeptical connotation, implying someone who is lost in unrealistic fantasies or impractical thoughts.
Meaning: one who dreams (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
mongsangga
Did you know?
- A person described as 몽상가 might be told they are 뜬구름 잡는다, which literally means 'catching floating clouds'.
- The suffix 가 in 몽상가 denotes a professional or a specialist, similar to how it is used for 소설가 'novelist' or 음악가 'musician'.
- The character 夢 in 몽상 is the root for many Korean words related to sleep and illusions, such as 몽유병 'somnambulism' or 'sleepwalking'.
Examples in context
- 제 친구는 꿈꾸는 사람이에요. (Je chinguneun kkumkkuneun saramieyo.)My friend is a dreamer.
- 그 사람은 꿈꾸는 자야. (Geu saram-eun kkumkkuneun jaya.)That person is a dreamer.
- 그는 아주 순수한 몽상가예요.geuneun aju sunsuhan mongsang-ga-ye-yo.He is a very pure dreamer.
- 나는 어린 시절에 몽상가였어요.naneun eorin sijeore mongsang-ga-yeosseo-yo.I was a dreamer in my childhood.
- 그 소설 속 주인공은 몽상가입니다.geu soseol sok juingong-eun mongsang-ga-imnida.The protagonist in that novel is a dreamer.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Hyeon-woo are talking about their future goals.
- 지은 Ji-eun현우 씨는 정말 낭만적인 몽상가네요.Hyeon-woo ssineun jeongmal nangmanjeogin mongsangganeyo.Hyeon-woo, you are such a romantic dreamer.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo칭찬으로 들을게요, 지은 씨.chingchan-euro deureulgeyo, Ji-eun ssi.I'll take that as a compliment, Ji-eun.
- 지은 Ji-eun그 꿈들을 꼭 이루고 싶나요?geu kkum-deureul kkok irugo sipnayo?Do you really want to achieve those dreams?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 몽상가라도 노력은 해야죠.ne, mongsanggarado noryeogeun haeyajyo.Yes, even a dreamer has to put in effort.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 몽상가, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
