Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 험담 | heomdam | [ˈhɘ(ː)mda̠m] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 입방아 | ipbang'a | [ip̚p͈a̠ŋa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The term 험담 refers to idle talk or gossip. When you want to use this as a verb meaning 'to badmouth' or 'to speak ill of someone', you can add the suffix –하다 to the noun to form 험담하다. Another way to express the act of gossiping is through the phrase 입방아를 찧다, which describes making someone the subject of constant, repetitive talk.
What does it mean word for word?
The noun 험담 is composed of 험, meaning bad or evil and 담, meaning talk or conversation. The verbal phrase 입방아를 찧다 literally means 'to pound the pestle in a mouth-mill', a metaphor for the repetitive nature of gossip.
Which one should you use?
험담 carries a stronger connotation of being malicious or harmful to someone's reputation, functioning similarly to slander. In contrast, 입방아 is a more neutral or idiomatic way to refer to gossip.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
heomdam
Did you know?
- The suffix -하다 transforms the noun 험담 into a verb, but in casual speech, Koreans often use the slang 뒷담 까다. The verb 까다 literally means 'to peel' or 'to husk', as if they are stripping away a person's layers.
- The word 험 in 험담 is the same character used in the word for 'dangerous' or 'precarious'. This implies that the talk is not just 'bad', but socially 'dangerous' or unstable.
- In Korean culture, 입방아 can be used for gossip that is not necessarily mean-spirited. It can describe any topic that the public is obsessively discussing, such as a celebrity's unexpected marriage or a viral news story.
Examples in context
- 신문에 그들에 대한 악의적인 험담이 잔뜩 실렸다.They wrote a lot of nasty gossip about them in the newspaper.This sentence shows how 험담 can be used to describe malicious talk published in a newspaper.Tatoeba #13755202 by qlTmalffk, translation #3368803 by AlanF_US
- 그 풍문은 사실과는 다르다고 해요.The gossip/rumor is different from the truth.
- 남의 험담을 하는 것은 좋지 않아요.nam-ui heom-dam-eul ha-neun geos-eun jot-ji an-a-yo.It is not good to gossip about others.
- 그녀는 친구들의 험담을 즐겨요.geu-nyeo-neun chin-gu-deul-ui heom-dam-eul jeul-gye-yo.She enjoys gossiping about her friends.
Example conversation
Minjun and Minji are talking about a coworker in the office.
- 민준 Min-jun민지 씨, 그 사람 험담 듣지 마세요.Min-ji ssi, geu sa-ram heom-dam deut-ji ma-se-yo.Minji, don't listen to the gossip about that person.
- 민지 Min-ji정말요? 무슨 내용인가요?jeong-mal-yo? mu-seun nae-yong-in-ga-yo?Really? What is it about?
- 민준 Min-jun그저 재미없는 험담일 뿐이에요.geu-jeo jae-mi-eops-neun heom-dam-il ppun-i-e-yo.It is just boring gossip.
- 민지 Min-ji알겠어요, 조심해야겠네요.al-get-seo-yo, jo-sim-hae-ya-get-ne-yo.I see, I should be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gossip” translations and entries 험담, 입방아, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 입방아, 험담, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
