잘생기다
jalsaenggida[t͡ɕa̠ɭsʰɛŋɡida̠]
In Korean, 'handsome' is expressed as 잘생기다 (jalsaenggida). Wiktionary also lists 멋있다 (meositda).
Meaning: of man: attractive (adj)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 잘생기다 | jalsaenggida | [t͡ɕa̠ɭsʰɛŋɡida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [t͡ɕa̠ɭsʰe̞ŋɡida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 멋있다 | meositda | [mʌ̹ɕʰit̚t͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [mʌ̹dit̚t͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
잘생기다 is used almost exclusively to describe the physical attractiveness of men, specifically focusing on their facial features. In contrast, 멋있다 is a broader term that can mean 'cool', 'stylish' or 'handsome'. It can be applied to men, women or even certain objects and situations.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 잘생기다 is a combination of 잘, meaning 'well' and 생기다, meaning 'to be formed' or 'to arise', which translates literally to 'to be well-formed'.
Which one should you use?
While 잘생기다 focuses specifically on a man's physical facial features, 멋있다 refers to a person's overall style, aura or 'coolness'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite form of 멋있다 is 멋있어요.
How do you pronounce it?
jalsaenggida
Did you know?
- When using 잘생기다, Koreans often use the past tense form 잘생겼다 to describe someone who is currently handsome, as their features were 'well-formed' at birth.
- The word 멋있다 is structurally identical to 맛있다, the word for 'delicious'. Both combine a noun describing a sensory quality with 있다, meaning 'to have' or 'to exist'.
- You might hear fans describe K-pop idols as 얼굴 천재, which literally means 'face genius', a hyperbolic way to say they are incredibly handsome.
Examples in context
- 저 신입 사원이 진짜 잘생기셨어요.That new employee is really handsome.
- 그 분은 항상 멋져요.That person always looks handsome/cool.
- 오늘 너무 잘생겼어.You look so handsome today.
- 우리 반 친구들은 다 잘생겨서 부러워.All our classmates are handsome, I'm jealous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “handsome” translations and entries 잘생기다, 멋있다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 멋있다, 잘생기다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
