젠장
jenjang
The English phrase "oh crap" is translated into Korean as 젠장 (jenjang).
젠장 is used when something goes wrong or when one is feeling frustrated by a situation.
Which one should you use?
Adding the suffix –맞을 to 젠장 creates a more emphatic, slightly more aggressive version of the exclamation 젠장맞을.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase 젠장 is an informal exclamation used to express frustration or annoyance.
How do you pronounce it?
jenjang
When do people say it?
The expression 아이고 is used in informal conversations to convey surprise, frustration or sympathy to mean "Oh no" or "Oh my".
Did you know?
- The word 젠장 is a contraction of two different types of punishment: a term referring to 'incest' and 난장, which refers to 'torture by beating'.
- Because Korean is a hierarchical language, saying 젠장 in front of a superior is a significant social faux pas, regardless of whether the person is mentioned in the phrase.
- In Korean cinema and dramas, 젠장 is often the go-to translation for English swear words that are too vulgar for broadcast standards.
Examples in context
- 젠장, 컴퓨터가 고장 났어요!Darn, the computer broke down!
- 아이고, 무슨 일이야?Oh no, what happened?
- 젠장, 차 키를 집에 두고 왔어.jenjang, cha ki-reul jib-e du-go as-seo.Oh crap, I left my car keys at home.
- 젠장, 버스를 놓쳤네.jenjang, beo-seu-reul no-chyeot-ne.Oh crap, I missed the bus.
- 아, 젠장! 배터리가 다 됐어.a, jenjang! bae-teo-ri-ga da dwaet-seo.Ah, oh crap! My battery died.
Example conversation
Two friends are walking in the park when it starts raining.
- 서연 Seo-yeon젠장, 갑자기 비가 오네!jenjang, gap-ja-gi bi-ga o-ne!Oh crap, it's suddenly raining!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo서연아, 우산 있어?seo-yeon-a, u-san is-seo?Seoyeon, do you have an umbrella?
- 서연 Seo-yeon아니, 없어. 현우야, 빨리 뛰자.a-ni, eop-seo. hyeon-u-ya, ppal-li ttwi-ja.No, I don't. Hyeonwoo, let's run quickly.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그래, 저기 건물 밑으로 가자.geu-rae, jeo-gi geon-mul mit-eu-ro ga-ja.Okay, let's go under that building.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 젠장, CC BY-SA 4.0.
