장난
jangnan[t͡ɕa̠ŋna̠n]
The English phrase 'prank' can be translated into Korean as 장난 (jangnan). Wiktionary also lists 농담 (nongdam).
Meaning: practical joke or mischievous trick (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 장난 | jangnan | [t͡ɕa̠ŋna̠n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 농담 | nongdam | [ˈno̞(ː)ŋda̠m] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [no̞ŋda̠m] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
장난 refers to a practical joke, a mischievous trick or the act of playing around. You can turn this noun into a verb meaning 'to play a prank' or 'to mess around' by using the verb 치다, resulting in the form 장난치다. For example, you might say 장난을 쳤어요 to mean 'played a prank' or 장난 치는 걸 좋아해 to mean 'enjoy playing pranks'.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between physical and verbal humor. 장난 refers to a physical prank, a mischievous act or playing around. In contrast, 농담 refers to a verbal joke, a jest or something said for humor.
How do you pronounce it?
jangnan
Did you know?
- The word 장난 originally comes from the Sino-Korean word 작란, which means 'to wreak havoc' or 'to cause disorder'.
- While 장난 describes a prank, the verb 치다 used with it literally means 'to hit' or 'to strike'. This suggests that playing a prank is conceptually like landing a blow on someone.
- If someone says 농담 in a serious tone during a conflict, it can be a way to 'test the waters' to see if the other person is actually angry or just pretending.
Examples in context
- 어제 친구에게 장난을 쳤어요.I played a prank on my friend yesterday.
- 지난 주에 놀림을 당했어요.I got pranked last week.
- 친구한테 장난 치는 걸 좋아해.I enjoy playing pranks on my friends.
- 친구들과 함께 장난 치는 건 언제나 즐겁다.Playing pranks with friends is always fun.
- 나도 농담 그만두고 진지하게 얘기해야겠어.I should stop joking around and have a serious conversation.
- 장난 아니에요It's no joke / It's serious
- 이건 그냥 장난이에요.igeon geunyang jangnan-ieyo.It is just a prank.
- 아이가 장난을 쳐요.aiga jangnan-eul chyeoyo.The child is playing a prank.
- 그 장난은 너무 심했어요.geu jangnan-eun neomu simhaesseoyo.That prank was too much.
Example conversation
Dohyun tells Seoyeon that he hid her phone.
- 도현 Do-hyeon서연 씨, 휴대폰 어디 갔어요?Seoyeon ssi, hyudaepon eodi gasseoyo?Seoyeon, where did your phone go?
- 서연 Seo-yeon어? 갑자기 없어졌어요.eo? gapjagi eopseojyeosseoyo.Huh? It suddenly disappeared.
- 도현 Do-hyeon여기 있어요! 그냥 장난이에요.yeogi isseoyo! geunyang jangnanieyo.Here it is! It's just a prank.
- 서연 Seo-yeon정말! 깜짝 놀랐잖아요.jeongmal! kkamjjak nollatjanayo.Really! You scared me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prank” translations and entries 장난, 농담, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 농담, 장난, CC BY-SA 4.0.
