Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 진짜(眞)의 | jinjja-ui |
| 진품(眞品)의 | jinpum-ui |
The primary meaning of these terms is to describe something as genuine, not artificial, counterfeit or fake. Depending on the context, you might use different variations: 진짜 is a common way to say something is real or genuine, while 실제의 refers to something as actual or real and 진정한 is used for more serious or formal concepts of truth. If you want to emphasize a practical or realistic aspect, use 현실적인.
Which one should you use?
While 진짜(眞)의 is the grammatically complete adjective form, in casual speech, the noun 진짜 is frequently used as an adjective without the particle 의. For specific contexts involving the authenticity of an object or an artifact, use 진품(眞品)의 to mean an authentic item or genuine article, whereas 진짜 is a more general term for anything real.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
jinjja-ui
What mistakes should you avoid?
You may encounter the word 레알 in Korean text. However, this is not a native Korean word but rather a phonetic loanword from the English word "real" used in internet slang.
Did you know?
- In Korean youth slang, 진짜 can be shortened or modified into sounds like 찐 to describe something that is the 'real deal' or the ultimate version of something.
- Korean has a distinct word 진심 which refers to a 'real heart' or 'sincere intention'. This is used to tell someone that your feelings are genuine, rather than using the adjective 진짜.
- While 진짜 means 'real', its opposite 가짜 meaning 'fake' is often used in Korean slang to describe someone who is pretending to be an expert or a 'poser'.
Examples in context
- 진정한 사랑True love
- 실제의 경험Real experience
- 현실적인 해결책Realistic solution
- 진짜 친구Real friend
- 진심으로 믿다Believe sincerely
- 리얼한 이야기Real story
- 그녀는 진짜 예술가야She is a true artist
Sources
- Wiktionary, “real” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
