부자
buja[ˈpu(ː)d͡ʑa̠]
The Korean phrase for "rich person" is 부자 (buja).
부자 is a general noun used to describe anyone with significant wealth, ranging from a wealthy individual to a person of high net worth. If you want to refer specifically to wealthy individuals who come from powerful and influential business families, you should use the term 재벌.
How do you pronounce it?
buja
Did you know?
- In modern slang, some people use the term 금수저 meaning 'gold spoon' to describe a rich person born into wealth.
- The word 부자 can also be written with different Chinese characters to mean 'father and son'.
- Korean has a specific word 졸부 to describe a 'nouveau riche' person who has suddenly gained wealth but lacks the cultural grace to match.
Examples in context
- 그 회사 사장님은 부자예요.The CEO of that company is a rich person.
- 저 사업가는 돈 많은 사람이야.That entrepreneur is a rich person.
- 부자가 되는 법을 알고 싶어요.buja-ga doeneun beobeul algo sipeoyo.I want to know how to become a rich person.
- 우리 동네에는 부자가 많아요.uri dongne-eneun buja-ga manayo.There are many rich people in our neighborhood.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Subin are talking about a lottery winner.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그 사람은 진짜 부자예요?geu sarameun jinja buja-yeoyo?Is that person a real rich person?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 엄청난 부자예요.ne, eomcheongnan buja-yeoyo.Yes, she is an incredibly rich person.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo수빈 씨도 부자가 되고 싶죠?subin ssi-do buja-ga doego sipjyo?Subin, you want to be a rich person too, right?
- 수빈 Su-bin당연하죠, 누구나 다 부자가 되고 싶어 해요.dangyeonhajyo, nuguna da buja-ga doego sipeo haeyo.Of course, everyone wants to be a rich person.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 부자, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 부자, CC BY-SA 4.0.
