자랑하다
jaranghada[t͡ɕa̠ɾa̠ŋɦa̠da̠]
To show off in Korean is 자랑하다 (jaranghada).
The phrase is used to describe talking about your achievements or possessions with pride to gain admiration from others. While it can mean being proud of something in a positive sense, it is also the standard way to express showing off in a way that might be perceived as boastful.
Which one should you use?
While 자랑하다 is the standard term for both boasting and being proud, if you want to refer to a person who is a 'show-off', you use the noun 자랑쟁이.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 자랑하다 conjugates to 자랑해 in casual, non-polite speech and to 자랑해요 in standard polite speech.
How do you pronounce it?
jaranghada
Did you know?
- In Middle Korean, the phrase was written as 쟈라ᇰ〮ᄒᆞ다〮, featuring tone marks that are no longer used in the modern language.
- In Korean digital culture, people often use the term 자랑질 to describe the act of showing off on social media, where '-질' adds a derogatory or mocking tone to the action.
- In modern internet slang, people use the word 플렉스 (flex) alongside 자랑하다 to specifically describe showing off expensive luxury purchases.
Examples in context
- 너무 멋을 부리지 마!Don't show off too much!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 자랑하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 자랑하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
