바보
babo[ˈpa̠(ː)bo̞]
A playful Korean way to call someone a silly goose is 바보 (babo).
바보 means fool or silly person. Between friends, siblings or couples it is often affectionate teasing, much like silly goose. Said harshly it is a real insult meaning idiot, so tone matters.
Meaning: silly person (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
바보 is pronounced [ˈpa̠(ː)bo̞]. The first consonant sounds close to an unaspirated p, while the one in the middle sounds like a b.
Did you know?
- A historical hypothesis links 바보 to the Chinese term for 'eight months', suggesting the word once referred to the perceived cognitive effects of premature birth.
- In Korean romantic dramas, calling a partner 바보 is a popular trope used to express a 'cute' kind of frustration or deep affection.
- Koreans use the word 멍청이 for a similar kind of silliness, but it specifically suggests a more 'blank' or vacant mental state than 바보.
Examples in context
- 그는 귀여운 바보예요.geu-neun gwi-yeo-un ba-bo-ye-yo.He is a silly goose.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Dohyun are laughing at a small mistake Dohyun made.
- 서연 Seo-yeon도현, 왜 그랬어? 진짜 바보네.Dohyun, wae geuraesseo? jinjja babone.Dohyun, why did you do that? You're such a silly goose.
- 도현 Do-hyeon실수로 그랬어, 서연아.silsu-ro geuraesseo, Seoyeona.I did it by mistake, Seoyeon.
- 서연 Seo-yeon웃기니까 괜찮아.utginikka gwaenchana.It's okay because it's funny.
- 도현 Do-hyeon나 이제 안 그럴게.na ije an geureolge.I won't do it again.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 바보, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 바보, CC BY-SA 4.0.
