잘생겼다
jalsaenggyeotda
In Korean, 'someone is handsome' is expressed as 잘생겼다 (jalsaenggyeotda).
The phrase 잘생겼다 is used to describe a man who is physically attractive. While this phrase focuses on a man's appearance, you can also use the noun 미남 to refer specifically to a 'handsome man'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 잘생겼다 literally means 'to have been well-formed'. It is composed of 잘, meaning 'well' and 생겼다, meaning 'to have appeared' or 'to have formed'.
Which one should you use?
The term 잘생겼다 is specifically used for men. To describe female attractiveness, the word 예쁘다 (pretty) is more commonly used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To create the informal/casual version of the phrase, you can use 잘생겼어 by dropping the polite ending –요.
How do you pronounce it?
jalsaenggyeotda
When do people say it?
When receiving a compliment about your appearance, a common and polite way to respond is to say 아니에요, which means 'No, I'm not'.
Did you know?
- In modern Korean pop culture, the term 꽃미남 (flower boy) is used to describe a specific type of handsome man with soft, feminine features.
- Unlike in English where 'handsome' is an adjective, the word 잘생겼다 is actually a verb in Korean, describing the process of how someone 'came to be' formed.
- In traditional Korean aesthetics, the ideal of a 'handsome' man often included a high forehead and thick eyebrows, which were believed to signal intelligence and nobility.
Examples in context
- 안녕! 오늘 너무 멋있게 생겼어!Hello! You look so cool today!
- 너 참 멋있게 생겼다! 카메라 앞에 서면 완전 모델 같아.You look really cool! You could be a model in front of the camera.
- 그 배우는 정말 잘생겼다.geu bae-u-neun jeong-mal jal-saeng-gyeot-da.That actor is really handsome.
- 그 사람은 참 잘생겼다.geu sa-ram-eun cham jal-saeng-gyeot-da.That person is quite handsome.
Example conversation
Ji-hun and Seo-yeon are watching a movie together.
- 지훈 Ji-hun이 영화 주인공 정말 잘생겼다, 그치?i yeonghwa juingong jeongmal jalsaenggyeotda, geuchi?The lead in this movie is really handsome, right?
- 서연 Seo-yeon맞아, 정말 멋있어.maja, jeongmal meoshisseo.True, he is really cool.
- 지훈 Ji-hun지훈이 너보다 훨씬 잘생겼다.ji-huni neoboda hwolshin jalsaenggyeotda.He is much more handsome than you, Ji-hun.
- 서연 Seo-yeon너무해, 서연아!neomuhae, seoyeona!That's too much, Seo-yeon!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 잘생겼다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
