좀비
jombi[t͡ɕo̞mbi]
The English word 'zombie' is translated into Korean as 좀비 (jombi).
좀비 is a noun used to refer to the undead.
Meaning: the undead (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is jombi.
Did you know?
- In Korean horror, the concept of the 좀비 is often blended with 'Han', a deep feeling of unresolved grief and resentment that drives the undead.
- While 좀비 is the word for Western undead, Korean history features the 강시 or 'stiff corpse', a hopping zombie from Chinese folklore that differs from the shuffling monsters of cinema.
- The term 좀비 is frequently used metaphorically in Korean social commentary to describe people who follow trends or instructions blindly without thinking.
Examples in context
- 좀비가 나타났어요.A zombie appeared.
- 좀비 영화를 보는 걸 좋아해요.I enjoy watching zombie movies.
- 좀비가 나를 쫓아왔어요.The zombie chased after me.
- 그 영화에는 무서운 좀비가 나와요.geu yeonghwaneun museoun jombiga nawoyo.There are scary zombies in that movie.
- 좀비가 나타나면 어떻게 할까요?jombiga natanamyeon eotteoke halkkayo?What should we do if a zombie appears?
- 나는 좀비가 나오는 게임을 좋아해요.naneun jombiga naoneun geimeul joahae-yo.I like games that feature zombies.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Jieun are watching a horror movie together.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은 씨, 저 좀비 좀 보세요!jieun ssi, jeo jombi jom boseyo!Jieun, look at that zombie!
- 지은 Ji-eun너무 징그러워서 못 보겠어요.neomu jinggeureowoseo mot bogesseoyo.It's too gross, I can't watch it.
- 도현 Do-hyeon분장이 정말 진짜 같아요.bunjang-i jeongmal jinjja gatayo.The makeup looks so real.
- 지은 Ji-eun그래도 저는 좀비가 정말 싫어요.geuraedo jeoneun jombiga jeongmal sireoyo.Still, I really hate zombies.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “zombie” translations and entries 좀비, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
