Is 씨발 really the same as the English f-word?

Functionally, yes: 씨발 (ssibal) works as a standalone exclamation, as filler inside a sentence, and as the first half of insults like 씨발놈. But Korean is hierarchical, so the social cost is higher. Using it in front of a boss, a professor or anyone older isn't edgy, it's a real offence and can end a relationship. Younger speakers soften it to 아이씨, 시발, or just 씨 when they need to vent in public.

What does 개 mean in Korean swear words?

개 is 'dog'. As a prefix it does two different jobs. In insults like 개새끼 and 개소리 it means 'filthy, worthless'. In modern youth slang it is only an intensifier, 'super/fucking': 개덥다 (fucking hot), 개맛있다 (fucking delicious), 개웃겨 (hilarious). That second use is strength 3 at most, but it is still 반말 slang and never appropriate at work, at school or with elders.

Which Korean insults are safe to use with friends?

바보, 멍청이 and 짜증나 (strength 1) are fine with close friends of your own age and can even sound affectionate. 또라이, 미친 and 빡치다 are normal between friends but not in front of anyone older. Everything rated 4–5 here — 년, 병신, 지랄, 존나, 새끼, 개새끼, 씨발, 좆같다 — should be recognised, not produced, until you know exactly where you stand with the person.

What's the difference between 놈, 새끼 and 개새끼?

They're a ladder for insulting a man. 놈 means 'guy/jerk' (strength 2) and older speakers sometimes use it almost neutrally about a younger man, usually with a modifier: 저 놈, 나쁜 놈. 새끼 literally means an animal's young (strength 4) and is a real insult, though close male friends use it jokingly. 개새끼, 'dog's offspring' (strength 5), is pure hostility. The female counterpart of 놈 is 년, which is much harsher than 놈.

Korean Swear Words: 25 Real Curse Words With Strength Ratings

🇰🇷 Korean · 25 cards · B1 · by Jiho Park

I'm from Seoul, and I've marked every card with the two things textbooks skip: a strength rating from 1 to 5, and the politeness level the phrase belongs to. Almost everything here is 반말 — there is no polite form of 씨발, and sticking -요 on the end rescues nothing. Read the notes: 병신 and 지랄 are ableist slurs that land far harder than their English glosses; 개- and 존나 are intensifiers, not insults on their own; 새끼 swings between abuse and affection depending on who says it to whom. Learn all 25 so you understand dramas, game chat and arguments on the bus. Say only the 1s and 2s.

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How to use this deck

Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.

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All 25 cards

#	Korean	Pronunciation	English	Example
1	바보 Strength 1. 반말. Childish and often affectionate — couples and parents use it playfully. Barely offensive.	babo	idiot, dummy	야, 바보야, 우산 놓고 갔잖아. Hey dummy, you left your umbrella behind.
2	멍청이 Strength 1. 반말. Slightly harsher than 바보 — it points at stupidity rather than cuteness. Safe among friends and fine about yourself.	meongcheongi	idiot, moron	내가 멍청이였어, 미안. I was an idiot, sorry.
3	짜증나 Strength 1. Not profanity, just blunt 반말 venting. Polite form: 짜증나요. Don't aim it at a senior's behaviour.	jjajeungna	it's annoying, so irritating	아, 진짜 짜증나 죽겠네. Ugh, this is so annoying I could scream.
4	재수없어 Strength 2. 반말. Literally 'no luck'. Said about a person it means unpleasant or off-putting; said about a situation it means 'just my luck'.	jaesu eopseo	what a jerk, you suck; unlucky	저 사람 말투 진짜 재수없어. That guy's tone is so obnoxious.
5	쓰레기 Strength 3. The ordinary word for garbage; aimed at a person it is a serious moral insult, usually as 인간 쓰레기. Not vulgar, but very cutting.	sseuregi	trash (about a person), scumbag	그 사람 인간 쓰레기더라. That guy turned out to be human trash.
6	싸가지 없다 Strength 3. 반말. A very Korean insult: it accuses you of disrespecting elders and social order. Usually said behind someone's back, not to their face.	ssagaji eopda	to have no manners, to be disrespectful	쟤 진짜 싸가지 없다. That kid has zero manners.
7	놈 Strength 2. Rarely stands alone — you hear 저 놈, 나쁜 놈, or as a suffix (미친놈). Older men sometimes use it almost neutrally about younger men; from a stranger it's rude.	nom	bastard, jerk (about a man)	저 놈이 내 자리 뺏었어. That jerk took my seat.
8	년 Strength 4. The female counterpart of 놈, but far nastier and never neutral. Also a suffix: 미친년, 저년. Misogynistic — recognise it, don't use it.	nyeon	bitch (about a woman)	그 년 얘기는 꺼내지도 마. Don't even bring that bitch up.
9	젠장 Strength 2. Mild and slightly old-fashioned; you hear it mostly in dubbing and subtitles where a stronger word has been cleaned up. Aimed at situations, not people.	jenjang	damn it	젠장, 지갑을 두고 왔네. Damn, I left my wallet behind.
10	아이씨 Strength 2. A swallowed version of 씨발 — you stop before the bad part. Constant among young people, but still 반말 and still obviously swearing.	aissi	ugh, dammit	아이씨, 버스 놓쳤잖아. Dammit, I missed the bus.
11	닥쳐 Strength 3. Aggressive 반말 command from 닥치다. The neutral 'be quiet' is 조용히 해 / 조용히 해 주세요.	dakchyeo	shut up	닥쳐, 네 얘기 듣기 싫어. Shut up, I don't want to hear it.
12	꺼져 Strength 3. 반말. From 꺼지다, 'to go out (like a light)'. Standard line in breakup and fight scenes.	kkeojyeo	get lost, piss off	꺼져, 다시는 연락하지 마. Get lost, don't contact me again.
13	엿 먹어 Strength 3. 반말, often as 엿 먹어라. Literally 'eat taffy' — sounds harmless, but the origin is obscene and Koreans hear it as a real insult.	yeot meogeo	screw you, get stuffed	엿 먹어라, 다시는 안 도와줄 거야. Screw you, I'm never helping you again.
14	또라이 Strength 3. Slang for someone unhinged. Can sound half-admiring about a fearless person among friends, but normally insulting.	ttorai	nutjob, psycho	저 운전자 완전 또라이네. That driver is a total nutjob.
15	미친 Strength 3. From 미치다. On its own it's an exclamation; before a noun it insults the person (미친놈, 미친년). 미쳤어 is the milder everyday form.	michin	crazy, insane; damn, freaking	미친, 이 가격이 말이 돼? That's insane — this price, seriously?
16	빡치다 Strength 3. Young slang, stronger than 화나다. You mostly hear the past form 빡쳤어 / 빡쳤다. Keep it out of the office.	ppakchida	to get pissed off	아까 그 말 듣고 완전 빡쳤어. I got seriously pissed when I heard that.
17	개- Strength 3. Prefix from 개 'dog'. Attaches to adjectives and verbs: 개맛있다, 개웃겨, 개힘들다. Everywhere among under-30s, never in polite speech.	gae-	fucking ~, super ~ (intensifier)	오늘 날씨 개덥다. It's fucking hot today.
18	개소리 Strength 4. Literally 'dog talk'. As confrontational as English 'bullshit' — it calls the other person a liar.	gaesori	bullshit, nonsense	개소리 좀 그만해. Cut the bullshit already.
19	병신 Strength 4. Originally a word for a disabled person, so it lands like a slur, not like 'idiot'. Many Koreans consider it unacceptable in any company.	byeongsin	moron, idiot (ableist slur)	야, 병신같이 굴지 마. Hey, stop acting like a moron.
20	지랄 Strength 4. From an old word for a convulsive fit, so it carries the same ableist baggage as 병신. Used as a verb: 지랄하다, 지랄하네.	jiral	bullshit, crap; to act up	지랄하지 말고 똑바로 말해. Quit your bullshit and say it straight.
21	존나 Strength 4. From 좆 (dick), so it's genuinely vulgar despite being a pure intensifier before adjectives and verbs. Softer substitutes: 졸라, 열라, 개-.	jonna	fucking (intensifier), damn	이거 존나 어렵네. This is fucking hard.
22	새끼 Strength 4. Base meaning is an animal's offspring. Parents say 우리 새끼 fondly about their own child, and close male friends joke with 이 새끼, but to a stranger it starts a fight.	saekki	bastard; young (of an animal)	저 새끼 또 지각이야. That bastard is late again.
23	개새끼 Strength 5. Literally 'dog's offspring'. One of the strongest personal insults in Korean — always hostile, usually shouted.	gaesaekki	son of a bitch	그 개새끼 다시는 안 볼 거야. I'm never seeing that son of a bitch again.
24	씨발 Strength 5. The all-purpose Korean f-word: exclamation, filler, or part of 씨발놈. Also written 시발, 씨팔, or just ㅅㅂ online. Never with anyone older or senior.	ssibal	fuck, fucking	씨발, 폰 액정 깨졌어. Fuck, my phone screen cracked.
25	좆같다 Strength 5. From 좆 'dick'. Crude and male-coded; describes situations more than people. Top of the vulgarity scale — recognition only.	jotgatda	to be fucking awful, to suck	오늘 하루 진짜 좆같았어. Today was absolutely fucking awful.

Jiho Park

Native Korean · Speaks English, Japanese

Seoul native. I mark every phrase with its politeness level, because that is the part textbooks skip and the part that gets you in trouble.

Published 17 Sept 2026

Questions about this deck

Is 씨발 really the same as the English f-word?: Functionally, yes: 씨발 (ssibal) works as a standalone exclamation, as filler inside a sentence, and as the first half of insults like 씨발놈. But Korean is hierarchical, so the social cost is higher. Using it in front of a boss, a professor or anyone older isn't edgy, it's a real offence and can end a relationship. Younger speakers soften it to 아이씨, 시발, or just 씨 when they need to vent in public.
What does 개 mean in Korean swear words?: 개 is 'dog'. As a prefix it does two different jobs. In insults like 개새끼 and 개소리 it means 'filthy, worthless'. In modern youth slang it is only an intensifier, 'super/fucking': 개덥다 (fucking hot), 개맛있다 (fucking delicious), 개웃겨 (hilarious). That second use is strength 3 at most, but it is still 반말 slang and never appropriate at work, at school or with elders.
Which Korean insults are safe to use with friends?: 바보, 멍청이 and 짜증나 (strength 1) are fine with close friends of your own age and can even sound affectionate. 또라이, 미친 and 빡치다 are normal between friends but not in front of anyone older. Everything rated 4–5 here — 년, 병신, 지랄, 존나, 새끼, 개새끼, 씨발, 좆같다 — should be recognised, not produced, until you know exactly where you stand with the person.
What's the difference between 놈, 새끼 and 개새끼?: They're a ladder for insulting a man. 놈 means 'guy/jerk' (strength 2) and older speakers sometimes use it almost neutrally about a younger man, usually with a modifier: 저 놈, 나쁜 놈. 새끼 literally means an animal's young (strength 4) and is a real insult, though close male friends use it jokingly. 개새끼, 'dog's offspring' (strength 5), is pure hostility. The female counterpart of 놈 is 년, which is much harsher than 놈.

Korean Swear Words: 25 Real Curse Words With Strength Ratings

All 25 cards

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