Korean Job Discussion Forums

kermo · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 12:15 am Post subject: puppy insult

I picked up a sassy little book called "Making Out In Korean" by Peter Constantine, and though I daren't use it to speak to my Korean friends, it's a good conversation piece.

There's a section on insults that's fascinating, but it's evident that the translations don't convey the nuance (or the literal meaning) very well. For example, "deoreo-un saekki" is translated as "dirty man!" but I've heard that "saekki" can also mean "puppy". Can someone explain to me why this is such a potent insult? Also, can someone please tell the staff at my local Wa Bar that my friend's beer glass was not actually "puppy"? Embarassed

Swiss James · Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Location: Shanghai

you should bear in mind that the English insult "Son of a bitch" could be literally translated as "puppy" as well-

JacktheCat · Joined: 08 May 2004

saeki = baby or ass*beep*

kyesaeki = puppy or mother*beep*

That's a great little book, that got even better when they reprinted it with hanguelmal.

Just be real careful who you use those words on.

kermo · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 2:31 am Post subject:

kermo · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 2:43 am Post subject:

Demonicat · Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Location: Suwon

REALLY build up your lexicon:
http://www.insultmonger.com/swearing/index.htm

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

No 2 waygooks speak or spell Korean the same way, but both are experts and will barge eachother out the way to order first in a restaurant.
Many foreigners reckon they're sh*t hot at korean but couldn't get a basic message across.

Anyhow...gyeseki, geahseki, kesecki, khyesekki, however you want to spell it..go ahead....(silly.)

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

I WON'T allow myself to get one of those books.

It'd be just like me to greet my boss one day, "Annyoung ha-shipseki!"

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

If you want to be polite and safe when saying puppy....

Just say Gang-A-Ji

Chillin' Villain · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Goo Row

kermo · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:33 pm Post subject:

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

mung mung is the best for puppy

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

I'm no expert but...well, ok, yeah I am, for all you know.

From what I understand, Sekki doesn't specifically refer to a puppy. It refers to the very young offspring of any animal. I guess an English translation would be a "whelp."

A "gay-sekki" would be a puppy, but the word is so commonly used as an insult, it might be better to just say 'kang-aji' or 'Kang-aji sekki' when talking about a puppy.

I've heard that old halmonis will coo, "look at this like little sekki!" when they're holding they're grandchildren.

Why is it insulting? Well, the English word whelp also took on a kind of bad connotation. Maybe its because in Confucian society age is so important that refering to somebody as young is insulting in certain situation. I think another insult, Jasik �ڽ�, also has the connotation of youth. Certianly the semi-rude term �׾ֱ� does.

Sometimes a word just goes dirty. Why is b*tch dirty? Its all in how you use it.