개

개

See also: -개

개 U+AC1C, 개 HANGUL SYLLABLE GAE Composition: ㄱ + ㅐ ← 갛 [U+AC1B] Hangul Syllables 객 → [U+AC1D]

개객갞갟갠갡갢 갣갤갥갦갧갨갩 갪갫갬갭갮갯갰 갱갲갳갴갵갶갷
가 ←	→ 갸

Korean

Etymology 1

First attested in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사), 1103, as Late Old Korean 家稀.

In the Hangul script, first attested in the Worin cheon'gangjigok (月印千江之曲 / 월인천강지곡), 1449, as Middle Korean 가히〮 (Yale: kàhí), and subsequently recorded as 개〯 (Yale: kǎy) in the 16th century, after the h had dropped.[1]

The prefix derives from the noun. Compare English bitch.

개
A dog

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kɛ(ː)] ~ [ke̞(ː)]

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [개(ː)/게(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gae
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gae
McCune–Reischauer?	kae
Yale Romanization?	kāy

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 개의 / 개에 / 개까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes low pitch, and heightens the pitch of two subsequent suffixed syllables.

Noun

개 • (gae) (counter 마리)

1. dog
2. (figuratively, derogatory) someone behaves badly

   걔는 술 취하면 개가 돼. (colloquial)

   gyae-neun sul chwiha-myeon gae-ga dwae.

   He becomes a total wreck when he's drunk [e.g. throwing up, rambling annoyingly, etc.]

3. (figuratively) someone who does the bidding of another

Usage notes

• Some younger speakers prefer 강아지 (gang'aji, “puppy”) to refer to dogs of any age, to avoid the vulgar connotations of the prefix.

Derived terms

• 개고기 (gaegogi)
• 개구멍 (gaegumeong)
• 개돼지 (gaedwaeji)
• 개똥 (gaettong)
• 개밥 (gaebap)
• 개밥바라기 (gaebapbaragi)
• 개새끼 (gaesaekki)
• 개소리 (gaesori)
• 개싸움 (gaessaum)
• 개자식 (gaejasik)
• 개장(醬) (gaejang)
• 개집 (gaejip)
• 개코 (gaeko)
• 개털 (gaeteol)
• 갯과(科) (gaetgwa)
• 들개 (deulgae)
• 똥개 (ttonggae)
• 물개 (mulgae)
• 사냥개 (sanyanggae)
• 수캐 (sukae)
• 암캐 (amkae)

 

Related terms

• 강아지 (gang'aji)

See also

• 犬 (gyeon), the hanja for "dog"

Prefix

개— • (gae-)

1. (vulgar, slang) fucking (as an intensifier)

   진짜 개좋다.

   jinjja gaeJota.

   It's fucking good.

   진짜 개쩐다!

   jinjja gaeJjeonda!

   It's fucking amazing!

2. wild; worthless; of inferior quality

Usage notes

The prefix traditionally has a disparaging meaning only, but in modern slang it is used as a general vulgar intensifier regardless of the semantics involved.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 개고생 (—苦生, gaegosaeng)
• 개꼴 (gaekkol)
• 개꽃 (gaekkot)
• 개꿀 (gaekkul)
• 개꿈 (gaekkum)
• 개나리 (gaenari)
• 개년 (gaenyeon)
• 개놈 (gaenom)
• 개떡 (gaetteok)
• 개망신 (—亡身, gaemangsin)
• 개방정 (gaebangjeong)
• 개살구 (gaesalgu)
• 개수작 (—酬酌, gaesujak)
• 개이득 (—利得, gaeideuk)
• 개죽음 (gaejugeum)
• 개지랄 (gaejiral)
• 개판 (gaepan)

Etymology 2

First attested in the Bullyu dugongbu si eonhae (分類杜工部詩諺解 / 분류두공부시언해), 1481, as Middle Korean 개〮 (Yale: káy).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kɛ] ~ [ke̞]

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [개/게]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gae
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gae
McCune–Reischauer?	kae
Yale Romanization?	kay

Noun

개 • (gae)

1. inlet; estuary

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 개흙 (gaeheuk)
• 갯가 (gaetga)
• 갯벌 (gaetbeol)
• 갯첨서 (gaetcheomseo)

See also

• 浦 (po), the hanja for estuary

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 個 (個).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kɛ] ~ [ke̞]

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [개/게]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gae
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gae
McCune–Reischauer?	kae
Yale Romanization?	kay

Counter

개 • (gae) (hanja 個/箇/介)

1. general counter for objects: item, piece, article

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 個 (個) for Sino-Korean compounds of 개 (個, gae).

Etymology 4

See the main entries.

Verb

개 • (gae)

1. An infinitive form of 개다 (gaeda, “to clear”)
2. An infinitive form of 개다 (gaeda, “to fold”)
3. An infinitive form of 개다 (gaeda, “to knead”)

Etymology 5

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

개 (gae)

Extended content

改 (改): (MC reading: 改 (MC kʌiX)) 皆 (皆): (MC reading: 皆 (MC kˠɛi)) 個 (個): (MC reading: 個 (MC kɑH)) 開 (開): (MC reading: 開 (MC kʰʌi)) 介 (介): (MC reading: 介 (MC kˠɛiH)) 慨 (慨): (MC reading: 慨 (MC kʰʌiH)) 槪 (槪): (MC reading: 槪) 蓋 (蓋): (MC reading: 蓋 (MC kɑiH)) 价 (价): (MC reading: 价 (MC kˠɛiH)) 凱 (凱): (MC reading: 凱 (MC kʰʌiX)) 愷 (愷): (MC reading: 愷 (MC kʰʌiX)) 漑 (漑): (MC reading: 漑 (MC kʌiH)) 塏 (塏): (MC reading: 塏 (MC kʰʌiX)) 愾 (愾): (MC reading: 愾 (MC kʰʌiH)) 疥 (疥): (MC reading: 疥 (MC kˠɛiH)) 芥 (芥): (MC reading: 芥 (MC kˠɛiH)) 豈 (豈): (MC reading: 豈 (MC kʰɨiX)) 鎧 (鎧): (MC reading: 鎧 (MC kʰʌiX, kʰʌiH)) 玠 (玠): (MC reading: 玠 (MC kˠɛiH)) 剴 (剴): (MC reading: 剴 (MC kʌi)) 匃 (匃): (MC reading: 匃 (MC kɑiH)) 揩 (揩): (MC reading: 揩 (MC kʰˠɛi, kʰˠɛiH)) 槩 (槩): (MC reading: 槩 (MC kʌiH)) 磕 (磕): (MC reading: 磕 (MC kʰɑiH)) 闓 (闓): (MC reading: 闓 (MC kʰʌiX, kʰʌiH)) 丐 (丐): (MC reading: 丐 (MC kɑiH)) 箇 (箇): Alternative form of 個 (個) 个 (个): Alternative form of 個 (個) 盖 (盖): Alternative form of 蓋 (蓋)

References

1. Lee, Ki-Moon; Ramsey, S. Robert (2011) A History of the Korean Language, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 163–164

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Middle Korean

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /káj/

Noun

개〮 (káy) (locative 개〮예〮 (káy-yéy))

1. inlet; estuary

Descendants

• Korean: 개 (gae)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kǎj/

Noun

개〯 (kǎy) (locative 개〯예〮 (kǎy-yéy))

1. Alternative form of 가히〮 (kàhí, “dog”)

Descendants

• Korean: 개 (gae)