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

Jeju

Pronunciation

• (Morphophonemic) IPA^(key): ⫽kæ⫽
• (Jeju City) IPA^(key): [kæ] ~ [ke]
• Phonetic hangul: [개/게]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gae
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gae
Yale Romanization?	kay

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle Korean 가히〮 (kàhí), from Old Korean 犬伊 (*KAhi).

Noun

개 (gae)

1. dog

Etymology 2

From Middle Korean 개〮 (káy).

Noun

개 (gae)

1. inlet, estuary

Korean

Etymology 1

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

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.

The prefix derives from the noun. Compare English bitch.

개
A dog

Pronunciation

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

  • Audio:

    (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 who 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!

   개웃기네

   gaeutgine

   so fucking funny

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

• 개같다 (gaegatda)
• 개고생 (—苦生, gaegosaeng)
• 개꼴 (gaekkol)
• 개꽃 (gaekkot)
• 개꿀 (gaekkul)
• 개꿈 (gaekkum)
• 개나리 (gaenari)
• 개년 (gaenyeon)
• 개놈 (gaenom)
• 개떡 (gaetteok)
• 개망신 (—亡身, gaemangsin)
• 개밀 (gaemil)
• 개방정 (gaebangjeong)
• 개보리 (gaebori)
• 개살구 (gaesalgu)
• 개수작 (—酬酌, gaesujak)
• 개여뀌 (gaeyeokkwi)
• 개이득 (—利得, gaeideuk)
• 개죽음 (gaejugeum)
• 개지랄 (gaejiral)
• 개판 (gaepan)
• 개한민국 (—韓民國, gaehanmin'guk)
• 갯잔디 (gaetjandi)

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]

  • Audio:

    (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

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

See also

• 浦 (po), the hanja for estuary

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 個.

Pronunciation

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

  • Audio:

    (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

   Alternative form: g (gae)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 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)

More information

1. 改: reform; fix

   (eumhun reading: 고칠 개 (gochil gae))
   (MC reading: 改 (MC kojX))

2. 皆: (literary) all; every; everybody

   (MC reading: 皆 (MC keaj))

3. 個: a piece; a unit; an item

   (eumhun reading: 낱 개 (nat gae))
   (MC reading: 個 (MC kaH))

4. 開: open

   (eumhun reading: 열 개 (yeol gae))
   (MC reading: 開 (MC khoj))

5. 介: mediate; herald; sea shell; to wear armor

   (MC reading: 介 (MC keajH))

6. 慨:

   (MC reading: 慨 (MC khojH))

7. 槪: approximately

   (eumhun reading: 대개 개 (daegae gae))
   (MC reading: 槪)

8. 蓋: cover

   (eumhun reading: 덮을 개 (deopeul gae))
   (MC reading: 蓋 (MC kajH))

9. 价:

   (MC reading: 价 (MC keajH))

10. 凱:

    (MC reading: 凱 (MC khojX))

11. 愷: enjoy; peaceful

    (MC reading: 愷 (MC khojX))

12. 漑:

    (MC reading: 漑 (MC kʌi^H))

13. 塏: highland; high and dry (of place)

    (MC reading: 塏 (MC khojX))

14. 愾:

    (MC reading: 愾 (MC khojH))

15. 疥: scabies, itch

    (MC reading: 疥 (MC keajH))

16. 芥:

    (MC reading: 芥 (MC keajH))

17. 豈: an interjection of surprise

    (eumhun reading: 승전악 개 (seungjeonak gae))
    (MC reading: 豈 (MC khj+jX))

18. 鎧:

    (MC reading: 鎧 (MC khojX|khojH))

19. 玠:

    (MC reading: 玠 (MC keajH))

20. 剴:

    (MC reading: 剴 (MC koj))

21. 匃:

    (MC reading: 匃 (MC kajH))

22. 揩:

    (MC reading: 揩 (MC kheaj|kheajH))

23. 槩:

    (MC reading: 槩 (MC kojH))

24. 磕: bump; drumbeat

    (MC reading: 磕 (MC khajH))

25. 闓:

    (MC reading: 闓 (MC khojX|khojH))

26. 丐: beggar

    (eumhun reading: 빌 개 (bil gae))
    (MC reading: 丐 (MC kajH))

27. 箇: Alternative form of 個
28. 个: Alternative form of 個
29. 盖: Alternative form of 蓋

Middle Korean

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /káj/

Noun

개〮 (káy) (locative 개〮예〮 (káy-yéy))

1. inlet; estuary

Descendants

• Korean: 개 (gae)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kǎj/

Noun

개〯 (kǎy) (locative 개〯예〮 (kǎy-yéy))

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

Descendants

• Korean: 개 (gae)