개

• (Morphophonemic) IPA^(key): ⫽kæ⫽
• (Jeju City) IPA^(key): ~
• Phonetic hangul:

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

개 (gae)

1. dog

From Middle Korean 개〮 (káy).

개 (gae)

1. inlet, estuary

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.^[1]

The prefix derives from the noun. Compare English bitch.

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): ~

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul:
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

• 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.

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

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

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

• 강아지 (gang'aji)

• 犬 (gyeon), the hanja for "dog"

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

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.

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

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): ~

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul:

개 • (gae)

1. inlet; estuary

• 浦 (po), the hanja for estuary

Sino-Korean word from 個.

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): ~

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul:

개 • (gae) (hanja 個/箇/介)

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

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

See the main entries.

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”)

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

개 • (gae)

• IPA^(key): /káj/

개〮 (káy) (locative 개〮예〮 (káy-yéy))

1. inlet; estuary

• Korean: 개 (gae)

• IPA^(key): /kǎj/

개〯 (kǎy) (locative 개〯예〮 (kǎy-yéy))

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

• Korean: 개 (gae)