Korean word

거지

Pronunciation

Romanizationkeoji

Meaning

  • nounbeggar

Example

공원에서 거지를 만났어.kong wo ne seo keo ji reul man na sseo

I met a beggar in the park.

Illustration for 거지 (beggar)

More examples

사람들이 그를 거지 취급했어.sa ram deu ri keu reul keo ji chwi geu pae sseo

People treated him like a beggar.

Core concept

A person who survives by begging or moves from place to place without a stable home, viewed with contempt.

Common phrases

  • 거지 취급keo ji chwi geup

    treatment as a beggar

  • 거지꼴keo ji kkol

    beggar-like appearance

Similar words

노숙인nosugin: A person without a home who sleeps on streets or in public places.
걸인keorin: A person who asks passersby for money or goods to live on.
구걸꾼kugeolkkun: A casual term for someone who begs for money or food.

Definition in Korean

구걸하여 생활하거나 일정한 거주지가 없이 돌아다니는 사람을 경멸적으로 이르는 말.ku geol ha yeo saeng hwal ha geo na il jeong han keo ju ji ga eop ssi to ra da ni neun sa ra meul kyeong myeol jeo geu ro i reu neun mal

Word origin

The word is native Korean rather than a transparent Sino-Korean compound, and its precise historical origin is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • Because it carries a contemptuous tone, it is not a neutral way to describe someone's poverty or lack of housing in conversation.

Other meanings

  • vagrantnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 거지근성keojigeunseongbeggar mentalitynoun

Word lists with this word