Korean word

근묵자흑

Pronunciation

Romanizationkeunmukjjaheuk

Meaning

nounbad company corrupts

Example

나쁜 친구와 어울리면 근묵자흑이 되기 쉽다.na ppeun chin gu wa eo ul li myeon keun muk jja heu gi toe gi swip tta

If you spend time with bad friends, you can easily become like them.

Illustration for 근묵자흑 (bad company corrupts)

More examples

그는 나쁜 친구들과 어울리며 점점 근묵자흑처럼 행동했다.keu neun na ppeun chin gu deul gwa eo ul li myeo cheom jeom keun muk jja heuk cheo reom haeng dong haet tta

He spent time with bad friends and gradually began acting as though they had corrupted him.

Core concept

Spending time near bad influences slowly stains a person's character and behavior.

Common phrases

근묵자흑처럼 행동하다keun muk jja heuk cheo reom haeng dong ha da
act like bad company has corrupted you

Similar words

악영향agyeonghyang: A harmful influence that causes a person's thoughts or actions to change in a bad way.
나쁜 친구nappeun chingu: A friend or companion who has a harmful effect on people nearby.

Definition in Korean

나쁜 영향에 물들어 본래의 성격이나 행동이 변하게 되는 상태를 가리키는 명사na ppeun yeong hyang e mul deu reo pol lae ui seong gyeo gi na haeng dong i pyeon ha ge toe neun sang tae reul ka ri ki neun myeong sa

Word origin

The idiom comes from the traditional image that a person near ink becomes black, turning physical staining into a lesson about influence.

Usage tips

Its proverb-like tone suits warnings and advice, while simpler wording is often more natural in casual conversation.