Korean word

잘나다

Pronunciation

Romanizationchallada

Meaning

  • adjectivebe excellent

Example

그는 잘난 사람이에요.keu neun chal lan sa ra mi e yo

He is an excellent person.

Illustration for 잘나다 (be excellent)

More examples

친구가 모임에서 잘난 척을 해서 분위기가 어색했어요.chin gu ga mo i me seo chal lan cheo geul hae seo pu nwi gi ga eo sae kae sseo yo

My friend acted conceited at the gathering, so the atmosphere became awkward.

Core concept

Standing out from others through unusually strong ability or appearance.

Common phrases

  • 잘난 척chal lan cheok

    be pretentious

Similar words

뛰어나다ttwieonada: Being exceptionally capable or effective, with results that clearly rise above the usual level.
훌륭하다hullyunghada: Being notably good and worthy of praise for quality, character, or achievement.

Definition in Korean

외모나 능력 등에서 남보다 앞서거나 뛰어난 성질을 가진 것을 뜻하는 형용사.oe mo na neung nyeok teung e seo nam bo da ap sseo geo na ttwi eo nan seong ji reul ka jin keo seul tteu ta neun hyeong yong sa

Word origin

The word combines an adverb meaning well with a verb meaning to emerge, suggesting something that comes out notably well.

Usage tips

  • Depending on tone, this word can praise someone or suggest that the person is showing off, so context matters.

Other meanings

  • be good-lookingadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word