Korean word

핑계

Pronunciation

Romanizationpinggye

Meaning

  • nounexcuse

Example

그는 핑계를 대며 자리를 떠났다.keu neun ping gye reul tae myeo cha ri reul tteo nat tta

He made an excuse and left.

Illustration for 핑계 (excuse)

More examples

늦은 이유로 핑계를 붙였다.neu seun i yu ro ping gye reul pu chyeot tta

He made an excuse for being late.

Core concept

A reason offered to avoid admitting a mistake or accepting responsibility, often sounding unconvincing.

Common phrases

  • 핑계를 붙이다ping gye reul pu chi da

    make an excuse

  • 핑계를 늘어놓다ping gye reul neu reo no ta

    make a string of excuses

  • 핑계를 대다ping gye reul tae da

    make an excuse

Similar words

변명pyeonmyeong: Words used to defend a mistake or avoid blame by giving an explanation.
구실kusil: A pretext created to avoid an unwanted task or responsibility.
핑계거리pinggyegeori: A fact or circumstance that can be used as an excuse.

Definition in Korean

실수나 책임을 인정하지 않으려 할 때 대는 이유나 말.sil su na chae gi meul in jeong ha ji a neu ryeo hal ttae tae neun i yu na mal

Word origin

The historical origin of the word is uncertain, so it is best learned as a noun for a reason used to avoid blame.

Usage tips

  • Unlike the English word excuse, which can sound neutral, this word often suggests that the reason is not fully convincing.

Other meanings

  • pretextnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 핑계거리pinggyegeoriexcuse materialnoun
  • 핑계꾼pinggyekkunexcuse-makernoun

Word lists with this word