Badass Korean — As Much as a Rat’s Tail

짝퉁

[jjak-tung]

a knockoff; black market merchandise

Meaning & context

짝은 무익한 것 혹은 아무짝에도 쓸모없음을, 그리고 퉁은 낮은 질의 놋쇠를 의미한다. 이 두 글자가 합쳐지면 하찮은 놋쇠를 뜻하여, 비속어로는 간단히 모조한것, 특별히 유명 브 랜드 상품의 이미테이션을 말할 때 쓰인다.

The jjak (짝) refers to something useless or “good for nothing,” and tung (퉁) means “low quality brass.” The combination refer to a brass trinket and as slang it simply suggests something fake, particularly an knockoff of a name brand product. Not necessarily of poor quality like heojeop (허접). Synonyms: 짭퉁 [jjab-tung] impure brass & 짜가 [jja-ga] a reversal of 가짜 [ga-jja] meaning fake or imitation & 야매[ya-mae] a bootleg product.

From As Much as a Rat’s Tail · book pages 194–194. Original published text; historical references and usage are retained.

STORY TIME

See it in conversation

Korean

B-브랜드 쇼핑

English

B-Brand Shopping

HeeYeon

그거 진짜 구찌야? 아니면, 이태원 표 짝퉁?

희연

Is that a real Gucci? Or an Itaewon jjaktung?

Minji

이게 짜가로 보여? 내가 그런 짭퉁을 살 사람으로 보이냐고?! 감히 어떻게 나에게!!

민지

Does it look jjaga? Do I look like someone who would buy jjabtung?! How dare you!!

HeeYeon

그냥 한 말이야. 단지 네가 좋은 가격에 샀나 궁금해서. 나도 가끔 짝퉁 사거든...

희연

I didn’t mean anything. Just wondered if you got a good deal. I buy jjaktung sometimes…

MinJi

농담이야. 사실 이거 짝퉁이야. 내가 가지고 있는 유일한 진퉁은 남자친구가 사준거거든. 하도 애원하길래 받아줬지. 이거 얼마주고 샀는지 맞춰봐...

민지

Just kidding. It’s jjaktung. The only real stuff I have, I let my boyfriends buy for me (after much cajoling). Guess how much I got it for…

As Much as a Rat’s Tail

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