Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
본전 bonjeon
principal or capital invested in a loan, debt, or business venture, excluding interest or cost price
What does 본전 mean?
본전 (bonjeon) means: principal or capital invested in a loan, debt, or business venture, excluding interest or cost price.
Speakers use this term to refer to the original sum of money lent, deposited, or invested in a business, distinct from any interest or profit earned. It turns up frequently in contexts involving financial transactions, loans, debt recovery, and retail or business investments. It commonly combines with verbs like 갚다 to repay, 받다 to receive, 잃다 to lose, 건지다 to recover, and 뽑다 or 빼다 to recoup initial costs. In everyday interactions, speakers discuss whether they managed to recover their initial outlay or whether unreturned loans left them without even the principal.
When speakers talk about getting their 본전 back from a failing business or a bad investment, the word often carries a sense of relief upon breaking even or frustration at failing to do so.
When speakers talk about getting their 본전 back from a failing business or a bad investment, the word often carries a sense of relief upon breaking even or frustration at failing to do so.
Other sides of 본전
◆ getting one's money's worth — Speakers use this to talk about recovering the money, effort, or cost they originally put into a business, purchase, or activity. It frequently appears in fixed expressions about getting back what was spent, recovering losses, or breaking even. Common pairings include verbs like 뽑다, 건지다, and 빼다, as well as nouns like 생각하다. In everyday conversations, speakers often use it to wonder if a venture or purchase has paid for itself.
Using this can frame an activity or purchase purely in terms of its practical return, sometimes carrying a pragmatic or calculating tone.
Using this can frame an activity or purchase purely in terms of its practical return, sometimes carrying a pragmatic or calculating tone.
How it's actually used
- 친구는 이자는 괜찮으니 나중에 본전만 갚으라고 하며 돈을 빌려주었다.
chingu-neun ija-neun gwaenchanh-euni najung-e bonjeon-man gap-eurago ham-hyeo don-eul billyeojuwotda.
My friend lent me money, saying the interest didn't matter and I only needed to pay back the principal later.
💡 Shows the word used in the context of a personal loan without interest. - 한 이삼 년 더 열심히 일하면 가게를 차릴 때 들인 본전을 뽑을 수 있을 것 같다.
han i-sam nyeon deo yeolsimhi ilhamyeon gage-reul charil ttae deulin bonjeon-eul ppop-eul su isseul geot gatda.
I think if I work hard for another two or three years, I can recoup the capital I put into opening the shop.
💡 Shows the word used when calculating the recovery of business startup costs. - 그가 내 돈을 떼먹고 도망을 가서 이자는커녕 본전도 못 건졌다.
geu-ga nae don-eul ttemeok-go domang-eul gaseo ija-neun-keon-yeo bonjeon-do mot geonjyeotda.
He ran away after swindling my money, so I couldn't even recover the principal, let alone the interest.
💡 Shows the word used in a situation involving financial loss and unpaid debt.
Related words in Social Situations
병 주고 약 준다 Byeong jugo yak junda찬밥 신세 Chanbap sinse찬물을 끼얹다 Chanmureul kkianhda철이 들다 cheori deulda초토화 cho-to-hwa