Nuance Dictionary / Culture & Language
청개구리 Cheong-gaeguri
An affectionate or exasperated label for a child who instinctively does the exact opposite of what they are told.
What does 청개구리 mean?
청개구리 (Cheong-gaeguri) means: An affectionate or exasperated label for a child who instinctively does the exact opposite of what they are told.
Derived from the classic Korean folktale of the disobedient green tree frog who always did the reverse of his mother's wishes, this word is a staple in Korean households. Parents don't use it to genuinely scold; rather, it’s a fond, slightly exasperated sigh wrapped in *jeong* (affectionate attachment) when a kid digs their heels in. It completely breaks the rigid age-and-rank hierarchy of Korean family life in a safe, playful way, acknowledging a child's stubborn phase without losing parental warmth. Foreign learners often mistake it for a harsh insult, missing that it’s actually a term of endearment loaded with maternal or paternal indulgence.
Other sides of 청개구리
◆ playful-stubbornness — While textbooks trace this to the famous folk tale of the disobedient green frog who only listened after death, modern peers use it with a smirk to call out delightful obstinacy. If everyone tells a friend to bundle up because it is freezing, a true 'cheong-gaeguri' will wear a T-shirt out of pure, stubborn spirit—not out of malice, but a knee-jerk resistance to peer pressure. It is a playful weapon used to puncture the heavy expectations of 눈치 (social radar) without crossing the line into genuine disrespect, turning stubbornness into a sort of affectionate performance.
How it's actually used
- 우리 딸은 진짜 청개구리야. 빨리 자라고 하면 더 안 자.
u-ri ttal-eun jin-jja cheong-gae-gu-ri-ya. ppalli ja-ra-go ha-myeon deo an ja.
My daughter is such a tree frog. When I tell her to sleep quickly, she stays up even more.
💡 Reveals how parents affectionately weaponize the term against harmless bedtime rebellion. - 청개구리처럼 굴지 말고 어른 말씀 좀 들어라.
cheong-gae-gu-ri-cheoreom gul-ji mal-go eoreun malsseum jom deureora.
Stop acting like a cheong-gaeguri and listen to your elders.
💡 Shows the slight parental pivot from amusement to mild behavioral correction. - 내가 청개구리라 아빠가 하지 말라는 것만 골라서 해요.
naega cheong-gaegurira appaga haji mallaneun geosman golaseo haeyo.
Since I'm a total cheong-gaeguri, I only pick the things dad tells me not to do.
💡 Demonstrates how children playfully self-identify with the term when caught red-handed.