Nuance Dictionary / Emotions & Feelings
객기 Gaekgi
Acting tough or taking unnecessary risks purely out of youthful pride, ego, or a stubborn refusal to look weak.
What does 객기 mean?
객기 (Gaekgi) means: Acting tough or taking unnecessary risks purely out of youthful pride, ego, or a stubborn refusal to look weak.
Textbooks often translate '객기' simply as bravado, but natives reach for it when someone is doing something utterly foolish just to prove a point or feed their ego. It is the psychological engine behind wearing a thin jacket in a snowstorm just to look cool, or picking a fight with someone twice your size because backing down feels worse than getting hurt. It carries a heavy tint of affectionate exasperation—you are calling out someone's stupidity, but acknowledging it stems from a pathetic, youthful pride.
Other sides of 객기
◆ Foolhardy Stunt — While 'Reckless Bluff' is about talking big to hide fear, *객기* as a stunt is where someone actually acts on that dumb impulse—like jumping off a sketchy rock into shallow water or racing a beat-up sedan just because someone dared them. Natives use this word when looking back at a profoundly stupid physical action with immediate, cringing regret. It’s not calculated bravery; it’s the exact moment your testosterone outweighs your frontal lobe.
◆ Elder Reproach — When older Koreans drop this word about the young, they aren't impressed by your courage—they're pitying your ignorance. It’s the linguistic equivalent of a heavy sigh and a head shake, signaling that you’re writing checks with your ego that your life experience can't cash yet. Learners often mistake it for a compliment about being 'bold' or 'spirited,' missing the heavy undercurrent of condescension that comes from someone who survived the exact same stupid phase.
◆ Elder Reproach — When older Koreans drop this word about the young, they aren't impressed by your courage—they're pitying your ignorance. It’s the linguistic equivalent of a heavy sigh and a head shake, signaling that you’re writing checks with your ego that your life experience can't cash yet. Learners often mistake it for a compliment about being 'bold' or 'spirited,' missing the heavy undercurrent of condescension that comes from someone who survived the exact same stupid phase.
🎙️ 객기는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [객끼]로 소리나요 (경음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 술김에 부린 객기 때문에 다음 날 귀가 떨어지는 줄 알았다.
sul-gim-e burin gaek-gi ttaemun-e daeum-nal gwi-ga tteor-ojineun jul alat-da.
Because of the reckless bluff I pulled off while drunk, I thought my ears were going to fall off the next day.
💡 Reveals how alcohol frequently fuels this state, leading to instant regret the morning after. - 그건 용기가 아니라 그냥 객기야. 정신 차려.
geugeon yong-gi-ga anira geunyang gaek-gi-ya. jeongsin charyeo.
That’s not courage, that’s just reckless bluffing. Get a grip.
💡 Shows the sharp conversational line natives draw between genuine bravery and stupid, ego-driven posturing. - 어릴 때는 객기로 맨, 주먹으로 안 되는 게 없다고 믿었지.
eoril ttae-neun gaek-gi-ro maen-jumeog-euro an-doeneun ge eopt-dago mideot-ji.
When I was young, I believed with pure youthful ego that nothing was impossible with bare fists.
💡 Illustrates how looking back on past '객기' is a universal rite of passage tinged with nostalgic cringe.
Related words in Emotions & Feelings
간이 콩알만 해지다 Gan-i kong-alman haejida간이 크다 Gani keuda갑갑하다 gap-gap-ha-da기가 죽다 Giga jukda기가 막히다 giga makhida