What does 거짓말 mean?
거짓말 (geo-jin-mal) means: Lie.
A massive trigger word. BIGBANG's legendary song '거짓말' (Lies) defined an era. It represents the ultimate betrayal or the painful lies we tell ourselves to cope.
Other sides of 거짓말
◆ playful banter — Textbooks teach you that 거짓말 means 'lie,' leading well-meaning learners to panic friends by accusing them of dishonesty when they're just sharing surprising news. In casual banter, natives throw this out instantly like English speakers say 'Shut up!' or 'Get out of here!' It signals playful camaraderie and shock, completely stripping away any heavy moral weight of deception.
◆ innocent exaggeration — Textbooks teach you that 거짓말 is a flat-out lie, but in daily life, it’s often deployed like salt in cooking—just a tiny dash to flavor a story. When a friend dramatically claims they waited three hours for you (when it was twenty minutes) or swears their morning iced Americano saved their life, they aren't trying to deceive. Learners usually freeze up here, fearing they're accusing someone of dishonesty, when natives actually use it to playfully acknowledge and validate someone's colorful storytelling.
◆ innocent exaggeration — Textbooks teach you that 거짓말 is a flat-out lie, but in daily life, it’s often deployed like salt in cooking—just a tiny dash to flavor a story. When a friend dramatically claims they waited three hours for you (when it was twenty minutes) or swears their morning iced Americano saved their life, they aren't trying to deceive. Learners usually freeze up here, fearing they're accusing someone of dishonesty, when natives actually use it to playfully acknowledge and validate someone's colorful storytelling.
🎙️ 거짓말은 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [거진말]로 소리나요 (비음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 설마 나한테 거짓말하는 건 아니지?
seolma nahante geojinmalhaneun geon aniji?
You're surely not lying to me, right?
💡 Used to confront someone suspected of deceit. - 그가 한 말은 전부 뻔한 거짓말이었어.
geuga han mareun jeonbu ppeonhan geojinmalieosseo.
Everything he said was an obvious lie.
💡 Used to dismiss unbelievable statements. - 그거 다 거짓말이라는 거 내 눈으로 똑똑히 봤어.
geugeo da geojitmariraneun geo nae nuneuro ttoktokhi bwasseo.
I saw with my own eyes that all of that was a lie.
💡 Use this when calling out someone's blatant deception.