매튜의 한국어 연습 블로그

A guy. That guy. Add ~쟁이 to something and you've got a little slang. The thing to catch is that this does't always have the overtly negative connotation that it does in English. For example, calling a friend a "coward" is a bit harsh even in a joke. However, calling a friend a "겁쟁이" isn't nearly as possibly offensive.


거짓말쟁이
liar

겁쟁이
coward

멋쟁이
smart dresser, sharp dresser

요술쟁이
magician, sorcerer, wizard

낙서쟁이
tattoo artist (lit. doodler, scribbler)

건망증
forgetful guy

꾀쟁이
a tricky guy, a man of resources, clever

고함쟁이 (高喊)
screamer, shouter, yeller

센스쟁이
someone with sense, understand feelings well


but this doesn't always follow this pattern as in the case of ivy (담쟁이) and water strider (소금쟁이).

Can you think of any other examples?