Korean

Syllable

개 • ‎(gae)

1. A Hangul syllabic block made up of ㄱ and ㅐ.

Etymology 2

First recorded as 가히 (gahi) in 1441, in the Worin Cheongangjigok (월인천강지곡).

Alternative forms

• ㄱㆎ (koy) (obsolete)
• 가히 ‎(gahi) (kahi) (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɛ̝ː/
• Phonetic hangeul: 개:

Noun

A dog (a Labrador)

개 • ‎(gae) ‎(counter 마리)

1. dog
2. someone who does the bidding of another.

Synonyms

• 견 (犬, gyeon, “dog”)
• 구 (狗, gu, “dog”)

Derived terms

• 개새끼 (gaesaekki, “son of a bitch”)
• 들개 (deulgae, “wild dog”)
• 사냥개 (sanyanggae, “hunter, hound”)
• 수캐 (sukae, “male dog”)
• 암캐 (amkae, “female dog, bitch”)
• 갯과 (gaetgwa, “the Canidae”)
• 개소주 ‎(gaesoju)

See also

• 강아지 ‎(gangaji)

Etymology 3

First recorded in 1481 as 개 (gae), in the Bullyu Dugong Dusi Eonhae.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛ̝/
• Phonetic hangeul: 개

Noun

개 • ‎(gae)

1. estuary

Derived terms

• 갯가 (gaetga, “strandline”)

Synonyms

• 포 (浦, po, “estuary”)

Etymology 4

From Literary Chinese 个, 個.

Counter

개 • ‎(gae)

1. item, piece, general counter for objects.

   사과 3(세)개.‎

   Sagwa 3(se)gae.

   Three apples

   몇 개 필요해요?‎

   Myeot gae piryohaeyo?

   How many (things) do you need?

Alternative forms

• ea

Etymology 5

Hangul reading of various hanja.

Syllable

개 (gae)

1. 丐
2. 个*
3. 介
4. 价
5. 佳
6. 個*
7. 凱
8. 剴
9. 匃
10. 匄
11. 喈
12. 嘅
13. 塏
14. 恝
15. 愷
16. 愾
17. 慨
18. 揩
19. 改
20. 概
21. 槩
22. 槪
23. 溉
24. 漑
25. 玠
26. 疥
27. 皆
28. 盖
29. 磕
30. 箇*
31. 芥
32. 蓋
33. 解
34. 豈
35. 鎧
36. 開
37. 闓

Usage notes

• The pronunciation 개 for these three characters (个, 個, 箇) came from 介, which was confused with 个.