30 Korean and Konglish Jokes [With Audio]
What’s so funny about learning Korean?
Well, most things, if you’re a punster monster at heart.
In Korean, jokes are known as 농담 or 장난 , and there’s no shortage of it in the language.
In this post, we’ll go over jokes that are more specifically puns ( 말장난 ), which fit into the category of dad jokes ( 아재 개그 ). A lot of these are based on Konglish (Korean-English), making them perfect for any learner aspiring to be a comedian.
Contents
- Korean Jokes About Food
- Korean Jokes About People
- Korean Jokes About Animals
- Korean Jokes About Places
- Korean Joke Vocabulary
- And One More Thing...
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Korean Jokes About Food
1. The most apologetic fruit
Q: 세상에서 가장 미안한 과일?
A: 사과
English translation:
Q: What is the most apologetic fruit?
A: Apple / Apology
Have you learned your fruits in Korean yet?
사과 is the word for apple, but it also means “apology.” A common way to say “I’m sorry” is 사과한다 .
2. Vampire’s morning beverage
Q: 뱀파이어는 아침에 무엇을 마시나요?
A: 코피
English translation:
Q: What do vampires drink in the morning?
A: Nose blood
코피 literally means “nose blood,” but it’s also very close in pronunciation to 커피, the Korean word for “coffee.” I’ve been hearing this joke since decades ago but it still gets to me even now.
3. A pained pear
Q: 배는 왜 병원에 갔나요?
A: 배 아파서
English translation:
Q: Why did the pear go to the hospital?
A: The pear was hurting / Stomach was hurting
배 means “pear,” but it also means “stomach.” Therefore, 배 아파서 can declare one (or two, if you’re actually a sentient fruit) things: a pear was in pain or one’s stomach was hurting.
This is a good time to remind you that you should be well-versed in Korean medical vocabulary!
4. Bread-ful impact
Q: 빵이 바닥에 떨어졌을 때 뭐라고 말했나요?
A: 빵
English translation:
Q: What did the bread say when it hit the floor?
A: Bread / Bang
Nope, it’s not the bread just saying its own name like some sort of Pokémon.
빵 does indeed mean “bread,” but it’s also the Korean onomatopoeia for “bang” (i.e. a gunshot, the impact sound when one falls).
5. A cannibal’s favorite cold cut
Q: 식인종은 샌드위치에 항상 무엇을 넣나요?
A: 살라미
English translation:
Q: What does a cannibal always include in his sandwich?
A: Salami
Realistically, salami’s a great cut of meat to include in any sandwich, but this joke works because 살라미 sounds similar to 사람, meaning “human.”
When saying this joke, it may help to slur 살라미 more so it sounds closer to 사람.
6. Onion patience
Q: 양파 껍질을 벗기는 데 얼마나 걸리나요?
A: 오년
English translation:
Q: How long does it take to peel an onion?
A: Five years
We’re not talking about a gigantic onion with a billion layers.
오년 literally means “five years,” but it sounds very close to the English “onion.” This is a good joke to use to turn at least some of the tears from cutting onions into ones of laughter.
7. Burnt rice
Q: 누룽지 영어 이름이 뭐예요?
A: 바비 브라운
English translation:
Q: What’s the English name of burnt rice?
A: Bobby Brown / The rice is brown
Scorched rice, known as 누룽지, is naturally darker in color. So, it makes sense that its Anglo name would be 바비 브라운 – the rice is indeed brown!
8. Bustling egg
Q: 버스 운전사가 달걀에게 뭐라고 말했나요?
A: 계란
English translation:
Q: What did the bus driver say to the chicken egg?
A: Egg
Say 계란 (egg) out loud and it sounds much like the English phrase “get on.”
So, 계란, 계란! Traffic’s moving.
9. A fruit for lovers
Q: 사랑하는 사람에게 어떤 과일을 주시나요?
A: 바나나 / 반하다
English translation:
Q: What fruit do you give to your loved one?
A: Banana / Fall in love
Besides just being delicious, 바나나 (banana) sounds like 반하다 (to fall in love), making it the perfect fruit for your beloved.
This one will require some pronunciation quirk–you may want to say 반하다 more quickly so it sounds more like 바나나.
10. A reliable spice
Q: 자주 교체할 필요가 없는 향신료는 무엇입니까?
A: 오레가노
English translation:
Q: Which spice doesn’t need to be replaced often?
A: Oregano
오레가노 is the Korean transliteration of “oregano,” but it also means in native Korean “It lasts a long time.”
Caution: before you dig up your abandoned bottle of oregano from the back of your pantry, do check its expiration date before using it!
11. Sugary sips
Q: 가장 달콤한 술은?
A: 입술
English translation:
Q: What is the sweetest alcohol?
A: Lips
술 means “alcohol,” and 입술 means “lips.” Though it ends in 술, 입술 isn’t actually a kind of alcohol.
If you’re trying to use this joke flirtatiously, I advise you to check that the person you’re talking to won’t cringe into oblivion, if they won’t just stand up and leave you on the spot.
12. Persimmon problems
Q: 감은 감인데 못 먹는 감은?
A: 영감, 옷감
English translation:
Q: Persimmons are persimmons, but what about persimmons you can’t eat?
A: Inspiration/old man, fabric
감 is the word for “persimmons,” but it bears no relation to 영감 (meaning “inspiration” or “old man”) and 옷감 (meaning “fabric”). They just happen to end in 감.
It’s a joke that works similarly to the 입술 one.
Korean Jokes About People
13. End-ear-ing
Q: 귀가 없는 귀여운 남자를 뭐라고 불러요?
A: 귀없다
English translation:
Q: What do you call a cute guy with no ears?
A: Cute / No ears
Cooing “귀없다!” is a friendly way of saying “cute!” But, if taken more literally, it also means “no ears.”
귀 by itself means “ears,” 없다 means “to lack/not have,” so 귀없다 means the hearing organs are notably absent.
14. Grandpa’s greatest greens
Q: 할아버지가 가장 좋아하는 돈은 무엇인가요?
A: 할머니
English translation:
Q: What is Grandpa’s favorite money?
A: Grandma
If you pronounce 할머니 (grandma), it sounds like “hal-money.” Makes sense that 할아버지 (grandpa) would find 할머니 to be his most priceless treasure.
15. Beautiful blood
Q: 이쁜 사람의 혈액형?
A: 인형
English translation:
Q: What is a pretty person’s blood type?
A: Pretty / Doll
This one has a few layers to it!
형 can mean “type.” 인 can mean “virtuous” or “pretty,” so 인형 can technically mean “pretty type.” However, 인형 is also the word for “doll.”
16. Money mountain
Q: 부자들은 어느 산을 오를까?
A: 부동산
English translation:
Q: Which mountain do rich people hike?
A: Real estate
산 is the word for “mountain.” 부동산 means “real estate,” pronounced bu–dong–san (or, Budong Mountain).
17. Well-loved water
Q: 물은 물인데 사람들이 가장 좋아하는 물은?
A: 선물
English translation:
Q: Water is water, but what water is people’s favorite?
A: Present
This works in the same way as the “sweetest alcohol” and “inedible persimmons” ones.
물 means “water.” 선물 means “present,” the kind you would gift to someone. Naturally then, it would be one’s favorite 물!
18. King Sejong’s drink of choice
Q: 세종대왕이 가장 좋아하는 음료은 무엇입니까?
A: 아야어여오요우유
English translation:
Q: What is King Sejong’s favorite drink?
A: A-ya-eo-yeo-o-yo-u-yu / A-ya-eo-yeo-o-yo milk
In the Joseon dynasty, King Sejong is famously known for encouraging the creation of the Hangul alphabet, to replace the more complicated Chinese-based script used in Korea at the time.
아야어여오요우유 references how one would vocalize the list of Hangul vowels in order, but 우유 by itself also means “milk.”
Korean Jokes About Animals
19. Colorful canine
Q: 개 중에 가장 아름다운 개는?
A: 무지개
English translation:
Q: Which dog is the most beautiful?
A: Rainbow
Know your animals in Korean?
개 means “dog.” The word for “rainbow,” 무지개, does contain 개, so pun-naturally that makes it the most gorgeous of hounds.
20. Zoo shopaholic
Q: 동물원 사육사는 쇼핑을 하기 전에 뭐라고 말했나요?
A: 사자 사자!
English translation:
Q: What did the zookeeper say before going on a shopping spree?
A: Buy buy! / Buy a lion!
사자, conjugated from the verb 사다 (“to buy”), is a declarative statement simply meaning “(let’s) buy.” However, 사자 is also the Korean word for “lion.”
You may want to double-check the shopping list…
21. Sheep speech
Q: 양은 어떤 언어를 사용하나요?
A: 양말
English translation:
Q: What language do sheep speak?
A: Sheep language / Socks
양 means “sheep,” and 말 means “language” or “speech.” So, literally, 양말 would mean “sheep language.”
However, 양말 is actually the word for “socks,” your cozy footwear.
22. Guiltiest creature
Q: 세상에 가장 미안한 동물?
A: 오소리
English translation:
Q: What animal is the saddest / guiltiest?
A: Badger
오소리, meaning “badger,” is pronounced a lot like the English “oh, sorry.”
Perhaps the dear 오소리 has eaten a tad too many 사과…
23. Cowed cow
Q: 소가 가장 무서워하는 가게는 어디일까요?
A: 다이소
English translation:
Q: Which store is the cow most terrified of?
A: Daiso
Daiso is a very popular retail chain in Korea, sporting all kinds of household goods at cheap prices. But its Korean name, 다이소 is pronounced like “die so.” 소 is the Korean word for “cow.” The resulting Konglish of 다이소, then, is “Die, cow.”
24. Bear-ly escaped
Q: 곰으로부터 도망치는 방법은 무엇인가요?
A: 뒤집어 놓고 통과하세요
English translation:
Q: How do you run away from a bear?
A: Flip it around and go through it
This joke may work better in writing.
곰 is the word for “bear.” If you flip the characters of it upside down, you get 문, which means “door.” After that, all you have to do is stroll through it!
25. Suitable shepherd
Q: 양을 치는 데 개보다 나은 동물은 무엇입니까?
A: 고양이
English translation:
Q: Which animal is better than a dog at herding sheep?
A: Kitten
In reality, a well-trained cat may make somewhat decent shepherds, but the joke here is again based in Konglish.
고양이 means “kitten” and is pronounced go-yang-ii, or go yangi. As you learned earlier, 양 is the word for “sheep.”
Ergo, 고양이 in Konglish can be “Go, sheep.”
Korean Jokes About Places
26. Korean curriculum
Q: 한국인들이 한국어를 처음 배우려면 어디로 가나요?
A: 가나다
English translation:
Q: Where do Koreans go to first learn Korean?
A: Canada
가나다 indeed sounds similar to the Korean name 캐나다 for the country of Canada. However, it can also refer to ㄱㄴㄷ the beginning three consonants of the Korean Hangul alphabet.
Therefore, 가나다 basically means “ABC” in Korean.
27. Country of many helping hands
Q: 멀티태스킹에 가장 적합한 국가는 어디입니까?
A: 네팔
English translation:
Q: Which country is best at multitasking?
A: Nepal / Four arms
네팔 in Korean can refer to the country of Nepal, or just literally mean “four arms” (네 meaning “four,” 팔 meaning “arms”).
The more limbs the busier!
28. Australian wallet
Q: 호주인들은 돈을 어디에 보관하나요?
A: 호주머니
English translation:
Q: Where do Australians keep their money?
A: Australian money / Pocket
호주 is the Korean name of the country of Australia. 호주머니 means “pocket.” But, nudge nudge, 호주머니 in Konglish is “Australian money.” This one definitely won’t make the Aussies groan.
29. Cloudy with a chance of meatballs
English translation:
Q: What’s Italy’s weather like?
A: It’s humid / Spaghetti
습한 is the adjective for “humid.” 습하겠디 is a phrase that can mean “it’s humid.” It does, however, sound far too much like “spaghetti.”
The first time I heard this joke, I was actually eating spaghetti, and I don’t think a meal has ever been made so deadly from how much I choked.
30. Combative country
Q: 싸움을 즐겨 하는 나라는?
A: 칠레
English translation:
Q: Which country enjoys fighting?
A: Chile
칠레 is the Korean pronunciation of Chile, but it’s also known as an aggressive way of asking for a fight. It’s a common gangster expression–demanding “칠레?” is basically the equivalent of “you wanna go?” in English.
Korean Joke Vocabulary
Of course, you don’t want to just know jokes. You want to learn some extra Korean vocabulary for related actions and responses to such hilarious humor.
- 웃음 – laugh
- 웃다 – to laugh
- 웃긴다 – (it’s) funny
- 재미있다 – (it’s) hilarious, fun
- 노잼 / 노잼이다 – “no jam” (slang for “not fun”)
- 코메디 – comedy
- 하하하 / ㅎㅎㅎ – hahaha
- ㅋㅋㅋ – kukuku (laughing sound)
- 푸하하 / ㅍㅎㅎ – puhaha
- 휴 – “phew” (sighing sound)
- 우우 – booing sound
To practice this vocabulary and more, you could try using a language learning program such as FluentU.
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Because really, what’s the point of learning another language if you can’t pick up some genius (read: cringe-inducing) punny jokes?
So go crazy with these jokes and make your father (아버지) proud.
Here’s one last joke for the road, in honor of being such a wonderful Korean language student.
Q: ‘아름다운’은 영어로 Beautiful이다. 그러면 ‘티 없이 아름다운’은?
A: Beauiful.
English translation:
Q: “Beautiful” in English is “beautiful.” Then what about “impeccably beautiful”?
A: Beauiful.
티 없이 means “flawless/impeccable,” but Konglish-ized, it sounds like “T 없이” or “without T.”
And One More Thing...
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