How to say “Funny” in Korean
- 웃겨요utgyeoyo
It's funny
"Funny" in Korean is 웃겨 (utgyeo) with friends and 웃겨요 (utgyeoyo) politely, from the verb 웃기다 (utgida), "to make someone laugh". If you mean "fun" rather than "makes me laugh", use 재미있어 (jaemiisseo).
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 웃겨 utgyeo | Casual | "That's funny" or "You're funny." Something that makes you laugh. |
| 웃겨요 utgyeoyo | Polite | Polite "It's funny." Fine with coworkers and new people. |
| 재밌어 jaemisseo | Casual | "It's fun" or "It's interesting." Short for 재미있어. Use for movies, games, people. |
| 재미있어요 jaemiisseoyo | Polite | Polite "It's fun" or "It's interesting." |
| 꿀잼 kkuljaem | Casual | Slang for "super fun" or "hilarious". Literally "honey fun". |
| ㅋㅋㅋ kekeke | Casual | Texting laughter, like "lol" or "haha". The more ㅋ, the funnier. |
Examples
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Laughing at a friend's joke
Talking about a movie
Sharing a video with a friend
Tips
웃기다 means something makes you laugh. 재미있다 means something is fun or interesting. A boring lecture is not 재미있어, and a great board game is 재미있어 even if nobody laughs.
Careful with tone: 웃기네 (utgine) said flatly is sarcastic, like "That's ridiculous" or "Don't make me laugh." Said with a smile, it is just "that's funny".
In texts Koreans laugh with ㅋㅋㅋ (from the sound "keu") or ㅎㅎ (a softer "hehe").
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between 웃기다 and 재미있다?
웃기다 is "funny, makes me laugh". 재미있다 is "fun or interesting". A comedy is both; a good mystery novel is 재미있다 but not 웃기다.
How do Koreans say "lol"?
They type ㅋㅋㅋ (kekeke) or ㅎㅎ (hehe). More ㅋ means more laughter.