What Does Babo Mean In Korean

What Does Babo Mean in Korean?

Babo (바보) is a Korean word that, depending on the intention of the speaker, can be playful or offensive. If you are learning Korean and often speak with native Korean speakers, watch K-dramas, or listen to K-pop, you have probably heard the word Babo and wondered ‘What does Babo mean in Korean?‘.

In this post, we will explain in more detail what Babo means in Korean and how to use this word appropriately so you don’t accidentally offend Korean speakers. We’ll also provide some example sentences with Babo in Korean so you can get a sense of when it is appropriate to use this word.

The Meaning Of Babo (바보) In Korean

What Does Babo Mean?

Babo (바보) in Korean can mean ‘silly’, ‘fool’, ‘stupid’, ‘idiot’. The specific meaning of ‘Babo’ depends on the intention of the speaker. ‘Babo’ can be used with friends and people close to you to jokingly call them silly or foolish. ‘Babo’ can also be used in an offensive way to call someone stupid or an idiot.

Is 바보 offensive?

Not usually but it can be. Most of the time people use 바보 in a joking / cute way when talking with close friends to call them ‘silly’ or ‘a fool’. However, 바보 can be offensive. You should never call an older person 바보 because you should always show respect to people older than you. So, if you say 바보 to an older person it will likely cause offense.

바보 can also be offensive if the speaker wants it to be. By using the right intonation, calling someone 바보 or 바보야 is like calling someone ‘stupid’ or an ‘idiot’ in English.

Other Uses of Babo in Korean

Not only can you use 바보 to call other people silly or foolish, you can also use 바보 to call your self foolish.

Imagine you forget something important or you make a silly mistake. You can say 바보 to express ‘I’m so foolish’ / ‘I’m such an idiot!’.

바보 Example Sentences

Here are some example sentences with 바보 (Babo)

  • 바보야! = You Fool! / You idiot!
  • 바보냐? = Are you stupid?
  • 나 바보 아니야! = I’m not stupid!
  • 너 진짜 바보 같아. = You are really foolish/stupid.

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