대박 What does 대박 mean in Korean?
Meaning
“Awesome!”, “Wow!” or “No way!” Koreans say 대박 about anything that’s amazing, huge, or simply shocking.
It’s usually positive, but it can also react to surprising bad news, like a friend almost missing a flight. Your tone of voice tells which one you mean.
Where it comes from
대박dae-bak · a huge success or a jackpot (대박 나다 = to be a big hit)
대박!Said on its own as a reaction: “Awesome!” or “No way!”
One popular story links 박 (gourd) to the folk tale of Heungbu and Nolbu, where giant gourds burst open with treasure. Whatever the origin, 대박 has meant “a big win” for a long time.
Examples
A: 나 회사 합격했어!
B: 대박! 축하해! A: I got the job!
B: Awesome! Congrats!
B: 대박! 축하해! A: I got the job!
B: Awesome! Congrats!
이 집 떡볶이 진짜 대박이다.
The tteokbokki here is seriously amazing.
대박, 비행기 놓칠 뻔했어.
Whoa, I almost missed my flight.
Grammar tip
대박 works alone as an exclamation, or as a noun. 대박 나세요 is a warm, polite wish for success, and you’ll often hear it said to shop owners.
대박! · wow! / no way!대박이다 · it’s amazing대박 나세요 · wishing you great success (polite)
Check yourself
Your friend tells you she won a free trip to Jeju. What’s a natural reaction?