Dictionary — Entry No. 0027
대박
daebak · interjection
대박
daebak
[DAE-bak]
Interjection
Beginner
Meaning
대박 literally means “big gourd” (대 = big, 박 = gourd), but it evolved to mean “jackpot” or “bonanza” — a huge, unexpected windfall. In modern everyday Korean, it functions as an exclamation similar to “awesome!”, “no way!”, or “that’s amazing!” It can describe both a person’s reaction to something shocking and a situation that turned out incredibly well.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
대박 is one of the most frequently heard words in Korean variety shows, idol reality content, and K-Dramas — fans will hear it whenever a host reacts to an impressive performance or a surprising plot twist lands. K-Pop idols often shout 대박! when they see their music video hit a milestone or when a fan project catches them off guard. It also became a popular catchphrase in the global fanbase, with international fans using it untranslated to celebrate album drops, chart achievements, and viral moments.
💡 Did You Know? The word 대박 traces back to Korean folk tales featuring magic gourds (박) that burst open to reveal gold and treasure — so a 대박 was literally the moment a giant gourd cracked open and changed your life overnight. That centuries-old image of luck spilling out is still baked into every time a Korean speaker shouts it today. The fact that a word meaning “giant gourd” became the internet generation’s go-to hype word is itself a little 대박.
⚠️ Don’t use daebak when…
- Speaking in formal situations — 대박 is highly casual slang. Dropping it in a job interview, a classroom speech, or a conversation with a much older elder will sound jarring and disrespectful. Stick to it with friends and peers.
- Reacting to sad or tragic news — Because 대박 carries a strongly positive, high-energy tone, using it in response to bad news (even ironically) reads as callous or tone-deaf to native speakers.
- Writing formal Korean text — It belongs in spoken conversation, texts, and social media captions — not essays, formal emails to superiors, or official documents.
- Assuming it always means “jackpot” (the noun) — In modern speech 대박 is almost always the exclamation (“Wow! Amazing!”), not a literal reference to a financial windfall. Context determines which meaning is in play.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Reply 1988 (응답하라 1988, tvN 2015) — Ep. 8: the whole neighborhood crew erupts with “대박!” after learning Taek won the national baduk championship, capturing exactly how the word feels when shared joy and pure shock collide.
- K-Drama: Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착, tvN 2019–2020) — Se-ri’s South Korean staff shout “대박!” the moment they realize she survived and made it back home, blending disbelief and overwhelming relief into a single word.
- K-Pop: BTS — Run BTS! Ep. 100 (WEVERSE, 2021): Jin shouts “대박!” the instant the members reveal a surprise celebration cake, a clip that spread across social media and introduced the word to millions of new international fans.
- Variety: Running Man (런닝맨, SBS, ongoing) — Yoo Jae-suk’s signature slow-build “대~박!” has become one of the show’s most iconic sound bites and a reliable barometer for how genuinely surprised the cast actually is.
Example Sentences
이 노래 진짜 대박이야!
I norae jinjja daebakiya!
Oh my gosh, this song is seriously AMAZING!
그 드라마 대박 났대요.
Geu deurama daebak natdaeyo.
I heard that drama was an absolute smash hit! (Everyone’s still talking about it.)
대박! 콘서트 티켓 구했어?
Daebak! Konseuteu tiket guhaesseo?
No WAY! You actually got concert tickets?!
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.