Dictionary — Entry No. 0747
예쁘다
yeppeuda-adj · adjective
예쁘다
yeppeuda-adj
[YEP-puh-da]
adjectivebeginner
Meaning
Dictionary form meaning ‘to be pretty’ or ‘beautiful.’ Used for people, objects, and scenery. The conjugated forms 예뻐 (casual) and 예뻐요 (polite) appear constantly in daily conversation. Slightly less grand than 아름답다, which is used for profound or poetic beauty.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
예쁘다 is everywhere in K-Pop fan culture — idol photos flood comment sections with 예뻐 and 너무 예쁘다. IVE and NewJeans are frequently praised for their 예쁜 (pretty) visuals and concept art. In Boys Over Flowers (꽃보다 남자), Gu Jun-pyo mutters 예쁘다 while watching Jan-di — a pivotal moment where a single word signals the start of his feelings.
Example Sentences
언니, 진짜 예뻐요! 어떻게 이렇게 예쁘세요?
Eonni, jinjja yeppeoyo! Eotteoke ireoke yeppeuse-yo?
Unnie, you’re so pretty! How are you this pretty? (언니 = older sister/older female — a warm, respectful form of address to an older woman)
저 꽃이 너무 예쁘다.
Jeo kkochi neomu yeppeuda.
Those flowers are so pretty. (예쁘다 works equally for objects and scenery — not limited to people)
예쁜 마음을 가진 사람이 제일 예뻐.
Yeppeun maeumeul gajin saram-i jeil yeppeo.
A person with a beautiful heart is the most beautiful. (a common Korean saying — inner beauty framed in the same word as outer beauty)
⚠️ Don’t use yeppeuda-adj when…
예쁘다 typically describes feminine beauty or objects — using it to call a man pretty carries a nuanced, sometimes intentional implication. For masculine good looks, use 잘생겼어 or 멋지다 instead. Also, 이쁘다 (ippeuda) is a common informal variant of 예쁘다 with the same meaning — not a different word.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Boys Over Flowers (꽃보다 남자) — Gu Jun-pyo stares at Geum Jan-di and quietly murmurs 예쁘다, the scene that launched a thousand K-Drama tropes about the cold lead falling first.
- K-Pop: IVE — After LIKE
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.