어줍잖다

Korean

Alternative forms

• 어쭙잖다 (eojjupjanta, prescriptive form in South Korea)

Etymology

어줍— (eojup-, “ill-fitting”) +‎ 잖다 (-janta, inflecting stem-deriving suffix, literally “not being”).

잖다 (janta) derives from a contraction of the verbal/adjectival negation 지 않다 (ji anta, “not being”), and most verbs and adjectives using it have a sense which is opposed to the verbal stem. But there are some exceptions, such as this adjective or 우연찮다 (uyeonchanta, “to be coincidental”), which perhaps arise from originally sarcastic usage.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ʌ̹d͡ʑup̚t͡ɕ͈a̠ntʰa̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [어줍짠타]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	eojupjanta
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	eojubjanhda
McCune–Reischauer?	ŏjupchant'a
Yale Romanization?	ecwupcanhta

Adjective

어줍잖다 • (eojupjanta) (infinitive 어줍잖아, sequential 어줍잖으니)

1. to be laughably inappropriate for one's station

   Synonyms: 분수(分數)(를) 모르다 (bunsu(reul) moreuda), 자만(自慢)하다 (jamanhada), 거만(倨慢)하다 (geomanhada)

   • 2020, “백보드 파격, 당명 변경…김수민 "통합당 과거 이미지 벗겠다" [baekbodeu pagyeok, dangmyeong byeon'gyeong…gimsumin tonghapdang gwageo imiji beotgetda"]”, in Newsis News Agency‎^[1]:

     어줍잖게 우리들의 생각이 최선이다라고 하지 말고, 국민들과 질문을 주고 받아야 할 시기라고 생각한다.

     Eojupjanke urideur-ui saenggag-i choeseon-ida-rago haji malgo, gungmin-deul-gwa jilmun-eul jugo badaya hal sigi-rago saenggakhanda.

     We believe that this is a time when we should not arrogantly say that our ideas are best, but rather exchange questions with the people.

2. to be laughably irrelevant or low-quality

   어줍잖은 대학교를 나와서 실업자 되는 거보단 주부 하는 게 차라리 낫지 않겠어?

   Eojupjaneun daehakgyo-reul nawaseo sireopja doeneun geobodan jubu haneun ge charari natji ankesseo?

   Wouldn't it be better to be a housewife than to graduate from some no-name university and become unemployed?

   • 1939, 이상(李箱) (Yi Sang), “金(김)裕(유)貞(정)論(론)”, in 靑(청)色(색)紙(지)‎^[2], number 5:

     내 어쭙쟌은 글이 네 분의 心(심)思(사)를 건드린다거나 읽는 이들의 嘲(조)笑(소)를 산다거나 하지나 않을가 생각을 하니 아닌게 아니라 등어리가 꽤 서늘하다.

     Nae eojjupjyaneun geur-i ne bun-ui simsa-reul geondeurindageona ingneun ideur-ui joso-reul sandageona hajina aneulga saenggageul hani anin'ge anira deung'eori-ga kkwae seoneulhada.

     When I imagine that my poor writings might irritate the four gentlemen or win the derision of readers, without exaggeration, I feel a chill down the spine.

3. to behave awkwardly

   Synonyms: 어색(語塞)하다 (eosaekhada), 어설프다 (eoseolpeuda)

   • 2020, 최성희 [choeseonghui], “코로나 단상: Untact 휴식 [korona dansang: Untact hyusik]”, in 오늘의 문예비평 [oneurui munyebipyeong]:

     그러나 실제로 한 공간에서 다른 학생들을 느끼며 교수의 어줍잖은 말투와 붉어지는 얼굴, 말실수, 그리고 무심한 듯 건네는 잔소리를 겪는 것과 인터넷으로 주로 교과 내용을 듣는 것은 이미 큰 차이를 만들고 있지 않을까?

     Geureona siljero han gonggan-eseo dareun haksaeng-deur-eul neukkimyeo gyosu-ui eojupjaneun maltu-wa bulgeojineun eolgul, malsilsu, geurigo musimhan deut geonneneun jansori-reul gyeongneun geot-gwa inteones-euro juro gyogwa naeyong-eul deunneun geos-eun imi keun chai-reul mandeulgo itji aneulkka?

     But wouldn't there already be a great difference between really feeling the other students in a single space, withstanding the professor's awkward mannerisms and faux pas and the chidings they give while feigning indifference, and listening to mostly coursework material online?

Usage notes

The South Korean prescriptive standard is 어쭙잖다 (eojjupjanta), but 어줍잖다 (eojupjanta) is far more common in practice among South Koreans. There is a further issue with consistency in the South Korean standard, as 어줍다 (eojupda) is standard and not 어쭙다 (eojjupda). In North Korea, 어줍잖다 (eojupjanta) is standard.

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the adjective 어줍잖다 (eojupjanta): consonant-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	어줍잖다 eojupjanta	어줍잖아 eojupjana	어줍잖아요 eojupjanayo	어줍잖습니다 eojupjanseumnida
	Past	어줍잖았다 eojupjanatda	어줍잖았어 eojupjanasseo	어줍잖았어요 eojupjanasseoyo	어줍잖았습니다 eojupjanatseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	어줍잖으냐 eojupjaneunya	어줍잖아 eojupjana	어줍잖아요 eojupjanayo	어줍잖습니까 eojupjanseumnikka
	Past	어줍잖았냐 eojupjanannya	어줍잖았어 eojupjanasseo	어줍잖았어요 eojupjanasseoyo	어줍잖았습니까 eojupjanatseumnikka
Assertive		어줍잖겠다 eojupjanketda	어줍잖겠어 eojupjankesseo	어줍잖겠어요 eojupjankesseoyo	어줍잖겠습니다 eojupjanketseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		어줍잖아 eojupjana	어줍잖아서 eojupjanaseo	어줍잖으니 eojupjaneuni	어줍잖으니까 eojupjaneunikka
Contrast		어줍잖지만 eojupjanchiman	어줍잖은데 eojupjaneunde	어줍잖더니 eojupjanteoni
Conjunction		어줍잖고 eojupjanko
Condition		어줍잖으면 eojupjaneumyeon	어줍잖아야 eojupjanaya
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		어줍잖음 eojupjaneum	어줍잖기 eojupjanki
Past-tense verbal nouns		어줍잖았음 eojupjanasseum	어줍잖았기 eojupjanatgi
Determiners	Present		어줍잖은 eojupjaneun
	Future		어줍잖을 eojupjaneul

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Plain (해라체)	Informal (해체)	Polite (해요체)	Formal (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	어줍잖으시다 eojupjaneusida	어줍잖으셔 eojupjaneusyeo	어줍잖으세요, 어줍잖으셔요 eojupjaneuseyo, eojupjaneusyeoyo	어줍잖으십니다 eojupjaneusimnida
	Past	어줍잖으셨다 eojupjaneusyeotda	어줍잖으셨어 eojupjaneusyeosseo	어줍잖으셨어요 eojupjaneusyeosseoyo	어줍잖으셨습니다 eojupjaneusyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	어줍잖으시냐 eojupjaneusinya	어줍잖으셔 eojupjaneusyeo	어줍잖으세요, 어줍잖으셔요 eojupjaneuseyo, eojupjaneusyeoyo	어줍잖으십니까 eojupjaneusimnikka
	Past	어줍잖으셨냐 eojupjaneusyeonnya	어줍잖으셨어 eojupjaneusyeosseo	어줍잖으셨어요 eojupjaneusyeosseoyo	어줍잖으셨습니까 eojupjaneusyeotseumnikka
Assertive		어줍잖으시겠다 eojupjaneusigetda	어줍잖으시겠어 eojupjaneusigesseo	어줍잖으시겠어요 eojupjaneusigesseoyo	어줍잖으시겠습니다 eojupjaneusigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		어줍잖으셔 eojupjaneusyeo	어줍잖으셔서 eojupjaneusyeoseo	어줍잖으시니 eojupjaneusini	어줍잖으시니까 eojupjaneusinikka
Contrast		어줍잖으시지만 eojupjaneusijiman	어줍잖으신데 eojupjaneusinde	어줍잖으시더니 eojupjaneusideoni
Conjunction		어줍잖으시고 eojupjaneusigo
Condition		어줍잖으시면 eojupjaneusimyeon	어줍잖으셔야 eojupjaneusyeoya
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		어줍잖으심 eojupjaneusim	어줍잖으시기 eojupjaneusigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		어줍잖으셨음 eojupjaneusyeosseum	어줍잖으셨기 eojupjaneusyeotgi
Determiners	Present		어줍잖으신 eojupjaneusin
	Future		어줍잖으실 eojupjaneusil