Humor and Irony

Woordenschat

• 유머humor
• 아이러니irony
• 풍자satire
• 반어법antiphrasis, verbal irony
• 농담joke
• 재치wit
• 비꼬다to be sarcastic
• 웃음을 유발하다to provoke laughter
• 익살스럽다to be comical, funny
• 밈meme
• 유머 감각sense of humor
• 과장하다to exaggerate

Uitdrukkingen

• 그게 사실이라니!You are telling me that is actually true? (ironic disbelief)
• 그건 당연하잖아요That is obvious, is it not (gentle sarcasm)
• 진짜라고요?You are seriously saying that is real? (ironic echo)
• 그 사람이 그럴 리가요There is no way that person would do that
• 웃기지도 않아요That is not even funny (dismissive irony)
• 유머 감각이 없으시네요You seem to have no sense of humor

Veelgemaakte fouten

• ✗그게 사실다니!
  ✓그게 사실이라니!

  이다 contracts to 이라니 in this construction; 사실다니 is not a valid form

• ✗웃겨요 (when being dismissive)
  ✓웃기지도 않아요

  웃겨요 just means it is funny; 웃기지도 않아요 is the ironic dismissal meaning not even funny

• ✗비꼬는 것이에요 (over-explaining irony)
  ✓Let the irony speak — avoid labelling it

  Koreans rarely announce irony directly; over-explaining kills the humor

• ✗농담이에요 said too quickly
  ✓Use pause + 농담이에요 after landing the joke

  In Korean comedy timing matters greatly; saying 농담이에요 immediately can deflate the humor

• ✗반어법을 사용해요 (in casual speech)
  ✓비꼬는 거예요

  반어법 is a literary/academic term; in everyday speech use 비꼬는 거예요 to mean using sarcasm

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