Key Facts
- Hangul: 재벌; Revised Romanization: jaebeol
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 財閥 (財 wealth + 閥 clan)
- Register: Neutral to slightly critical; common in news and dramas.
Chaebol in Korean: What Does 재벌 Mean?
재벌 is a chaebol: a large, family-run conglomerate, or the wealthy family behind it. The tone runs from neutral to mildly critical, and you will meet it in the news and in dramas. It stresses family control, so it is not just a word for a large company.
How Do You Pronounce 재벌?
재벌 has two syllables: jae-beol. The vowel ㅐ is written ae and ㅓ is written eo, so the Revised Romanization is jaebeol. The final ㄹ is a light l sound.
Example Sentences with 재벌
그는 재벌 집안의 아들이에요.
Geuneun jaebeol jibanui adurieyo.
He is a son of a chaebol family.
집안 means "family", and 아들 "son", so this sentence calls the man the son of a chaebol family.
드라마에는 재벌이 자주 나와요.
Deuramaeneun jaebeori jaju nawayo.
Chaebol often appear in dramas.
드라마에는 means "in dramas" and 자주 means "often": the chaebol heir is a stock drama character.
재벌 기업은 규모가 커요.
Jaebeol gieobeun gyumoga keoyo.
Chaebol companies are large in scale.
기업 means "company", and 규모 "scale", so 규모가 커요 means "the scale is large".
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 재벌 기업 | chaebol company |
| 재벌 3세 | third-generation chaebol |
| 재벌가 | chaebol family |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 재벌 for any big company
Correct: ✓ 대기업
Why: 재벌 implies family control. 대기업 is a neutral term for a large corporation, with no such implication.
재벌 Compared with Related Words
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 재벌 | chaebol (large family-run conglomerate) | The word on this page. |
| 대기업 | large corporation | A neutral term for a large company. |
| 부자 | rich person | A wealthy person, without any company attached. |
Large family-run groups are 재벌, while any big employer is a 대기업, and a wealthy individual is a 부자.
Where Does the Word Come From?
재벌 is Sino-Korean, written 財閥 in hanja: 財 (wealth) plus 閥 (clan).
Chaebol heirs are a popular drama trope, for example the rich male lead.
Watching a Drama Together
Two friends are watching a scene in which a new character arrives at a large family home.
Jisu
저 사람은 누구예요?
Jeo sarameun nuguyeyo?
Who is that person?
Alex
재벌 집안의 아들이에요.
Jaebeol jibanui adurieyo.
He is the son of a chaebol family.
Jisu
그럼 아버지도 부자예요?
Geureom abeojido bujayeyo?
Then is his father rich too?
Alex
네. 가족이 큰 회사를 운영해요.
Ne. Gajogi keun hoesareul unyeonghaeyo.
Yes. The family runs a large company.
The first answer identifies the character through his family background. It does not say that he personally built a business. 집안 points to the family he comes from, so 재벌 집안의 아들 is more specific than simply calling someone rich. The final line supplies the business connection that 부자 alone would leave unstated.
How Do You Read Phrases about Chaebol Families?
재벌가 means the chaebol family or household. The final 가 refers to a family here. When the story concerns a marriage, a parent or a child, an English translation may use “business dynasty” or “tycoon family” rather than the name of a company. Read the noun after 재벌 before deciding which English wording fits.
재벌 2세 and 재벌 3세 refer to the second and third generations of a chaebol family. In these expressions, 세 counts generations; it does not give the person's age. The numeral is read with Sino-Korean numbers: 2세 is 이세 and 3세 is 삼세. A drama character described this way may be an heir even before taking charge of a company.
재벌 회장 means the chairman of a chaebol group. 회장 is a position, while 재벌 describes the business background. 재벌 상속자 means a chaebol heir: 상속자 is someone who inherits. These are literal combinations used in character descriptions, rather than idioms with a hidden meaning.
Where Will You Hear 재벌?
In a drama synopsis, 재벌 often introduces a character's wealth and family connections in a few syllables. In business reporting, the surrounding words may instead concern a group of companies, its controlling family or succession. The same headword can therefore lead to quite different English sentences depending on the subject being discussed.
The word itself does not prove that the speaker is criticizing anyone. A neutral report can use it descriptively. Tone comes from the surrounding claim: a story about a family's business activities has a different purpose from a complaint about its influence. Avoid adding a negative judgment to your translation just because 재벌 appears.
Calling a friend 재벌 as a joke exaggerates their wealth, perhaps after they buy everyone dinner. That playful use relies on the literal meaning being much bigger than the occasion. For a straightforward description of a wealthy person, 부자 is clearer. For the name of an employer, use the company name or 대기업 when size is the point.
Words for Following the Family and the Business
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 기업 | company / enterprise | Names a business rather than its owners. |
| 회장 | chairman | A business title, not a synonym for rich person. |
| 상속자 | heir | Identifies someone who inherits. |
| 집안 | family / household | Highlights a person's family background. |
The K-drama vocabulary lesson gives the wider set for following character relationships. In a scene, distinguish who owns the business, who holds a job title and who is related to whom; 재벌 alone does not answer all three questions.
Quick Self-Test
- Does working for a large company make an employee a 재벌?
- Does 3세 in 재벌 3세 mean three years old?
- Which word describes a wealthy person without implying a business dynasty?
Show answers
- No. Employment alone says nothing about controlling a business group.
- No. It means the third generation of the family.
- 부자.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "chaebol" in Korean?
Chaebol in Korean is 재벌 (jaebeol). It means a large family-run conglomerate.
How do I say "chaebol family"?
Say 재벌가. A chaebol company is a 재벌 기업.
What does 재벌 3세 mean?
It means a third-generation chaebol heir.
Is 재벌 the same as 대기업?
No. 대기업 is any large corporation, while 재벌 implies a family in control.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: K-Drama Words groups 재벌 with its neighbours.
- Index: find chaebol beside every other single-word entry in Korean words A to Z.
- See also drama.