Gganbu meaning / What's the meaning of Gganbu (Kkanbu)

Hi. Guys~
How are you, today?

Today, I would like to write article about the meaning of Gganbu(Kkanbu), Korean slang. That word appeared in the famous TV show Squid Game, and if you watched the TV show Squid Game, you heard that slang, Gganbu.

Gganbu meaning

Squid Game has become the most popular TV series in the history of Netflix, showing views over 110 million subscribers. And now, in Korea the word, Gganbu(Kkanbu) became big issue, and it was a title of the episode 6 for Squid Game.

Korean people search what's the meaning of that in the web, because that word wasn't used commonly in youngsters. Yeah, it's kinda old Korean slang.

< Contents >
1. The meaning of Gganbu(Kkanbu)
2. The origin of Gganbu(Kkanbu)

1. The meaning of Gganbu(Kkanbu)

Gganbu(Kkanbu) is a kinda slang meaning a close friend, a business partner, or a companion in Korean slang. In Korea, children played many children games like marbles game, jackstones games, or slap-match games.(but I don't know nowaday children play this kinda games or not, because there're many new games for children now) If one friend say “Gganbu haja”, that comment means “Let’s be on the same side.” to another.

2. The origin of Gganbu(Kkanbu)

In fact, and as I wrote before, Gganbu(Kkanbu) was not used and well known in Korea until recently. After appearing this slang in the TV show “Squid Game” recently, this word has become a popular word.
Moreover, Gganbu is not listed in the Korean language dictionary, because that is a slang.

Gganbu meaning

There are many speculation about origin of the word, but nobody knows which one is truce.

The first one : origin of Gganbu(Kkanbu) many people speculate is that it came from the Pyeongan-do dialect.

The 2nd one : There is speculation that the word combo(meaning a small jazz band) spread to Korean civilians through the US Army.

The 3rd one : There is also a theory that it comes from the Japanese word Kabu-Nakama (株仲間),
which means business partner in the Edo period. Since Kabu means stock and Nakama means colleague,
it is a theory that 'colleagues with the same stock' or 'partners' came to Korea and became Gganbu(Kkanbu).

Because of the TV Show, the Korean chicken franchise Gganbu(Kkanbu) Chicken also become famous. The National Institute of the Korean Language also inquired about the origin of Gganbu chicken, but they only heard that the founder of Gganbu chicken was from North Korea, so he heard the slang in childwood. He said he couldn't find a clear etymology, but the CEO of Kkanbu Chicken speaks in Pyeongan-do dialect, then his origin is from the dialect.

Gganbu meaning

The world Gganbu(Kkanbu) is expected that someday it will be listed in the Korean dictionary because of the power of the TV Show. It is also interesting episode, if it happens.

 

Until now, we studied about the meaning and origin of Gganbu(Kkanbu).
Thank you for your reading.