Korean Dictionary
How to say "Nerf" in Korean
“Nerf” in Korean is 너프 (pronounced "neobeu").
너프
neobeu
Usage & Context
A game developer's reduction of a character's or weapon's power to improve balance. Nerfs are major news events in the Korean esports community and can shift the entire competitive meta.
Example Sentence
내가 좋아하는 캐릭터가 너프됐어요.
My favorite character got nerfed.
How to use 너프 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Nerf” is 너프, romanized as neobeu.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 너프.
Pronunciation Guide
The first syllable, 너 (neo), sounds like 'nuh' in 'nut'. The second syllable, 프 (peu), sounds like 'puh' with a soft 'p' sound, almost like a 'b', followed by the 'uh' sound from 'up'. Put it together: 'nuh-buh'.
More Example Sentences
Friends discussing game updates and character changes.
이번 패치로 그 챔피언은 완전히 너프됐어.
That champion was completely nerfed in this patch.
An online gaming community forum discussing a controversial game update.
개발자들이 너무 심하게 너프해서 유저들이 불만이에요.
Users are complaining because the developers nerfed it too severely.
A gamer planning their strategy based on anticipated game balance changes.
너프되기 전에 빨리 이 캐릭터로 랭크 올려야겠다.
I should quickly rank up with this character before it gets nerfed.
Cultural Context
The term '너프' (neopeu) is a widely adopted loanword in Korean gaming, especially in the highly competitive esports scene. Players often express strong opinions about nerfs on streaming platforms like Twitch and AfreecaTV, and in online communities. A significant nerf can lead to a character being called '고인물' (go-in-mul, literally 'stagnant water,' meaning useless) or '관짝' (gwan-jjak, 'coffin,' implying the character is dead/unplayable in the meta).
Editorial note
We review entries like 너프 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
너프 먹다
To get nerfed (Lit. 'eat a nerf')
너프시키다
To nerf something/someone
너프당하다
To be nerfed (Passive form)
Related Expressions
버프
beopeu
Buff (Antonym)
하향
hayang
Downward adjustment/reduction (More formal, general term)
약화시키다
yak-hwa-si-ki-da
To weaken (General verb)
고인물
go-in-mul
Stagnant water; useless character (Related concept)
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