콤비(Combi, duo, pair) – Konglish Words #10

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In many stories, there are two people who have really good chemistry. They help each other to solve a problem, eliminate bad guys and so on. They are called duo or pair in English and they are called 콤비 in Korean.

콤비 came from the word, combination. I guess they shortened 콤비네이션 to 콤비 because it is too long. If some 콤비 is really famous or they have incredible chemistry, they are called 명콤비. 명 here came from the word, 유명하다, being famous.

Some of you might have wondered what the trio like Harry Potter trio is called in Korean. They are usually called 삼총사. This word came from the novel, Three Musketeers by Alexandre Duma(Koreans read this name as 알렉상드르 뒤마, Koreans usually respect the real pronunciation of the country and he is a French). Even though the trio is not related with muskets or guns or they are just 3 people and have nothing to do with military things, they are called 삼총사.

콤비 related words are 콤비가 되다(becoming a duo), 환상의 콤비(fantastic duo), 최강 콤비(best or the most powerful duo), etc.


지금은 저렇게 싸워도 두 사람은 좋은 콤비가 될 거야.
Although they fight like this now, those two will become a good duo.

홈즈과 왓슨은 손발이 잘 맞는 콤비로 유명하다.
Holmes and Watson are famous for being a pair who have great chemistry.

그들은 3년 전 드라마에서 콤비로 활약해서 많은 인기를 얻었다.
They became really famous because they acted well as a duo in a TV series 3 years ago.