Hangul syllable gab

It labels the first side, not a feeling. In Korean, 갑 can stand for A in a pair, the first item in a sequence, or the party with the advantage in a contract. The terms 갑을 and 갑질 show how the surrounding word gives this neutral syllable social force.

This syllable belongs to Hangeul, the Korean writing system, whose creation was first recorded in 1443; the explanatory book Hunminjeongeum appeared in 1446. Hangeul was designed so Korean speakers could write their language more easily than with Chinese characters.

In Hanja, Chinese characters used in Korean writing, 甲 is the first label in a traditional sequence and is paired with 乙, the second. Korean contract language turned that pair into labels for the party with more leverage and the party with less.

What does 갑 mean when someone sends it?

Read the word around it. On its own, 갑 is too incomplete to tell you whether the sender means A, an ordered first item, or a word beginning with that syllable.

When a message says 갑질, the sender is criticizing someone for using an advantage to make unfair demands. In 갑을, the sender is discussing a two-sided power arrangement, often at work, in business, or in a contract.