Learning Korean Slang

Understanding Korean slang, or 유행어 (yuhaengeo), is key to grasping modern Korean conversation, especially among younger generations. This guide introduces essential slang terms and phrases, helping you sound more natural and understand contemporary Korean culture and online communication.

Core Expression

• Expression: 한국 유행어 배우기
  Pronunciation: han-guk yu-haeng-eo bae-u-gi
  Meaning: Learning Korean Slang

Popular Slang Terms

• Expression: 대박
  Pronunciation: dae-bak
  Meaning: Awesome, amazing, jackpot (expresses surprise or excitement)
• Expression: 꿀잼
  Pronunciation: kkul-jaem
  Meaning: Something really fun or interesting (꿀 = honey, 잼 = fun)
• Expression: 노잼
  Pronunciation: no-jaem
  Meaning: Not fun, boring (노 = no, 잼 = fun)
• Expression: 심쿵
  Pronunciation: sim-kung
  Meaning: Heartthrob, heart attack (used when seeing someone attractive or experiencing something heart-fluttering; 심장 = heart, 쿵 = thump)
• Expression: 헐
  Pronunciation: heol
  Meaning: What?! No way! OMG (expresses shock or disbelief)
• Expression: 존맛탱 (JMT)
  Pronunciation: jon-mat-taeng
  Meaning: Freaking delicious (존나 = f***ing/very, 맛 = taste; often abbreviated as JMT) – Use with caution due to its strong emphasis.
• Expression: 인싸
  Pronunciation: in-ssa
  Meaning: Insider, popular person, someone who fits in well
• Expression: 아싸
  Pronunciation: a-ssa
  Meaning: Outsider, loner, someone who doesn’t fit in
• Expression: 멘붕
  Pronunciation: men-bung
  Meaning: Mental breakdown (멘탈 = mental, 붕괴 = collapse)
• Expression: 극혐
  Pronunciation: geuk-hyeom
  Meaning: Extreme disgust or hatred (극한 = extreme, 혐오 = hatred/disgust)
• Expression: 썸
  Pronunciation: sseom
  Meaning: “Something” between two people, flirting stage before dating (from English “something”)
• Expression: 모쏠
  Pronunciation: mo-ssol
  Meaning: Someone who has never dated (모태 = from the womb, 솔로 = solo)

Using Slang in Sentences

• Expression: 이 영화 완전 대박이야!
  Pronunciation: i yeong-hwa wan-jeon dae-bak-i-ya!
  Meaning: This movie is totally awesome!
• Expression: 어제 콘서트 진짜 꿀잼이었어.
  Pronunciation: eo-je kon-seo-teu jin-jja kkul-jaem-i-eoss-eo.
  Meaning: Yesterday’s concert was really fun.
• Expression: 그 수업은 너무 노잼이라 졸았어.
  Pronunciation: geu su-eob-eun neo-mu no-jaem-i-ra jol-ass-eo.
  Meaning: That class was so boring, I dozed off.
• Expression: 저 배우 보고 완전 심쿵했어.
  Pronunciation: jeo bae-u bo-go wan-jeon sim-kung-haess-eo.
  Meaning: Seeing that actor made my heart flutter.
• Expression: 헐, 진짜? 믿을 수 없어.
  Pronunciation: heol, jin-jja? mid-eul su eobs-eo.
  Meaning: What?! Really? I can’t believe it.
• Expression: 이 떡볶이 완전 존맛탱이야! (JMT!)
  Pronunciation: i tteok-bokk-i wan-jeon jon-mat-taeng-i-ya! (jei-em-ti!)
  Meaning: This tteokbokki is freaking delicious! (JMT!)
• Expression: 그 친구는 진짜 인싸인 것 같아.
  Pronunciation: geu chin-gu-neun jin-jja in-ssa-in geot gat-a.
  Meaning: That friend seems like a real insider.
• Expression: 나는 파티에 잘 안 가서 약간 아싸야.
  Pronunciation: na-neun pa-ti-e jal an ga-seo yak-gan a-ssa-ya.
  Meaning: I don’t go to parties much, so I’m a bit of an outsider.
• Expression: 시험 망쳐서 완전 멘붕 왔어.
  Pronunciation: si-heom mang-chyeo-seo wan-jeon men-bung wass-eo.
  Meaning: I bombed the test and had a total mental breakdown.
• Expression: 벌레는 진짜 극혐이야.
  Pronunciation: beol-le-neun jin-jja geuk-hyeom-i-ya.
  Meaning: I absolutely hate bugs.
• Expression: 둘이 썸 타는 거 아니야?
  Pronunciation: dul-i sseom ta-neun geo a-ni-ya?
  Meaning: Aren’t those two ‘something’ (flirting)?
• Expression: 저는 모쏠이라 연애를 잘 몰라요.
  Pronunciation: jeo-neun mo-ssol-i-ra yeon-ae-reul jal mol-la-yo.
  Meaning: I’ve never dated, so I don’t know much about relationships.

Internet and Texting Slang

• Expression: ㅋㅋ
  Pronunciation: keu-keu
  Meaning: LOL (Sound of laughter)
• Expression: ㅎㅎ
  Pronunciation: heu-heu
  Meaning: Haha (Softer sound of laughter)
• Expression: ㅇㅇ
  Pronunciation: eung-eung
  Meaning: Yes, yeah (Abbreviation of 응)
• Expression: ㄴㄴ
  Pronunciation: no-no
  Meaning: No, nope (Abbreviation of 노노 or 아니)
• Expression: ㄱㅅ
  Pronunciation: gam-sa
  Meaning: Thanks (Abbreviation of 감사합니다 or 고맙습니다)
• Expression: ㅊㅋ
  Pronunciation: chu-ka
  Meaning: Congrats (Abbreviation of 축하해)
• Expression: ㅂㅂ / ㅃㅃ
  Pronunciation: ba-i-ba-i / ppa-i-ppa-i
  Meaning: Bye bye
• Expression: ㅇㅋ
  Pronunciation: o-kei
  Meaning: OK (Okay)
• Expression: 레알
  Pronunciation: re-al
  Meaning: Real, really (From English “real”)
• Expression: 현타
  Pronunciation: hyeon-ta
  Meaning: Hitting reality, post-nut clarity (현실 자각 타임 – hyeonsil jagak taim – time to realize reality)
• Expression: TMI
  Pronunciation: ti-em-ai
  Meaning: Too Much Information (Borrowed from English)
• Expression: 갑분싸
  Pronunciation: gap-bun-ssa
  Meaning: Sudden awkward atmosphere/silence (갑자기 분위기 싸해짐 – gapjagi bunwigi ssahaejim)

Cultural Tips

Context is Key: Korean slang is heavily dependent on context. It’s primarily used among close friends and people of similar age, especially younger generations. Using slang in formal situations or with elders can be considered rude or inappropriate.

Slang Evolves Quickly: Korean slang changes very rapidly, influenced by internet culture, TV shows, and social media trends. What’s popular today might be outdated tomorrow. Staying updated requires continuous exposure to current media.

Generational Gap: There can be a significant difference in slang usage between generations. Older Koreans might not understand or appreciate newer slang terms.

Nuance and Intensity: Some slang terms carry strong nuances or intensity (like 존맛탱). Be mindful of the specific meaning and potential impact before using them, especially as a non-native speaker.

Online vs. Offline: While many slang terms are used in both spoken conversation and online/texting, some abbreviations (like ㅋㅋ, ㅇㅇ) are almost exclusively used in text-based communication.

Real Conversation Example

Situation: Two young friends (Minji and Jihoon) are talking about a K-pop group’s new music video.

• Expression: A (Minji): 지훈아, 어제 새로 나온 아이돌 뮤비 봤어? 완전 대박이야!
  Pronunciation: ji-hun-a, eo-je sae-ro na-on a-i-dol myu-bi bwass-eo? wan-jeon dae-bak-i-ya!
  Meaning: Jihoon, did you see the new idol music video that came out yesterday? It’s totally awesome!
• Expression: B (Jihoon): 어 봤지! 노래도 좋고 멤버들 비주얼 보고 심쿵했잖아. ㅋㅋ
  Pronunciation: eo bwass-ji! no-rae-do jot-go mem-beo-deul bi-ju-eol bo-go sim-kung-haess-janh-a. keu-keu
  Meaning: Yeah, I saw it! The song is good, and seeing the members’ visuals made my heart flutter. LOL
• Expression: A (Minji): 그치? 특히 마지막 장면은 레알 소름 돋았어.
  Pronunciation: geu-chi? teuk-hi ma-ji-mak jang-myeon-eun re-al so-reum dod-ass-eo.
  Meaning: Right? The last scene especially gave me real goosebumps.
• Expression: B (Jihoon): 인정! 근데 내 친구는 완전 노잼이라고 하더라. 취향 차이인가 봐.
  Pronunciation: in-jeong! geun-de nae chin-gu-neun wan-jeon no-jaem-i-ra-go ha-deo-ra. chwi-hyang cha-i-in-ga bwa.
  Meaning: Agreed! But my friend said it was totally boring. I guess it’s a matter of taste.
• Expression: A (Minji): 헐, 진짜? 어떻게 그게 노잼일 수가 있지?
  Pronunciation: heol, jin-jja? eo-tteoh-ge geu-ge no-jaem-il su-ga iss-ji?
  Meaning: What?! Really? How could that possibly be boring?
• Expression: B (Jihoon): 몰라 ㅋㅋ 아무튼 난 꿀잼이었어. 오늘 또 봐야지.
  Pronunciation: mol-la keu-keu a-mu-teun nan kkul-jaem-i-eoss-eo. o-neul tto bwa-ya-ji.
  Meaning: I don’t know LOL. Anyway, it was super fun for me. I’m gonna watch it again today.

Practice Tips

Learning slang takes time and exposure! Don’t feel pressured to use it immediately. First, focus on understanding it when you hear or see it~ Watch popular Korean dramas, variety shows, or YouTube channels where slang is frequently used. Pay attention to how and when native speakers use these terms!

Try incorporating simple slang like 대박 or 헐 into your casual conversations with Korean friends (if appropriate!). Ask them about new slang they hear. Remember, context is everything, so observe carefully before trying it yourself. Have fun exploring this dynamic part of the Korean language!