South Korea Slang Dictionary

Outsider; a social outcast or loner, often online.

Cute display of affection (often done by celebrities)

Deep, profound affection or love.

Fool; idiot (mild, often used playfully among friends)

Delivery (especially food delivery).

Side dishes (essential part of a Korean meal, often served with main dishes)

Packed tightly; full (often used for schedules or spaces)

Peeking out; popping up (onomatopoeia for a quick peek)

Suddenly standing up; bouncing up (onomatopoeia for quick movement)

A persons favorite member in a K-pop group.

Fire Friday; TGIF (The Golden Friday, referring to a fun Friday night)

Traffic jam; traffic congestion (short for "cha ga mak-hi-da")

To dress up nicely; to be well-dressed.

Fried chicken (extremely popular takeaway/delivery item).

Chicken and beer (a popular combination, from "chicken" + "maekju" (beer))

Elementary schooler (often used pejoratively for immature adults)

The person who takes the initiative or takes responsibility (literally "spearhead")

Please give me... (polite request, often used informally)

The release of a new album or single by a K-pop artist

Awesome; amazing; huge success (literally "big hit").

Designated driver service (where a driver is hired to drive the owners car home)

Getting a desired item, often unexpectedly or at a good price (from "deuktemhada" - to acquire an item)

Strong back muscles (a desirable physique feature).

Blah blah blah; et cetera (used to refer to omitted or unimportant details)

Face game; looking good (used for focusing on visual attractiveness in dating)

Moms friends son (someone who is perfect in every way, often used sarcastically)

A clumsy or awkward person (from "eomcheong-i" - awkward person)

Difficult; hard (can be used to express a tricky situation or embarrassment)

Difficult; hard (can be used to express a tricky situation or embarrassment)

The center of a town or village.

Sensitivity; emotional sentiment (often used for aesthetics or vibe)

Suddenly awkward atmosphere (abbreviation of "gapjagi bunwigiga ssahaejinda" - suddenly the atmosphere became cold)

Falling in love quickly (from "geumsa-sarang-e ppajinda" - falling in love quickly)

Friend; buddy (revived from Squid Game, can imply a close, trusted bond, potentially romantic)

Train (general term for train travel).

A person who makes a lot of mistakes or is clumsy online (from "goh-rah-ni" - Korean water deer, which is known for being clumsy)

Meat (general term, but widely used when talking about BBQ or meat dishes)

Difficulty; predicament; embarrassment (can refer to a tricky situation)

Alley; backstreet (often used for local, hidden gems)

Ball tea; often used as a pun for kicking a ball around/playing soccer (Gong means ball, Cha means tea or kick)

Study; studying (standard, but central).

Intestines (sometimes used as an insult meaning someone is disgusting or a gutless person)

A tiny, inexpensive room, typically rented by students or those with low income (very small living space)

Excessive nationalism; nationalistic intoxication (often used critically).

Overwork; severe burnout due to excessive work.

Attention seeker; used to describe someone who dresses flashy to get attention

Private cram school or academy (where students go for extra lessons)

Gym maniac; a person dedicated/addicted to the gym (from "health" + "chang" - lunatic/addict)

Eating alone (from "honja" - alone + "bap" - rice/meal)

Fighting!; Go for it!; Good luck! (Korean pronunciation of "fighting")

Confirmed; decided (often used informally for plans).

Someone who is a burden or trouble (literally "fire dragon," implies bringing trouble)

Mental breakdown; the feeling of suddenly coming back to harsh reality (short for "reality time")

Older brother (used by males to older males, also for close male friends)

Insider; a popular person on social media or in a social group

Describes whether a style is "in" or "out" (from "insider" and "outsider")

I couldnt sleep; used to express tiredness/exhaustion.

A deep, complex emotional bond, loyalty, and affectionate attachment

Normal; top; peak (can be used to confirm normalcy or excellence)

SUV or 4x4 vehicle (from the brand "Jeep," but used generically)

Designated; specified (often used informally for a specific place or time)

To skip an online meeting or class (from "jjaelda" - to skip, + "sa" - four)

To skip (class); to ditch (class).

Funny (abbreviation of "jaemi-itda" - to be fun/interesting)

Best; awesome; leader (informal, often used for approval)

Awesome; amazing; incredible (stronger than daebak, often for something unexpected)

A cramped, extremely small, often subdivided room for low-income tenants

A state of extreme grogginess or difficulty waking up

Rice balls (often simple, quick-to-eat food).

Broken heart; heartbreak (short for "maeum-i kkaejida" - heart breaking)

Shocked; surprised (abbreviation of "kkamjjak nollada" - to be very surprised)

Meticulous; thorough.

An old person (especially a man) who is condescending and inflexible; boomer

"Boomer" fashion; an outdated or old-fashioned style.

Very fun; interesting (literally "honey jam").

A good restaurant; a "taste house" (often used when suggesting a date spot)

The last train or bus of the night.

The youngest person in a group.

Heart-wrenching; heartbreaking (from "ma-eum-i jjitgineun" - heart torn)

Crazy bastard/guy (masculine form, "michin-nyeon" for female).

Push and pull; playing hard to get (from "mil" - push, "dang" - pull)

An unfinished life; someone still striving or incomplete (from a popular webtoon/drama)

Best body; a person with a good physique.

Cannot bear it; unbearable (short for "mot gyeondida")

Problem; issue (standard, but widely used informally).

Not fun; boring (opposite of kkuljaem, "no jam").

Older sister (used by males to older females, also for close female friends)

Older brother (used by females to older males, also for boyfriends/male friends)

Peeking out; popping up (can be used for peeking at answers in an exam)

Intense studying; studying very hard (from "ppakssaege gongbu")

Intense studying; studying very hard (from "ppakssaege gongbu")

Inner peace; comfort; well-being.

Bastard; son of a bitch (can be very offensive, or milder among close friends depending on context)

To ignore; to pretend not to know (informal, sometimes rude)

A person who is affectionate and loves openly.

An obsessive fan who invades the privacy of celebrities

Selfie (from "self camera").

Heart throb; heart-stopping (used when seeing someone attractive or feeling a sudden romantic feeling)

A quick thinker; quick-witted (from "sokdoe-go saenggakhanda").

The state of having a "something" going on with someone, but not officially dating

The "talking stage" of a relationship, but online only (from "ssom" + "bap" - rice/meal)

A story; a tale (informal, often told online).

CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test), the nationwide college entrance exam

Taxi (from English "taxi," widely used for any cab)

Spicy rice cakes; popular street food and snack.

Blockhead; thick-headed (from "tteok" - rice cake, implying density)

Best face; someone with a very attractive face (from "eolgul" (face) + "jjang")

Older sister (used by females to older females, also for close female friends)

Monthly rent (a common rental arrangement).

A studio apartment (literally "one room").

Late-night snack/meal (very common culture of ordering late-night food)

Lover; a romantic partner in an intimate relationship