Slang from South Korea

Cute display of affection (often done by celebrities).

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).

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

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).

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

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

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

Face game; looking good (short for "eolgul gyeomsu" - face inspection/evaluation).

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

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

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

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 (from Squid Game, revived old slang for a childhood friend/partner).

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

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

Excessive nationalism; nationalistic intoxication (often used critically).

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

Confirmed; decided (often used informally for plans).

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

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

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

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).

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

Meticulous; thorough.

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

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

The youngest person in a group.

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

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

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).

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

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

An obsessive fan who invades the privacy of celebrities.

Selfie (from "self camera").

Heart throb; heart-stopping (from "simjang" (heart) + "kung" (thump)).

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

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

Spicy stir-fried rice cakes (a popular street food).

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).