South Korea Slang Dictionary

Outsider; a social outcast or loner, often online.

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; jackpot; used to express amazement at a successful song, drama, or performance.

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

The act of having someone else drive your car home (relevant after sports drinking/socializing).

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).

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).

Study; studying (standard, but central).

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

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

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).

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

Excessive nationalism; nationalistic intoxication (often used critically).

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

Overwork; severe burnout due to excessive work.

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).

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

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

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 (class); to ditch (class).

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

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

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

Best; awesome (used to praise a post or person online).

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.

The youngest member of a K-pop group or a social 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.

Best body; a person with a good, fit physique (already listed in Fashion/Style, but also key for fitness).

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.

An extreme, obsessive fan who stalks or invades the privacy of idols.

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").

Best face; a person with a good-looking face (from "eolgul" - face + "jjang" - best).

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.