Korean Slang – 101

Popular Words & Phrases

in 2021
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Last Updated on December 16, 2021 by
If you want to add some Korean slang to your
conversations, then you’ve come to the right
place! This guide is filled to the brim with
awesome phrases and Cool words in Korean
that are going to level up your Korean
communication skills in no time flat.

Not only is it going to help with your listening

abilities, but you’ll be able to sound more like a
local when you speak Korean.

Korean friends will become closer, funny Korean

jokes will be easier to understand (and laugh
along to), and you’ll be able to follow Korean
movies and songs better. It’s also a great way to
become more familiar with Korean culture or
understand more on your next trip to South
Korea.

Not bad for only learning a few phrases and

words!

This post is list is a mix of different words and

expressions used by native Koreans. From
Korean internet slang to funny Korean words,
we’ll give you the breakdown of the slang words
you can plug into various situations.

Some are single Korean slang words while others

are expressions that you can use as full
sentences. Since a lot of these phrases are
colloquial, it’s good to be familiar with basic
Korean phrases as well.

Below each Korean slang term, we’ll give you a

breakdown of what they mean in Korean, an
explanation, the verbs, and words included so
you can understand what the term means
exactly. We also created a free PDF download
with the 90 Day Korean team’s top 20 slang picks
+ explanations so you can take this cultural gem
with you on the go.

Get Top 20 Korean Slang Free PDF

Pick your favorites, make sure you understand

the meaning, and try them out with your Korean
friends. You’re almost certain to see some
surprised looks, as well as hear “where did you
learn that?!” It’s a really fun way to supplement
your regular Korean learning.

Some warning: the slang in this article is in

Hangul, the Korean alphabet. If you can’t read
the Hangul yet it is possible to learn it fast and
easy, so what are you waiting for?

Let’s do this!

Modern Korean Slang

Ready to impress your Korean friends? Here’s

the list of Korean words and phrases to do it!
Pepper these throughout your conversations and
bond with your 친구 (chingu).

1. ! 남사친 (namsachin) – A guy who is

“just a friend”

남 (nam) is short for 남자 (namja), meaning “man”

사 (sa) is short for 사람 (saram), meaning “person”

친 (chin) is short for 친구 (chingu), meaning friend.

Put them all together, and you get man-person-

friend, or a male friend.

Guys, you can use the same term for a girl who is
your friend but isn’t your girlfriend. Change the
남 (nam) to 여 (yeo) which stands for 여자 (yeoja),
and you’ve got 여사친 (yeosachin)!

2.
2.! 남친 (namchin)== Boyfriend |

! 여친 (yeochin)== Girlfriend

Like lots of Korean slang terms (and indeed

Korean words in general), these words come
from taking the first parts of two other words.

Can you guess which words they are made up of?

남친 (namchin) comes from 남자 친구 (namja
chingu) and 여친 (yeochin) comes from 여자 친구
(yeoja chingu). That should save you some typing
time on KakaoTalk when you ask somebody if
they have a boyfriend or girlfriend.

3.
3.! 꿀잼 (kkuljaem)– – Something that is
fun, funny, or interesting

꿀 (kkul) means ‘honey’.

잼 (jaem) is short for 재미있어요 (jaemiisseoyo),

which means ‘interesting’.

If you put them together, you get ‘꿀잼’

(kkuljaem), which you can use to describe
something that is fun or interesting.

4.
4.! 노잼 (nojaem)– – Something that is
not fun, funny, or uninteresting

The evil twin of 꿀잼 (kkuljaem) is 노잼 (nojaem).

노 (no) means “no” or “not”

잼 (jaem) is the first part of 재미있어요

(jaemiisseoyo), meaning interesting.

So if you see something that you don’t think is fun

or funny, you can say “노잼 (nojaem)!”

5.
5.! 솔까말 (solkkamal)–– To speak
openly and honestly

솔 (sol) stands for 솔직히 (soljiki) with means

“honestly”.

The 까 (kka) and 말 (mal) parts come from 까놓고

말하다 (kkanoko malhada), meaning “speak your
mind”.

The full phrase is 솔직히 까놓고 말하다 (soljiki

kkanoko malhada), but you can keep it simple.
When you want someone to tell it to you straight,
use the Korean slang 솔까말 (solkkamal).

6. ! 더럽게 (deoreopge) – Badly

This Korean slang word literally means ‘dirtily’

(from 더럽다 | deoreopda), but is often used to
mean ‘badly’, for example 더럽게 못생기다
(deoreopge motsaenggida) would mean ‘really
ugly’ and ‘더럽게 느리다’ (deoreopge neurida)
would mean ‘really slow’ (referring to a slow
computer perhaps).

7. ! 품절남 (pumjeollam) |
! 품절녀 (pumjeollyeo) – Man or
woman who just got married

품절 (pumjeol) is another expression for sold out

(매진 | maejin), coming from the hanja for product
(품 | pum) and gone (절 | jeol). The words 품절남
(pumjeollam) and 품절녀 (pumjeollyeo) literally
mean ‘sold-out man’ and ‘sold-out woman’, they
refer to somebody (a celebrity or popular friend)
who has just got married and is therefore off the
market for dating.

These Korean slang terms can be used with the

verb 되다 (doeda) which means ‘to become’. For
example, 품절녀가 됐어요 (pumjeollyeoga
dwaesseoyo) means ‘she got married’.

To say ‘she got married’ you can also use the

word 시집갔어요 (sijipgasseoyo) which is a real
word (not Korean slang) literally meaning ‘she
went to the in-laws house’. For guys, you can use
장가갔어요 (janggagasseoyo) instead.

8. ! 모쏠 (mossol)– – Someone who has

never had a boyfriend or girlfriend

모쏠 (mossol) is the shortened version of the

word 모태솔로 (motae sollo). The first word 모태
(motae) means “mother’s womb. The second
word 솔로 (sollo) sounds like “solo”, which means
a person who has never been in a relationship.

Put them together, and you’ve got “someone who

has been alone since birth”.

*gasp* Use this one with caution!

If you happen to be 모쏠 (mossol) and want to

fight fire with fire, you can use 솔로천국 커플지옥
(sollocheonguk keopeuljiok). It’s aimed at
couples, and means “Solo Heaven Couple Hell.”

9. ! 극혐 (geukyeom) – Extreme
disgust

Short for 극한의 혐오 (geukanui hyeomo), this

phrase . 극한 (geukan) means “limit or extreme”
and 혐오 (hyeomo) means “hatred, disgust or
revulsion” so put them together and you’ve got a
shortened phrase that means just that — extreme
disgust!

Use this with your Korean friends any time you

want to point out that something is very
disgusting or revolting, like when you venture
into the weird parts of YouTube!

10
10.. ! 밀당 (mildang)–
– Push and pull

This is a combination of the verbs 밀다 (mildang |

to push) and 당기다 (danggida | to pull). However,
in this case the words do not literally mean
pushing and pulling as in a tug of war or a door.

This Korean slang word refers to the flaky

actions people take in romantic relationships,
“playing games” with each other where one
minute they’re hot and the next they’re cold. You
can also use this as a verb in the form 밀당하다
(mildanghada).

11. ! 맛점 (matjeom)–
– Delicious lunch

Short for 맛 있는 점 심 (masinneun jeomsim), this

Korean slang word simply describes a “delicious
lunch.” Want to describe a delicious dinner and
sound cool doing so? Just use 맛저 (matjeo), short
for 맛 있는 저 녁 (masinneun jeonyeok)! Shortening
things really is easy, isn’t it?

12. ! 만렙 (mallep) – Level 10,000

Another shortened phrase, 만렙 (mallep) is a

combination of 만 (man | 10, 000) and 레벨 (rebel |
level). Have you ever played an RPG or strategy
game like World of Warcraft where your
character increases in level after making certain
achievements?

This phrase refers to someone who is a master of

something, and their level is so good it is like they
have achieved the maximum level in a game! But
don’t worry, you can use this phrase for anything
— someone who is good at lifting weights,
building things, or studying (not only games)!

13. ! 쪼렙 (jjorep) – Beginner level

This Korean slang word is just the opposite of the

previous! There are the masters, and then there
are the beginners, or the “newbs.” This word is a
slightly altered version of 쪼그만한 레벨
(jjogeumanhan rebel), meaning a small or low
level.

Not good at tennis and want to let your partner

know before the match starts? Let them know
you’re 쪼렙 (jjorep) and you’ll be sure to get a
laugh.

14. ! 심쿵 (simkung)–
– Heartthrob
(huge crush)

심쿵 (simkung) is like a type of emotional heart

attack you feel when you see or think about your
crush or someone you find extremely attractive!
Remember it by knowing that 심장 (simjang)
means “heart” and 쿵쿵 (kungkung) is the “thud”
or “booming” sound your heartbeat makes!

15. ! 댓츠 노노 (daetcheu-nono) –
[at’s no no

댓츠노노 (daetcheunono | that’s no no) is a

Konglish phrase that originated on a popular TV
program, and is sure to get laughs from your
Korean friends! You can use it anytime you
disagree with someone or something, or want to
say “no.”

16. ! 까도남 (kkadonam) – An

abrasive city-man

Short for 까칠한 (kkachilhan | abrasive) 도시 (dosi |

city) 남자 (namja | man), this word is used to
describe a certain type of guy who is usually
arrogant, rich and full of himself.

17. ! 대박 (daebak)–
– Awesome

What does Daebak mean? We’re sure you may

well have heard this one a million times before,
but it is still popular and widely used. 대박
(daebak) is an exclamation that’s meaning has
changed from 대박나다 (daebangnada | to be very
successful) to now mean “awesome” or “wow” or
to describe anything that is shocking or amazing!

18. ! 엄친아 (eomchina) |

! 엄친딸 (eomchinttal) – Someone who
is good at everything

Short for 엄마친구의 아들 (eommachinguui adeul |

my mom’s friend’s son) or 엄마친구의 딸
(eommachinguui ttal |my mom’s friend’s
daughter), these Korean slang phrases are used
to describe “the perfect child” or someone who is
good at everything.

It originates from the fact that Korean parents

like to talk to their children about how “so and
so’s” son or daughter did so well on his/her tests,
got into a great school or just got a new job at a
big company.

19. ! 행쇼 (haengsyo)–
– Let’s be happy

Short for 행복하십시오 (haengbokasipsio), this

Korean slang phrase just means “let’s be happy!”
You can use it to suggest to your Korean friends
to cheer up and be happy while at the same time
sounding cool.

Start using this one today, and you’ll be sure to

make someone’s day.

20. ! 갑 (gap) | ! 갑이다 (gabida) –

[e boss

This Korean slang word was popularized by a

comedy program, and 갑 (gap) has come to mean
“the boss” or the person with the power dynamic
in a group.

갑 (gap)refers to a person who has a relative

advantage or power in a particular phase. It can
also simply means when something is ‘the best’
or ‘above the others’.

You’ll often see this word in legal contracts, such

as if you get a work contract. The words 갑 (gap)
and 을 (eul) mean A and B, or the former and
latter. 갑 (gap) is usually the one holding the
power.

What a great word. Make sure to use it like a 갑

(gap)!

21. ! 현웃 (hyeonut)–
– LOL

From 현 실에서 웃 음 (hyeonsireseo useum), this

word means “laughter (웃음 | useum) in real life
(현실에서 | hyeonsireseo).” This is equivalent to
“laugh out loud” in English, and could be used, for
example, while watching a video or reading a text
message. It is used instead of just ㅋㅋㅋ to show
you literally laughed out loud.

22. ! 빵 터지다 (ppang teojida) – To

laugh really loudly (like a bomb)

Very similar to 현웃 (hyeonut), 빵 터지다 (ppang

teojida) is a slang verb that means “to laugh really
loud” with the emphasis being on the LOUD part!
터지다 (teojida) usually means “to burst” and 빵
(ppang) is the sound a gun or bomb makes. So
when you put them together, you get the picture
of someone who is laughing explosively!

23. ! 언플 (eonpeul) – Media play

This is a shortened version of 언 론플

플레이
(eonnonpeullei), which means “media play.”
However, this is not all fun and games! In this
case, 플레이 (peullei | play) is not referring to
playing or fun, but rather to “manipulation.” It is
used to express the act of using the media to
create a beneficial image for a corporation or
celebrity, etc.

24. ! 멘붕 (menbung)–
– Mental
breakdown

Ever have a mental breakdown? You can express

this idea with “멘붕”, which is a combo of 멘탈
(mental | mental) + 붕 괴 (bunggoe |
deconstruction or collapse).

In Korean, this is more often used to express

yourself when your mental status is on the fritz!
It’s used in various situations where this is the
case. For example, you could say it when at the
last minute you realize you have to work on the
weekend and you have a huge date that you can’t
cancel!

25. ! 헐 (heol)–
– OMG

This exclamation is usually used after something

shocking or surprising is said or seen. It’s really
similar to “OMG” in English! You’ll notice this
piece of Korean slang used a lot in texting.

26. ! 뭥미 (mwongmi)–
– What the heck
| What is it?

This is a purposeful typo of 뭐임 (mwoim), which

means “what is this?” or “what the heck“. When
you are typing fast, you can easily input
characters in the wrong order, and this internet
slang rose out of this common misspelling!
However, it still retains the same meaning! When
you see something you are unsure of, you can say
“이게 뭥미 (ige mwongmi)?”

27. ! 레알 (real)–
– Real | Really

This word means “real” and if you read it in

Korean, you can see that it is actually the
phonetic pronunciation of the same word in
English! Use it in place of intensifiers like 진짜
(jinjja | really) and sound cool in the process!

28. ! 돌직구 (doljikgu)–

– To say or do
directly

This word literally translates to “rock fastball”

and that’s exactly what it’s meaning is intended
to portray, although in this case we’re not talking
about baseball! When someone says something
in a very direct manner or behaves very forward,
you can use the word 돌직구 (doljikgu) to describe
it and in doing so, compare the action to throwing
a fastball with a stone!

30. ! 짤 (jjal)–
– Photo

This is a new internet slang word that simply

means “photo” and you can use it in place of 사진
(sajin |picture or photo).

31. ! 움짤 (umjjal)–
– Animated photo |
GIF

You know those animated GIFs floating around

the internet? In Korean, you can talk about them
using the word 움짤 (umjjal)!

32. ! 리즈 (rijeu) – Your prime

From the expression 리즈 시절 (rijeu sijeol), this

refers to the best looking time of your life when
you are young and beautiful and in your prime!
Shorten it down and just use the word 리즈 (rijeu)
to describe this magical time that you never want
to leave.

33. ! 덕후 (deoku) – A person with an

obsessive interest in something

This Korean slang comes from the Japanese

word “otaku” that means a person who is “crazy
about something.” In Japanese, this usually refers
to a person who is obsessed with Japanese anime
or anime characters.

However, it is now used in Korean to describe a

person who has an obsessive interest in almost
anything – celebrities, studying, movies,
characters — you name it! It has a slightly
negative connotation so be careful how you use
it.

34. ! 꿀팁 (kkultip)–
– A great tip

Just like in the phrase 꿀잼 (kkuljaem), this phrase

uses the word ‘honey’ (꿀 | kkul) to mean “really
good.” This time it’s a 팁 (tip | tip) that’s being
considered and this is not just any old tip!

In English, we may say “gold” or “golden” to

denote something very valuable but in Korean,
it’s “honey.” Use this when you give a great tip to
someone or someone gives you advice or tips
that are valuable!

35. ! 그린라이트 (geurillaiteu)–

– Green
light (crush)

We’re not talking about traffic here! This “green

light” is all about relationships. When someone is
giving you the green light or showing interest in
you and giving you the go-ahead, you can use the
word 그린라이트 (geurillaiteu) to describe them!

36. ! 불금 (bulgeum)–
– TGIF

Fire (불
불 | bul) Friday (금
금요일 | geumyoil)! Much
like we’d say “TGIF” on Friday as the week is
winding down, Koreans say 불금 (bulgeum) as
they get amped up for the weekend festivities! If
you want to up your Korean slang game, then you
can also use 불토 (bulto) as well for 불 (bul) + 토요
일 (toyoil).