HANGEUL (한글) THE HANGEUL ALPHABET (한글)

Before the present-day Korean alphabet, known as Hangeul, the Korean THE CONSONANTS (자음/子音)
language used Chinese characters. This changed in the 15th century when
King Sejong the Great is said to have invented Hangeul.

KOREAN LANGUAGE OVERVIEW

Korean is spoken by over 70 million people worldwide. There are different

versions of the language for South Korea and North Korea.

There are different dialects for the 사투리 (saturi) 6 regions of the country.
서울말 (seoulmal | Seoul dialect) is the standard, and 제주말 (jejumal | Jeju
dialect) is the most unique.

The Korean Alphabet ( 한 글 | Hangeul) is one of the simplest alphabets to The double consonants marked with * are pronounced fortis. There is no
learn, even if you are an absolute beginner. You can learn it in a few hours, symbol in IPA to indicate this.
and be reading Korean sentences on the same day.

THE VOWELS (모음/母音)

 Like English, Korean has vowels and consonants. There are 19 consonants
and 21 vowels in the modern Korean alphabet. In Korean, the shape of each
of the letters is a clue to how it sounds. Each of the strokes that make up a
letter are said to show the position of the tongue in the mouth when
pronouncing that letter.

KOREAN CONSONANTS
Many Korean consonants are similar in pronunciation to their English
counterparts. That said, their position is in a word (beginning, middle, or
end) can change how they’re pronounced. Here’s an overview:
ㄱ: “g” as in go (may also be pronounced as “k” when in the final position)
ㄴ: “n” as in net
ㄷ: “d” as in dog (may also be pronounced as “t” when in the final position)
ㄹ: is somewhere in between “r” and “l”
ㅁ: “m” as in mama
ㅂ: often “b” as in bed but sometimes also an aspirated “p” as in pedal
ㅅ : “s” as in soon or sh as in shingle depending on the following vowel (it
may also be pronounced as “t” in the final position)
ㅇ: silent or “-ng” as in bring
ㅈ: “j” as in jokester
NOTE ON THE TRANSLITERATION OF KOREAN
ㅊ: “ch” as in charge
There are a number different ways to write Korean in the Latin alphabet.
ㅋ: “k” as in karaoke
The methods shown above are:
ㅌ: “t” as in tiger
ㅍ: “p” as in pour
1. (first row) the official South Korean transliteration system, which was
introduced in July 2000. ㅎ: “h” as in harness

2. (second row) the McCune-Reischauer system, which was devised in

1937 by two American graduate students, George McCune and Edwin KOREAN DOUBLE CONSONANTS
Reischauer, and is widely used in Western publications. ㄲ: “gg” as an initial sound but “kk” as a middle sound
ㄸ: “dd” as an initial sound but “tt” as a middle sound
ㅃ: “bb” as an initial sound but “pp” as a middle sound
ㅆ: “ss”
THE KOREAN ALPHABET: PRONUNCIATION ㅉ: “jj”
KOREAN VOWELS
ㅣ: “i” as in bee How a syllable block is formed will depend on the shape of the vowel. If it is
ㅏ: “a” as in father a vertical vowel like ㅣ or ㅏ, the initial consonant is written on the left and
ㅓ: “eo” as in son the vowel on the right as in 나 or 니. When it’s a horizontal verb like ㅗ, the
ㅡ: “eu” as in put, said smiling consonant is written above the vowel as in 노.
ㅜ: “u” or “oo” as in boot
ㅗ: “o” as in go Here are a few of the ways Korean syllable blocks may look (C = Consonant,
V = Vowel, F = Final Consonant(s)):

KOREAN DIPHTHONGS AND OTHER VOWELS

ㅑ: “ya” as in yahoo
ㅕ: “yeo” similar to young
ㅠ: “yu” as in you
ㅛ: “yo” as in yoghurt
ㅐ: “ae” as in land
ㅒ: “yae” as in yank
ㅔ: “e” as in net
ㅖ: “ye” as in yellow
ㅘ: “wa” as in wander
ㅙ: “wae” as in wag
ㅚ: “oi” as though saying “no entry” quickly
ㅝ: “wo” as in wonder
ㅞ: “we” as in wet
ㅟ: “wi” as in week
ㅢ: “ui” as as suey

KOREAN SYLLABLE BLOCKS

Korean letters don’t appear on their own, instead, they appear as a part of
syllable blocks. Korean letters can be grouped in a number of ways but the
first letter will always be a consonant (even if it’s just ㅇ functioning as a In Korean, a word may be made up of just one of these blocks like 저 (cheo,
silent letter. The letter in the second position will always be a vowel. If there “I”) or several as in 음악가 (eumagga, “musician”). Like in English, Korean
is a letter in the final position (this would be a third or fourth letter in a has a space between each word. “I am a musician” in Korean would
syllable block), it will also always be a consonant. therefore be: 저는 음악가입니다. (cheo-neun eumagga-ibnida).
In short, at a minimum, a Korean syllable will always include a consonant
(initial) followed by a vowel. It may also include one or two final consonants.
HOW TO MEMORIZE THE KOREAN ALPHABET
One of the best ways to learn the Korean alphabet is with spaced-repetition, The good news about learning Korean is that you can start to have
using an app such as Anki. Getting regular exposure to the new letters and conversations with knowing only single words!
then practicing reading syllable pairs (also through spaced-repetition) is one
of the best ways to master reading and writing in Korean.
LEARN THE KOREAN ALPHABET & READ THE HANGUL
Writing practice is also recommended when possible–even if it’s just writing CHARACTERS
English words using Korean letters.
The official writing system for South Korea is Hangul ( 한 글 ), which is the
In fact, there are lots of English loan words in Korean, and they make great name for the Korean Alphabet system. Hangul is also written “Hangeul”.
writing practice. These are words like 케 냐 (ke-nya, “Kenya”), 쇼 핑 (sho- They are two different ways of spelling the same word. “Hangul” is the most
ping, “shopping”), 휴 스 턴 (hyu-seu-teon, “Houston”), 컴 퓨 터 (keom-pyu- common way, and “Hangeul” is the newer way of writing it.
teo, “computer”), 오랜지주스 (o-raen-ji-ju-seu, “orange juice”), and so much
more. These can be great practice when you’re just getting started. “Han” means “Korean”, and “gul” means “letter”. Put them together, and
you’ve got “Korean letter”, or “Korean Alphabet”.

HOW TO READ KOREAN

KOREAN ALPHABET STRUCTURE
Learning to read fairly simple because Korean is broken up into syllables that
are 2-4 letters each. Every syllable needs at least one consonant and one Since Hangul is a very scientific alphabet, it’s great for beginners who don’t
vowel. know any Korean. It’s also quite easy to write in Hangul since the letters
follow a basic order.
The letters are read in order, left to right and top to bottom. You can learn
how to read Hangul here. There are some examples to practice your reading Did you know that there are fewer letters in the Korean alphabet than there
skills as well. are letters in the English alphabet?

Spend some time reading some simple words, such as Korean slang or the
colors in Korean. This will be great practice, even if you don’t yet know the
meaning of the words.

HOW TO SPEAK KOREAN LEARN THE KOREAN ALPHABET & READ THE HANGUL
CHARACTERS
Once you know how to read Korean, you’re going to want to begin speaking
the language as quickly as possible. That will allow you to practice
pronunciation and start to have simple conversations.
The official writing system for South Korea is Hangul ( 한 글 ), which is the This Korean alphabet lesson makes use of psychological techniques to help
name for the Korean Alphabet system. Hangul is also written “Hangeul”. make learning Hangul fun and easy. Namely, it uses associations and stories
They are two different ways of spelling the same word. “Hangul” is the most to help everything stick in your brain so you can’t forget it.
common way, and “Hangeul” is the newer way of writing it.
The Korean Consonants
“Han” means “Korean”, and “gul” means “letter”. Put them together, and Hangul (the Korean Alphabet) has both consonants and vowels just like
you’ve got “Korean letter”, or “Korean Alphabet”. English.

Let’s learn the consonants to start.

KOREAN ALPHABET STRUCTURE
First, let’s take a look at the English alphabet. Instead of looking at the
Since Hangul is a very scientific alphabet, it’s great for beginners who don’t actual letters, let’s just look at the sounds they make.
know any Korean. It’s also quite easy to write in Hangul since the letters
follow a basic order. In doing so, we can find the closest equivalents in Korean so that we can
start to make associations.
Did you know that there are fewer letters in the Korean alphabet than there
are letters in the English alphabet? In Korean, there are no F, R, V, or Z sounds, so let’s take them out.

The Korean Alphabet has 14 consonants and 10 vowels.

Unlike Japanese or Chinese, which have thousands of characters and each

can have 10, 15 or more strokes, the most complex Korean character has
only five strokes. That makes learning both Hangul and Korean quite easy. It
all starts with knowing the Hangul (Korean alphabet) – the basic building The rest of the consonant sounds exist in the Korean language. However,
blocks of the language. the Q, W, X and Y sounds must follow one of these two rules:
a) They only be made by combining two or more sounds (ie., X = K+ S)
For example: The X sound can be made by combining the K and S sounds
(X = K + S). Try it now!
b) They cannot be made without adding a vowel sound after (ie., “ya” or
“yo”)
For example: In Korean, we can create the sounds ya or yo but not the
HOW TO LEARN THE KOREAN ALPHABET
standalone Y sound.
So let’s take these letters out too.
 The first letter of the English word in the picture has the same sound as the
Korean letter.

This will help to start to create the associations with Hangul.

The letter ㅂ, which has a sound similar to B in English, looks like a bed with
a post at either end.
Finally, let’s remove the English vowels since we are first focusing on the
consonant sounds.

How many are remaining in red?

13.

But we can group C and K together, since in English, they make the same Make this association in your mind. Write it down and commit it to memory.
sound. Likewise, the Hangul letter ㄷ could seem as a doorframe or the panels on
a door. Correspondingly, this letter makes the sound D.

The Korean consonant ㄱ has the appearance of a gun and sounds similar to

an English G. This Hangul letter is especially easy to write since its only two
This leaves a total of 12. lines.

Let’s take a look at those 12 first. Since we’re learning a new language and
have never seen these shapes before, it will be very difficult for us just to
memorize them. Therefore, we need to ‘link’ them to something already in
our minds in order to create an association.
The same goes for the letter ㅎ(H), which looks like a man with a hat. You
Let’s do this using a visual learning technique to associate the new letters can write this consonant as a circle with two lines above it.
with pictures and sounds we already know.
And the consonant ㅈ (J) which could be seen as a jug with a spout at the
top. You can write this one a few different ways, so just become familiar The Hangul letter ㄴ points up and to the right like a compass pointing to
with the overall shape of the letter. the north (and the east at the same time). You can write this letter with two
lines.

The consonant ㅅ is like a seashell or clam, having only two strokes which
Try creating the associations for these consonants now. slightly overlap. There are two different ways to write this Hangul letter, so
just get used to the overall shape. It’s basically just two lines.
Next is the Hangul letter ㄹ, which has 5 strokes and could be compared to
the rungs of a ladder. Its sound is most similar to an English L and can be
made the same way by pressing down with your tongue.

THE KOREAN ASPIRATED CONSONANTS

Finally, there are the letters ㅁ, ㄴ, and ㅅ, which have the sounds M, N,
and S respectively. Now we’ll learn the aspirated consonants of the Korean alphabet. To do
that, let’s take a look at four of the consonant sounds we just learned.

The ㅁ is a square box like a message on a phone or a piece of mail. You can B, D, G, and J.
write this consonant like a rectangle.
Make each of these sounds now. “B”. “D”. “G”. “J”.
What if we made them stronger, aspirating as we spoke them? What sound J ㅈ — ㅊ Ch
would we then make?
It’s almost as if all we did was add a small line to each of those consonants
For B, a more aspirated sound forcing out more air would make P sound.
to create the aspirated equivalent.
How about D? It would result in a T sound. “T”. Try it now.
And G? A “K” sound, like a C or K. In English, these two sounds are very
The next four Korean letters are called the aspirated consonants and are
similar. Try saying “I’ve got a cot” five times.
similar in sound to their non-aspirated counterparts.
The C is really just an aspirated G.
Finally, if you aspirated a J, it would result in a “ch” sound. Try saying “cheap
Let’s make a visual association as well to really drill them in.
Jeep” several times and you’ll notice how similar the sounds are.
The ㅋ (K) could be compared to a key. You can write this Hangul letter
Let’s match up the non-aspirated English sounds with their aspirated sound
using three lines.
pairings.

See how similar these sounds really are?

B — P 
D — T 
G — K 
J — Ch

And the Hangul letter ㅌ , which has a “T” sound, could be associated
When we do the same in Korean, we’ll see some visual similarities in the with teeth (like the ones in your mouth or the teeth of a fork). You can write
letters, which can help greatly for memorization of Hangul. this similar to the English letter “E.”

B ㅂ — ㅍ P
D ㄷ — ㅌ T
G ㄱ — ㅋ K  

Remember math class? I hope so!

3.14159265359….

What’s that number? Pi! And the Korean letter with a similar sound Ok, so that’s 13 Korean letters already! You’re more than halfway there.
to P looks very similar to the symbol for pi. That makes it easy to remember.
If you know how to write pi, then you’re good to go with this letter of the The last consonant in Korean is really just a placeholder, and makes no
Korean alphabet! sound by itself when placed in front of another character. Nonetheless, it is
considered a consonant.

Just like in math, where we use the number 0 as a placeholder, in Korean,

the placeholder character (ㅇ) is a round shape that looks like a zero.

So there we have it. That’s how you learn Hangul!

This is a very special character!

It acts as a placeholder and is silent most of the time. After you learn the
vowels in the next part of this challenge and see them next to the
placeholder character, you’ll know what sound to make based on the vowel.

However, if the placeholder character ends a particular syllable, it is

pronounced “ng” like the “-ing” in English.

But we said there were a total of 14 consonants in the Korean alphabet, so

what are the last two? However, if the placeholder character ends a particular syllable, it
is pronounced “ng” like the “-ing” in English.
One of them is special because it doesn’t have a direct equivalent to an
English letter. Instead, it represents a sound in English.
This is a very important rule to remember. Without it, we would be
ㅊ , the character representing the “ch” sound in English (“choose”), looks tempted just to skip over the consonant, assuming it had no sound.
like a church with a steeple at the top. We can associate it this way, or This will be easier to understand later but just wanted to make a note of it
remember it as an aspirated J (ㅈ) and add an extra line. for now.
THE KOREAN VOWELS The only problem is that we need to remember which way the perpendicular
line points and associate that character with the particular vowel sound.

In Korean, there are ten basic Hangul vowels that you need to learn. They Let’s use a little bit of psychology to learn this part of the Korean alphabet.
are the basic building blocks from which you can create all other vowel First, memorize the following acronym:
sounds.

But before we get into that, it will be helpful to do a basic review of English Old iPod, new iPad
grammar.

In English, we have short and long vowel sounds. A little fun fact: did you know the first iPod came out in 2001?

That makes it old.

The iPad came out in 2010, making it comparatively new.

Easy right?

Now listen carefully to the vowel sound in each word.

old. Long O sound.
All of these vowel sounds exist or can be made using Korean letters except
iPod. Short O sound.
for the short I sound (this just doesn’t exist in Korean and so is very difficult
for Koreans to pronounce). new. Long U sound.
iPad. Short A sound.
The letters for the vowels are all pretty easy to learn. No complex shapes
here, just good ol’ lines! Great! Let’s go back to the acronym. We’ve placed it on a timeline to
represent when each gadget was released.
The first four vowels we’ll learn are horizontal or vertical lines with a
Recite “Old iPod, new iPad” working counterclockwise around the circle.
perpendicular line in the middle facing in a particular direction. They look like
this:

ㅗ  ㅓ  ㅜ  ㅏ
 Not too bad so far, right? Commit these vowels to memory and let’s keep
the momentum going!

Remember how we added an extra line to some of the consonants to

change the sound and make it aspirated? Well, we can also add a line to the
four vowels we just learned to create new sounds!
Good work!
You may recall back to the beginning of this challenge when we explained
Now all we need to do is line up the vowel letters with the corresponding how we couldn’t create a Y sound on its own. But we did say we could if we
sounds. added a vowel sound after it!

The letter with the line pointing up is “old” and has the long O sound. Well, we can do just that when we add a line to each of the first four vowels.
That way, we can simply learn four more of the vowels!
The letter pointing to the left has a short O sound like the O in “iPod,” while The vowels we have learned so far are:
the letter pointing to the right has a short A sound like the A in “iPad.”
ㅗㅓㅜㅏ
Finally, the letter pointing down has a long U sound like the e-w in “new.”
old ipod new ipad
“oh” “aw” “oo” “ah”

We can now create the following sounds by just adding a second line:

ㅛㅕㅠㅑ
“yoh” “yaw” “yoo” “yah”

So, once you memorize the first four vowels, the second four are really easy.
All you need to do is double up the line and remember to add a Y sound in
front.
Commit these to memory. READING KOREAN WORDS
So, there are only ten Korean vowels and we already know eight of them. Just like English, you read Korean left to right, top to bottom. 
Luckily, we saved the easiest two for last. The last two vowels are just lines
as well — one horizontal and the other vertical. However, the Hangul letters stick together, existing within small invisible
“boxes”. Each box can have up to four letters.
The hardest part is just remembering which one makes which sound.
Luckily we’ve got some visual associations for that! Each little “box” is considered a Korean syllable. You can also think of them
as syllable blocks.
We love nature, and these two vowels do too.
Instead of reading Hangul straight across as we do in English, we read one
The first is the “tree vowel.” It is so-called (at least by us) because it’s tall Korean syllable (or syllable block) at a time. Within each syllable, we read
and straight! using the rule left to right, top to bottom. Then we move to the next syllable
block. That’s all there is to it!

Notice how the double e in “tree” creates the long E sound. The Korean
character with the same sound ( ㅣ ) looks like a tree, making it easy to
remember.
This is the Korean word for “hello.” It has 5 syllable blocks, and each syllable
And the most picturesque landscapes are not complete without a brook. block has 2 or 3 Korean letters.
This next vowel is long and straight just like a brook!
In the first two-syllable blocks, there are two characters on the top and one
on the bottom. Following our rule of left to right, top to bottom, we would
read in the order 1, 2, 3 as shown above.

The same goes for the second syllable. But remember, the placeholder
character here is ending the syllable so it would have to be pronounced
Also, notice the sound the double o in “brook” makes. This is the same “ng.”
sound the final Korean vowel makes. This vowel (ㅡ) is just a horizontal line.
The third, fourth and fifth syllable blocks are more straightforward and are
just read simply left to right.
So going syllable block by syllable block, could you determine which order Now, for the third one, we just read left to right for the first syllable, then
we would read the characters in? Give it a try! top to bottom for the second syllable.

That would make it:

3. b for bed + a as in iPad plus b for bed + o as in old = babo. This is the

Korean word for “fool.” If you can read these words already, you are
definitely not a 바보!

It would look like this if we wrote the numbers in. Now, if we use our Great work!
associations we learned earlier we can pronounce the word!
Now, remember the placeholder character ㅇ that doesn’t make any sound
The word sounds like “an-nyeong-ha-sae-yo” when you read it correctly. if placed in front of a vowel? It exists for a special reason!

If you’ve gotten the associations with the characters and vowels down pat Syllables (or “boxes”) must always start with a consonant, and then have a
in the previous sections, you can start to read some Korean words on your vowel following it.
own.

Let’s try it out. Give each a try first, and then check your answers below. Use
the associations we made to help you out!
Let’s do a quick recap of the consonants and vowels:
How would you pronounce the words written below? Try reading them
aloud. We’ll write the pronunciations below using romanization so you can
Base consonants: ㅂㅈㄷㄱㅅㅁㄴㅇㄹㅎㅋㅌㅊㅍ
check afterward!
Base vowels: ㅗㅓㅜㅏㅛㅕㅠㅑㅡㅣ

1. 카 The ㅇ  is a consonant, so that means it can start a syllable! But remember
2. 너 that is silent when it does!
3. 바보 Let’s try reading some more difficult words and we can practice this rule. If
you get stuck, remember to ignore the placeholder if it exists before a vowel
For the first two, we would just read left to right.
and just read top to bottom and left to right as you normally do!
1. k for key + a as in iPad = ka. This is the Korean word meaning “car.”
Ready, let’s go for Round 2! Look at the words written below. How would
you pronounce the following?
2. n for northeast + eo as in iPod = neo. This means “you.”
4. 오늘
KOREAN VOWEL COMBINATIONS
5. 미국
6. 커피 If you followed the lesson above to learn Hangul, then you have learned the
majority of the Korean alphabet. You know the base consonants and
How did it go? Did you remember all of the Hangul letters from the vowels, which are the most important. 
associations we made before?
Base consonants: ㅂㅈㄷㄱㅅㅁㄴㅇㄹㅎㅋㅌㅊㅍ
Let’s check. Base vowels: ㅗㅓㅜㅏㅛㅕㅠㅑㅡㅣ

4. Did you remember to ignore the placeholder? Good. For the first
syllable, o as in old. Then n for northeast + eu as in
brook + l for ladder. Romanized is written as oneul, 오늘 means
“today.”

5. m for mail + i as in tree plus g for gun + u as in new + g for gun again.

This word is written in romanized English as miguk, and is the Korean In addition to these Hangul letters, there are also 6 additional vowel
word for “U.S.A.”. combinations. These are combinations of the base vowels you see above.
6. k for key + eo as in iPod plus p for pi + i as in tree = keopi, the Korean They are:
word for “coffee.”
 ㅘ
Congratulations! If you got these, then you are now able to read 6 For this Hangul vowel combination, the sound is “wa.” It is similar to the
vocabulary words in Korean (and many more!).  beginning of the word “waffle”. It is a combination of the two Korean
alphabet letters ㅗ and ㅏ. 

MASTERING KOREAN ALPHABET READING  ㅙ

This Korean vowel combination makes the sound that sounds like the
beginning of the word “wedding.” It is made by combining the two Korean
It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? You’re already more than halfway toward alphabet letters ㅗ and ㅐ. 
learning the Korean Alphabet! 
 ㅚ
We wanted to make things super easy for you to print out and study, so This Hangul vowel combination is pronounced the same as ㅙ, from above.
we’ve created a downloadable Korean Alphabet lesson for you to continue It sounds like “wedding”. You make it by putting together the Korean
the 90 Minute Challenge toward learning how to read in Korean. It also alphabet letters ㅗ and ㅣ. 
contains some written activities so you can practice what you’ve learned. 
 ㅟ
If you combine the two Korean alphabet letters ㅜ and ㅣ, then you get ㅟ.
Name of Romanized
This Hangul vowel combination sounds like the beginning of the word Consonant
Consonant Spelling
“week”. 
ㄴ  니은 nieun
 ㅝ
This combination of Hangul vowels makes a sound like the beginning of the
ㄷ  디귿 digeut
word “won”. It is created from the Korean alphabet letters ㅜ  and ㅓ. 
ㄸ  쌍디귿 ssangdigeut

ㄹ  리을 rieul
 ㅞ
When you combine the two Korean alphabet letters ㅜ + ㅔ, you get 웨. This
Hangul vowel combination has a sound that is the same as the beginning of ㅁ  미음 mieum
“wedding”.
ㅂ  비읍 bieup
The pronunciation of some of the Korean vowel combinations are exactly
the same. These vowel combinations can be tricky because they don’t follow ㅃ  쌍비읍 ssangbieup
as structured of patterns as the rest of the consonants and vowels.
ㅅ  시옷 siot

NAMES OF THE KOREAN LETTERS ㅆ  쌍시옷 ssangsiot

Each of the Korean Alphabet consonants and vowels has names. We’ll cover ㅇ  이응 ieung
them here so you can learn them. 
ㅈ  지읒 jieut
Each of the Korean Alphabet consonants and vowels has names. We’ll cover
them here so you can learn them.  ㅉ  쌍지읒 ssangjieut

ㅊ  치읓 chieut
Name of Romanized
Consonant
Consonant Spelling
ㅋ  키읔 kieuk
ㄱ  기역 giyeok
ㅌ  티읕 tieut
ㄲ  쌍기역 ssangiyeok
ㅍ  피읖 pieup
 Name of Romanized Vowel/Name of Vowel Romanized Spelling
Consonant
Consonant Spelling
 ㅙ wae
ㅎ  히읗 hieut
 ㅚ oe
We’ve provided the English romanizations of the letters, but they should
only be used as a guide. Your pronunciation will be much more accurate if  ㅛ yo
you learn the Hangul instead of relying on the romanized spelling.
 ㅜ u
The vowel names are the sounds they make. 
 ㅝ wo

Vowel/Name of Vowel Romanized Spelling

 ㅞ we

 ㅏ a
 ㅟ wi

 ㅐ ae
 ㅠ yu

 ㅑ ya
 ㅡ eu

 ㅒ yae
 ㅢ ui

 ㅓ eo
 ㅣ i

 ㅔ e The names of the Korean alphabet letters are really useful when you want to
spell out words, or if someone is explaining the spelling of a word.
 ㅕ yeo HOW TO WRITE IN KOREAN

 ㅖ ye Now that you know how to read Korean, let’s talk about how to write in
Korean. 
 ㅗ o
First, we’ll talk about how to write Korean letters  individually.
 ㅘ wa
Then once you have some practice with the Korean letters by themselves,
we’ll go more into learning to write Korean words and sentences.
 Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence
HOW TO WRITE KOREAN LETTERS
하루에 물 세 잔 마셔요.
Just like our ABCs, Hangul also has a letter order (stroke order). While you  물 (mul) water (harue mul se jan masyeoyo.)
can get by without it, taking the time to practice will help speed up your I drink 3 glasses of water a day
writing abilities. It’s also helpful to learn to write the Korean Alphabet letters
if you’re going to travel to or live in Korea.  내일 밥 같이 먹을래요?
 밥 (bap) rice (naeil bap gachi meogeullaeyo?)
Here is how to learn the stroke order for the ㄱ: Shall we eat together tomorrow?

시장에서 야채를 샀어요.

 야채 (yachae) vegetables (sijangeseo yachaereul sasseoyo.)
I bought vegetables at the market

Hangul Writing System

어떤 과일 좋아하세요?
 과일 (gwail) fruit (eotteon gwail joahaseyo?)
Hangul (Korean alphabet) is the official writing system used in both North What kind of fruit do you like?
Korean and South Korea. Hangul is called 조선글 (joseongeul) in North
Korea. 어제 저녁에 고기를 구워 먹었어요.
(eoje jeonyeoge gogireul guwo
 고기 (gogi) meat
They also both use Korean as the official language, but the variations are a meogeosseoyo.)
bit different. The northern version of the language tends to use more Last night I ate grilled meat
Chinese loan words, where the southern version has more English loan
words.  빵 먹을때 버터랑 잼이랑 같이 먹어요.
(ppang meogeulttae beoteorang
 빵 (ppang) bread
KOREAN FOOD WORDS jaemirang gachi meogeoyo.)
I eat bread with butter and jam
If you’re planning on learning the Korean language, then you’re definitely
going to want to know some basic Korean food vocabulary. With lots of 생선을 열 마리나 잡았어요!
tasty options and a huge variety, you’ll be happy you did!  생선 (saengseoneul yeol marina
fish
(saengseon) jabasseoyo!)
I caught 10 fish!

 커피 (keopi) coffee 여자친구와 유명한 카페에 갔습니다.

(yeojachinguwa yumyeonghan kapee
  To order a beer, you can say 맥주 한 병 주세요 (maekju han byeong
Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence
juseyo), which means “Please give me 1 bottle of beer” in English. This is
a really useful phrase when you meet with friends and want to order
gatseumnida.) some drinks.
I went to a famous cafe with my
girlfriend
KOREAN FAMILY & RELATIONSHIP WORDS
내 남자친구는 맥주 한 병도 못
마셔요.
 These are fantastic words to learn to help you understand everyday
(nae namjachinguneun maekju han
 맥주 (maekju) beer conversations. For sure you’ll need these if you’re going to meet and talk
byeongdo mot masyeoyo.)
to Koreans!
My boyfriend can't drink even one
 You’ll also hear them often in K-Dramas and K-Pop lyrics. Get to
bottle of beer
recognize them in your favorite Korean shows and movies–or just listen
for them in regular conversations.
나랑 친구는 소주를 좋아해요.  They’re sure to show up, and you’ll be one step closer to
(narang chinguneun sojureul understanding the language!
 소주 (soju) soju
joahaeyo)
I like drinking soju with my friend
Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence

오늘 친구하고 만나기로 했어요.

(oneul chinguhago mannagiro
 친구 (chingu) friend haesseoyo.)
I made plans to meet my friend
Here are a few notes related to these Korean food words: today
 If you want to order or ask for any of these items, add a 주세요
(juseyo) to any of these words. It is one of the most useful words in the 가족들과 함께 여행을 가요
language. It means “please give me”. (gajokdeulgwa hamkke
 가족 (gajok) family
 If you need to ask for water at a restaurant, you can say 물 좀 주세요 yeohaengeul gayo)
(mul jom juseyo). I go on a trip with my family
 The word 밥 (bap) means “rice”, so you can use it for that exact
meaning. It’s also used to reference food in general, as in a meal. 우리 아빠 친절하세요
 One of the most common phrases you’ll hear in Korea is “밥  아빠 (appa) dad (uri appa chinjeolhaseyo)
먹었어요?” (bap meogeosseoyo | did you eat?). In this case, the 밥 (bap) My dad is kind
means “food”, not specifically rice. This is a great phrase to use when
you meet your friends and want to ask about food plans.  엄마 (eomma) mom 어제 엄마랑 통화 했는데 아주
Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence
Here are a few useful notes about Korean family and relationship words:
 You might hear the Korean phrase 우리 남편 (uri nampyeon | our
기뻐하셨어. husband). While the direct English language translation is “our
(eoje eommarang tonghwa husband”, it actually means “my husband”.
haenneunde aju  The word 우리(uri | we, our) is used quite commonly to talk about
gippeohasyeosseo.) things that belong to the whole group, such as 우리 나라 (uri nara | our
I was happy because I talked to my country), 우리 집 (uri jip | our house), and 우리 아내 (uri anae | our wife).
mom yesterday  Another commonly used Korean vocabulary word for “wife” is 부인
(buin). You can use the two interchangeably.
아직도 남자친구가 없어요?  The word 친구 (chingu) means “friend”, but only same-age friend. If
 남자 친구
boyfriend (ajikdo namjachinguga eopseoyo?) someone you know is a different age, then you would want to use
(namja chingu)
Do you still not have a boyfriend? the correct title.
 This one is a piece of cake, 가족 (gajok) is family. This one will come
오늘 여자친구의 가족을 소개 up often, so best to make sure you know how to talk about your family in
받았어. Korean.
 여자 친구 (oneul yeojachinguui gajogeul  You can use 아빠 (appa) which is similar to the English word “dad”.
girlfriend
(yeoja chingu) sogae badasseo.) You can also use the slightly more respectful/formal 아버지 (abeoji),
I was introduced to my girlfriend's which is similar to saying “father”.
family today  You can use 엄마 (eomma) for “mom”, or 어머니 (eomeoni) for
“mother”.
내일이면 결혼 1 주년 입니다.
(naeirimyeon gyeolhon il junyeon
 결혼 (gyeolhon) marriage
imnida.) KOREAN BASIC CONVERSATION WORDS

This is the most common vocabulary you’re going to hear in everyday

내 첫사랑은 지금의 남편입니다. discussions and chats.
(nae cheotsarangeun jigeumui
 남편 (nampyeon) husband
nampyeonimnida.) Learn these key vocabulary, and you’ll start to get the gist of what’s you
My first love is now my husband hear in conversations, songs, movies, and dramas right away!

아내를 만나러 왔습니다.

(anaereul mannareo Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence
 아내 (anae) wife
watseumnida.)
I came out meet my wife 집에 도착했어요.
 집 (jip) house
(jibe dochakaesseoyo)
Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence

I arrived at my house. (ne, oneul jogeum pigonhaeyo.)

Yes, I'm a little tired today.
화장실 앞에서 20 분이나
기다렸어요. 아니요. 불만있습니다!
 화장실 (hwajangsil apeseo isipbunina  아니요 (aniyo) no (aniyo. bulmanitseumnida!)
bathroom
(hwajangsil) gidaryeosseoyo.) No. I have a complaint.
I waited in front of the bathroom for
Memorizing Korean words can be quite fun. If you want to know an easy
20 minutes.
way to remember 집 (jip), think of the vehicle brand Jeep. 집 (jip ) sounds
just like Jeep, so you can imagine that there is a Jeep parked in front of your
나는 더운 나라가 너무 좋아!
집 (jip)!
 나라 (nara) country (naneun deoun naraga neomu joa!)
I really like warm countries!

오늘 부터 새로운 직장에서
일합니다.
 직업 (jigeop) job (oneul buteo saeroun jikjangeseo
ilhamnida.)
Today I start at my new job.

어느 나라 사람이에요?
 사람 (saram) person (eoneu nara saramieyo?)
What country are you from?

그림을 왼쪽으로 옮겨주세요.

(geurimeul oenjjogeuro KOREAN TIME WORDS
 왼쪽 (oenjjok) left
olgyeojuseyo.)
Please move the picture to the left. Korea is an organized and fast-paced country, and we’re here to keep you
on schedule! Use these time words to talk about common events and when
오른 발을 다쳤어요. they happen.
 오른쪽
right (oreun bareul dachyeosseoyo.)
(oreunjjok)
I hurt my right foot. After learning the words below, you can up your time game by learning
the Korean numbers and start telling time in Korean. Having these two skills
 네 (ne) yes 네, 오늘 조금 피곤해요. are very useful for learning the language.
 Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence
Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence
학원에 갑니다.
저는 1 시간동안 운동했어요  가다 (gada) to go (hagwone gamnida.)
(jeoneun heonsigandongan I go to the academy
 시간 (sigan) time
undonghaesseoyo)
I exercised for 1 hour 언니가 집에서 호텔로 옵니다.
(eonniga hotello omnida.)
 오다 (oda) to come
지금 점심 시간이에요 My sister came to the hotel from
 지금 (jigeum) now (jigeum jeomsim siganieyo) home
It's lunchtime now
나 커다란 인형을 가지고 있어!
오늘 약속 있어요? (na keodaran inhyeongeul gajigo
 있다 (itda) to have
 오늘 (oneul) today (oneul yaksok isseoyo?) isseo!)
Do you have plans today? I have a large doll!

어제 파티 어땠어요? 아빠가 한국사람이다.

 어제 (eoje) yesterday (eoje pati eottaesseoyo?)  이다 (ida) to be (appaga hanguksaramida.)
How was the party yesterday? My dad is Korean

내일 여동생 생일이에요 고양이가 생선을 먹었다.

 내일 (naeil) tomorrow (naeil yeodongsaeng saengirieyo) (goyangiga saengseoneul
Tomorrow is my sister's birthday  먹다 (meokda) to eat
meogeotda.)
The cat ate a fish

달리기 후에 물을 마십니다.
KOREAN VERBS  마시다 to drink
(dalligi hue mureul masimnida.)
(masida)
I drink water after running
Did you know that you can make a sentence in Korean with just a single
verb? It’s one of the great things about the simplicity of the language!
Learn these verbs first and be having conversations in Korean in no time. 아빠가 생일선물을 주셨다.
(appaga saengilseonmureul
 주다 (juda) to give
jusyeotda.)
I bought my dad a birthday gift

 보다 (boda) to see 갈매기를 처음 봤어요!

Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence

(galmaegireul cheoeum today

bwasseoyo!)
This is the first time I've see a seagull! 남자친구와 손을 잡고 걸었어요.
(namjachinguwa soneul japgo
어젯밤에 늦게 잤습니다.  걷다 (geotda) to walk georeosseoyo.)
 자다 (jada) to sleep (eojetbame neutge jatseumnida.) I walked while holding my boyfriends
I went to sleep late last night hand

오늘 오전 7 시에 일어났어요. 제일 좋아하는 책을 읽었습니다.

 일어나다 to wake up
(oneul ojeon ilgopsie ireonasseoyo.) (jeil joahaneun chaegeul
(ireonada) or get up  읽다 (ikda) to read
I woke up today at 7am ilgeotseumnida.)
I read my favorite book
오이를 샀습니다.
 사다 (sada) to buy (oireul satseumnida.) 오늘 부터 운전을 배워요.
 배우다
I bought a cucumber to learn (oneul buteo unjeoneul baewoyo.)
(baeuda)
I learned to drive starting today
여기에 이름을 쓰세요.
to write or
 쓰다 (sseuda) (yeogie ireumeul sseuseyo.) 한국어 공부 같이 할래요?
to use  공부하다
Please write your name here to study (hangugeo gongbu gachi hallaeyo?)
(gongbuhada)
Shall we study Korean together?
그녀가 나를 보고 웃었어요.
(geunyeoga nareul bogo 부모님을 만났습니다.
 웃다 (utda) to laugh  만나다
useosseoyo.) to meet (bumonimeul mannatseumnida.)
(mannada)
She looked at me and laughed I met my parents
Once you know these verbs, you can continue to make progress in the
아파서 하루종일 울었습니다.
language with Korean grammar and Korean particles.
 울다 (ulda) to cry (apaseo harujongil ureotseumnida.)
I cried all day because I was hurt
KOREAN ADJECTIVES
 입다 (ipda) to wear 오늘 부터 여름옷을 입을거에요.
(oneul buteo yeoreumoseul
Here are the top adjective Korean words. You will surely hear these these as
ibeulgeoeyo.)
you learn the language, so it’s good to add them to your vocabulary stack
I'll start wearing summer clothes
and get some practice with them.
 Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence
Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence
 재미있다 to be interesting 이 책은 정말 재밌는것
 좋다 (jota) to be good 강아지 보다 고양이가 좋아요. (jaemiitda) 같아요.
(gangaji boda goyangiga (i chaegeun jeongmal
joayo.) jaeminneungeot gatayo.)
I like cats more than dogs This book seems really
interesting
 싫다 (silta) to be bad 파프리카를 싫어합니다.
(papeurikareul sileohamnida.)  재미없다 to be boring 집에만 있으면 따분해요!
I don't like bell peppers (jaemieopda) (jibeman isseumyeon
ttabunhaeyo!)
 덥다 (deopda) to be hot 이번 여름은 아주 더워요. I'm bored if I have to stay at
(ibeon yeoreumeun aju home!
deowoyo.)
This summer is really hot  어렵다 to be difficult 수학 문제가 가장 어렵습니다.
(eoryeopda) (suhak munjega gajang
 춥다 (chupda) to be cold 한국의 겨울은 추워요. eoryeopseumnida.)
(hangugui gyeoureun Math problems are the most
chuwoyo.) difficult for me
Korea is cold in the winter
 쉽다 (swipda) to be easy 자전거 타기가 쉬워요?
 슬프다 to be sad 다희야, 왜 슬퍼 보여? (jajeongeo tagiga swiwoyo?)
(seulpeuda) (dahuiya, wae seulpeo boyeo?) Is it easy to ride a bicycle?
DaHee, why do you look sad?
 깨끗하다 to be clean 공항이 깨끗해요.
 아프다 (apeuda) to be sick or in 언제 부터 배가 아팠어요? (kkaekkeuthada) (gonghangi kkaekkeuthaeyo.)
pain (eonje buteo baega The airport is clean
apasseoyo?)
When did your stomach start  더럽다 to be dirty 앞치마가 금방 더러워졌어요.
hurting? (deoreopda) (apchimaga geumbang
deoreowojyeosseoyo.)
 피곤하다 to be tired 오늘 따라 피곤합니다. The apron just got dirty
(pigonhada) (oneul ttara pigonhamnida.)
Today I am tired  빠르다 to be fast 우와! 정말 빨라요.
 This expression is used when the person you are talking to seems to be
Korean Word Meaning Example Sentence
lying. It came from 뻥을 치다 (ppeongeul chida) which means ‘tell a lie.’
지마 (jima) is from the polite expression 지 마세요 (ji maseyo) which
(ppareuda) (uwa! jeongmal ppallayo.) usually denotes “do not.”
Wow! That is really fast
5. 오해 하지마 (ohae hajima) – Don’t misunderstand
 느리다 (neurida) to be slow 시간이 천천히 지나가요. We usually hear this phrase in romantic comedies or romance dramas. A
(sigani cheoncheonhi person says this when he or she wants to hide his or her true feelings or
jinagayo.) intentions. But this phrase can generally be used when you don’t want
Time passes slowly others to misunderstand or misinterpret you.

The word 오 해 (ohae) means ‘misunderstanding.’ The word 하 지 마

(hajima) from the polite expression 하지 마세요 (haji maseyo) means ‘do
TOP KOREAN DRAMA WORDS & PHRASES not.’ If you want to sound polite then you may say 오해 하지 마세요
(ohae haji maseyo).
1. 장난해 (jangnanhae) – Are you kidding me?
This expression could be a statement or a sarcastic question. This is
often used among friends of the same age or to someone younger. This 6. 이렇게 (ireoke) – Like this?
means ‘are you kidding or ‘are you kidding me?’ 이렇게(ireoke) is a phrase that could be used to ask someone how to do
something or instruct someone to perform something in a certain way
In Korean dramas, you’ll never hear this being said to someone older or depending on the context. This phrase means literally ‘like this’ although
someone holding a higher position than the speaker unless the person the nuance can be ‘what should I do?’
means to be rude.
7. 아싸 (assa) – Oh yeah
2. 혹시 (hoksi) – By any chance This expression can be used in many different situations. It is used when
This word is used at the beginning of a statement or a question where a a person just got something he or she wants, won the jackpot, or when a
person is having doubts about a particular thing. The word 혹시 (hoksi) person feels lucky.
means ‘by any chance’ or ‘maybe.’
8. 그럼 그럼 (geureom geureom) – Sure, sure
3. 콜 (kol) – Call/Deal In dramas, we often hear this when the character is agreeing to another
This is an expression Koreans consider as Konglish. This means ‘call’ or character’s ideas and opinion. It means sure or of course. And
‘deal’ and is used when you are up for the challenge or when you are sometimes, it can also be used at the beginning of a sentence that
agreeing on something. indicates condition. It can be used to mean if so, and then.

4. 뻥치지마 (ppeongchijima) – Don’t lie 9. 잠깐만 (jamkkanman) – Wait for awhile

 This phrase is usually used when you want another person to wait for So, when you hear a strange sound and you want to know what it is you
you. It literally means ‘for awhile’ or ‘wait for a while.’ You can add 요 may ask 무슨 소리야 이게 (museun soriya ige).
(yo) to it to be polite then that would be 잠깐만요 (jamkkanmanyo).
14. 어떻게 (eotteoke) – how?
Another variation of this expression is 잠시만요 (jamsimanyo). This is a common expression you hear in Korean dramas which is
expressed when a person doesn’t know how to do something.
10. 글쎄요 (geulsseyo) – Well, I don’t know Sometimes, it is also used to express empathy to another person.
This is an expression we commonly hear in dramas when a character is
being asked for an opinion, idea or an answer and he or she doesn’t
know what answer to give or they want to have some time to think. This
expression can mean ‘I don’t know,’ ‘well,’ or ‘let me see.’ 15. 하지마 (hajima) – Don’t do that
This phrases consists of the verb 하 다 (hada | to do) + 지 마 (jima |
command to not do something). 하 다 (hada) + 지 마 (jima) = 하 지 마
(hajima). It is a shortened version of 하지 마세요 (haji maseyo).
11. 어쩔 건데 (ojjeol geonde) – What are you going to do
어쩔 건데 (ojjeol geonde) means ‘what are you going to do?’ Again, this This phrase is heard in dramas a lot, along with 가지마 (gajima | don’t go).
may only be used towards a person really close to you or someone of It is often said in a pleading tone by whichever character is getting
your age and to a person younger than you. It would sound rude and dumped in that particular episode.
impolite when used to a stranger and to an older person.
16. 하지말라고 (hajimallago) – I said ‘don’t do that’
12. 뭘 봐요 (mwol bwayo) – What are you looking at If the other person doesn’t respond to the speaker’s ‘ 하 지 마 ’ (hajima),
This question is usually used when a person is looking at you in a strange then he or she will keep teasing the speaker. Then the next line out of the
way. speaker’s mouth is often ‘하지말라고’ (hajimallago).

In dramas, you would usually hear this question among characters who The 라고 (rago) ending is one of the many ways to use reported (indirect)
have the same age or is addressed to someone younger. More often speech in Korean (along with 다고 (dago), 자고 (jago), and 냐고 (nyago).
than not using 뭘 봐요 (mwol bwayo), although it has 요 (yo), it could be Using these endings is a little bit tricky and requires some study, so just
disrespectful when used in the wrong tone. This means what ‘are you learn this phrase for now.
looking at’ or ‘why are you looking at me.’
17. 거짓말이야 (geojinmariya) – It’s a lie
13. 무슨 소리야 이게 (museun soriya ige) – What is this sound Often part of the drama plot will involve somebody lying, and eventually
This question can be heard in dramas when the characters hear some being found out. The word 거짓말 (geojinmal) means lie. 이야 (iya) is the
strange sound or they hear a sudden noise. 무 슨 (museun) is another standard informal ending for nouns.
form of 뭐 (mwo) and 무엇 (mueot) that means ‘what.’ The word 소리
(sori) means ‘sound’ and 이게 (ige) means ‘this.’ 18. 거짓말 하지마 (geojinmal hajima) – Don’t lie
 Combining the word ‘lie’ with the phrase ‘don’t do’ results in 거 짓 말 23. 안돼 (andwae) – It can’t be (it isn’t allowed)
하지마 (geojinmal hajima). This expression is also very common in dramas. When used in normal Korean, 안 돼 ( 요 ) (an dwae(yo)) means that
something is not allowed.
19. 죽을래? (jugeullae) – Do you want to die?
Often this is said when somebody is really annoying the speaker. The For example, you could say 수 영 하 면 안 돼 요 (suyeonghamyeon an
ending - 을 래 ( 요 ) (eullae(yo)) means ‘to want’ and is often used as a dwaeyo) ‘Swimming is not allowed’. However, in dramas, it is often said
question ‘do you want?’ by the female character (speaking to herself while crying) just after
being dumped. She is literally saying ‘he is not allowed to leave me’ as
In this phrase, it is added to the end of the verb 죽 다 (jukda | to die). she can’t believe that she got dumped.
However, you can also use this ending in other situations such as 뭐
먹을래요? (mwo meogeullaeyo | ‘What do you want to eat?’). 24. 사과해 / 사과하세요 (sagwahae / sagwahaseyo) – Apologize!
In dramas, people are constantly asking each other to apologize for
20. 나 먼저 갈게 (na meonjeo galge) – I will leave first trifling things. The other person then refuses to apologize for those
Often in dramas, somebody will have to meet at a café with somebody things, leading to the two people ending the episode apart.
they dislike. Usually, this person is an evil mom trying to bribe her in an
attempt to stop her from seeing her son. The verb ‘to apologize’ is 사 과 하 다 (sagwahada). The ending - 세 요
(seyo) in this context shows that you are asking somebody to do
If one person is leaving first, then in informal situations he or she will something. The fact that the word is a homonym for the Korean word
sometimes say 나 먼저 가 (na meonjeo ga) or 나 먼저 갈게 (na meonjeo for ‘apple’ hasn’t been lost on the cheesy Korean scriptwriters who use
galge), both of which mean ‘I will leave first’. this terrible pun on a regular basis (for example, in 꽃 보 다 남 자
(kkotbodanamja)).
21. 그래? / 진짜? / 정말? (geurae / jinjja / jeongmal) – Really?
When somebody finds out some exciting gossip, then he or she will 25. 너 미쳤어? (neo michyeosseo) – Are you crazy?
almost certainly say one of these three words. From the verb 미치다 (michida | to be crazy), this phrase is used on a
regular basis in dramas, As this is one of the more rude Korean drama
All of these words mean ‘really?’ in English. They are all used with about phrases that you will hear, be careful in real life as people will find you
the same regularity as the next so learn them all and use them to sound very rude if you say this phrase to them.
more natural. You might also hear them with a 요 (yo) at the end, such
as 그래요 (geuraeyo), 진짜요 (jinjjayo), and 정말요 (jeongmallyo). 26. 미친놈 (michinnom) – Crazy guy
Often said under someone’s breath, this word is made up of 미 친
22. 세상에! (sesange) – What in the world!? (michin | crazy) and 놈 (nom) which means ‘person’. However, it has
This phrase is used to show disbelief. It is often used by the character negative connotations. It can be used with other adjectives such as ‘
playing the evil old man who is surprised that he hasn’t been shown the 나쁜놈’ (nappeunnom) too.
proper respect by the main character (despite his repeated attempts to
ruin said character’s life). 27. 오빠 (oppa) – Older brother
 Watching dramas is a really great way to get the hang of the Korean
pronouns and their proper usage. Instead of the word ‘you’, Koreans use a 28. 사줘 (sajwo) – Buy this for me
variety of different words based on people’s position in society. The most Often used by the whiny rich girl who is a love rival of the main female
common are: character. 줘 (jwo) comes from the verb 주 다 (juda | to give), and is
the informal way of saying 주세요 (juseyo). If you use this expression, be
sure to use your most whiny voice possible.
한 국 어
Romanization English Meaning
(Korean)
29. 어서 (eoseo) – Hurry!
오빠 oppa a slightly older male who you are close
to (used by females)
MODERN KOREAN SLANG
형 hyeong a slightly older male who you are close
to (used by males) Here’s the list of Korean words and phrases to do it! Pepper these
throughout your conversations and bond with your 친구 (chingu).
누나 nuna a slightly older female who you are close
to (used by males) 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”
언니 eonni a slightly older female who you are close
친 (chin) is short for 친구 (chingu), meaning friend.
to (used by females)
Put them all together, and you get man-person-friend, or a male friend.
 
이모 imo a middle aged women (lit. – aunt) who
Guys, you can use the same term for a girl who is your friend but isn’t
you are slightly close to (for example
your girlfriend. Change the 남 (nam) to 여 (yeo) which stands for 여자
the shopkeeper in a shop that you
(yeoja), and you’ve got 여사친 (yeosachin)!
frequently visit)
2. 남친 (namchin) | 여친 (yeochin) = Boyfriend | girlfriend
아줌마 ajumma a middle aged women (not as close to Like lots of Korean slang terms (and indeed Korean words in general),
you as an 이모) these words come from taking the first parts of two other words.
 
아저씨 ajeossi a middle aged man Can you guess which words they are made up of? 남친 (namchin) comes
from 남자 친구 (namja chingu) and 여친 (yeochin) comes from 여자
선배 seonbae a school friend from a year that is above 친 구 (yeoja chingu). That should save you some typing time on
you KakaoTalk when you ask somebody if they have a boyfriend or girlfriend.

후배 hubae a school friend from a year that is below

you
3. 꿀잼 (kkuljaem) –  Something that is fun, funny, or interesting 품절남 (pumjeollam) and 품절녀 (pumjeollyeo) literally mean ‘sold-out
꿀 (kkul) means ‘honey’. man’ and ‘sold-out woman’, they refer to somebody (a celebrity or
잼 (jaem) is short for 재 미 있 어 요 (jaemiisseoyo), which means popular friend) who has just got married and is therefore off the market
‘interesting. for dating.
  These Korean slang terms can be used with the verb 되다 (doeda) which
If you put them together, you get ‘꿀잼’ (kkuljaem), which you can use means ‘to become’. For example, 품 절 녀 가 됐 어 요 (pumjeollyeoga
to describe something that is fun or interesting. dwaesseoyo) means ‘she got married’.
 
4. 노잼 (nojaem) – Something that is not fun, funny, or uninteresting  To say ‘she got married’ you can also use the word 시 집 갔 어 요
The evil twin of 꿀잼 (kkuljaem) is 노잼 (nojaem). (sijipgasseoyo) which is a real word (not Korean slang) literally meaning
노 (no) means “no” or “not” ‘she went to the in-laws house’. For guys, you can use 장 가 갔 어 요
잼 (jaem) is the first part of 재 미 있 어 요 (jaemiisseoyo),  meaning (janggagasseoyo) instead.
interesting.  
  8. 모쏠 (mossol) – Someone who has never had a boyfriend or girlfriend
So if you see something that you don’t think is fun or funny, you can say 모 쏠 (mossol) is the shortened version of the word 모 태 솔 로  (motae
“노잼 (nojaem)!”  sollo). The first word 모태 (motae) means “mother’s womb. The second
  word 솔 로 (sollo) sounds like “solo”, which means a person who has
5. 솔까말 (solkkamal) – To speak openly and honestly never been in a relationship.
솔 (sol) stands for 솔직히 (soljiki) with means “honestly”. Put them together, and you’ve got “someone who has been alone since
The 까 (kka) and 말 (mal) parts come from 까놓 고 말하다 (kkanoko birth”.
malhada), meaning “speak your mind”. *gasp* Use this one with caution!
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, If you happen to be 모쏠 (mossol) and want to fight fire with fire, you
use the Korean slang 솔까말 (solkkamal). can use 솔로천국 커플지옥 (sollocheonguk keopeuljiok). It’s aimed at
  couples, and means “Solo Heaven Couple Hell.” 
 6. 더럽게 (deoreopge) – Badly  
This Korean slang word literally means ‘dirtily’ (from 더 럽 다 | 9. 극혐 (geukyeom) – Extreme disgust
deoreopda), but is often used to mean ‘badly’, for example 더 럽 게 Short for 극한의 혐오 (geukanui hyeomo), this phrase . 극한 (geukan)
못 생 기 다 (deoreopge motsaenggida) would mean ‘really ugly’ and ‘ means “limit or extreme” and 혐오 (hyeomo) means “hatred, disgust or
더럽게 느리다’ (deoreopge neurida) would mean ‘really slow’ (referring revulsion” so put them together and you’ve got a shortened phrase that
to a slow computer perhaps). means just that — extreme disgust!
   
 7. 품절남 | 품절녀 되다 (pumjeollam | pumjeollyeo doeda) – Man or woman Use this with your Korean friends any time you want to point out that
who just got married something is very disgusting or revolting, like when you venture into the
품절 (pumjeol) is another expression for sold out (매진 | maejin), coming weird parts of YouTube!
from the hanja for product ( 품 | pum) and gone ( 절 | jeol). The words  
10. 밀당 (mildang) – Push and pull Not good at tennis and want to let your partner know before the match
This is a combination of the verbs 밀다 (mildang | to push) and 당기다 starts? Let them know you’re 쪼 렙 (jjorep) and you’ll be sure to get a
(danggida | to pull). However, in this case the words do not literally mean laugh. 
pushing and pulling as in a tug of war or a door.  
  14. 심쿵 (simkung) – Heartthrob (huge crush)
This Korean slang word refers to the flaky actions people take in 심쿵 (simkung) is like a type of emotional heart attack you feel when you
romantic relationships, “playing games” with each other where one see or think about your crush or someone you find extremely attractive!
minute they’re hot and the next they’re cold. You can also use this as a Remember it by knowing that 심장 (simjang) means “heart” and 쿵쿵
verb in the form 밀당하다 (mildanghada). (kungkung) is the “thud” or “booming” sound your heartbeat makes! 
   
11. 맛점 (matjeom) – Delicious lunch  15. 댓츠노노 (daetcheunono) – That’s no no
Short for 맛 있 는  점 심 (masinneun jeomsim), this Korean slang word 댓 츠 노 노 (daetcheunono | that’s no no) is a Konglish phrase that
simply describes a “delicious lunch.” Want to describe a delicious dinner originated on a popular TV program, and is sure to get laughs from your
and sound cool doing so? Just use 맛저 (matjeo), short for 맛있는 저녁 Korean friends! You can use it anytime you disagree with someone or
(masinneun jeonyeok)! Shortening things really is easy, isn’t it? something, or want to say “no.”
   
 12. 만렙 (mallep) – Level 10,000  16. 까도남 (kkadonam) – An abrasive city-man
Another shortened phrase, 만렙 (mallep) is a combination of 만 (man | Short for 까칠한 (kkachilhan | abrasive) 도시 (dosi | city) 남자 (namja |
10, 000) and 레벨 (rebel | level). Have you ever played an RPG or strategy man), this word is used to describe a certain type of guy who is usually
game like World of Warcraft where your character increases in level after arrogant, rich and full of himself.
making certain achievements?  
   17. 대박 (daebak) – Awesome
This phrase refers to someone who is a master of something, and their You may well have heard this one a million times before, but it is still
level is so good it is like they have achieved the maximum level in a popular and widely used. 대박 (daebak) is an exclamation that’s meaning
game! But don’t worry, you can use this phrase for anything — someone has changed from 대 박 나 다 (daebangnada | to be very successful) to
who is good at lifting weights, building things, or studying (not only now mean “awesome” or “wow” or to describe anything that is
games)! shocking or amazing! 
   
13. 쪼렙 (jjorep) – Beginner level  
This Korean slang word is just the opposite of the previous! There are the 18. 엄 친 아 | 엄 친 딸 (eomchina | eomchinttal) – Someone who is good at
masters, and then there are the beginners, or the “newbs.” This word is everything
a slightly altered version of 쪼 그 만 한 레 벨 (jjogeumanhan rebel), Short for 엄마친구의 아들 (eommachinguui adeul | my mom’s friend’s
meaning a small or low level. son) or  엄 마 친 구 의 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 sound a gun or bomb makes. So when you put them together, you get
children about how “so and so’s” son or daughter did so well on his/her the picture of someone who is laughing explosively!
tests, got into a great school or just got a new job at a big company.  
  23. 언플 (eonpeul) – Media play
19. 행쇼 (haengsyo) – Let’s be happy This is a shortened version of 언론플레이 (eonnonpeullei), which means
Short for 행복하십시오 (haengbokasipsio), this Korean slang phrase just “media play.” However, this is not all fun and games! In this case, 플레이
means “let’s be happy!” You can use it to suggest to your Korean friends (peullei | play) is not referring to playing or fun, but rather to
to cheer up and be happy while at the same time sounding cool. “manipulation.” It is used to express the act of using the media to create
  a beneficial image for a corporation or celebrity, etc.
Start using this one today, and you’ll be sure to make someone’s day.  
  24. 멘붕 (menbung) – Mental breakdown
20. 갑 | 갑이다 (gap | gabida) – The boss Ever have a mental breakdown? You can express this idea with “ 멘붕”,
This Korean slang word was popularized by a comedy program, and 갑 which is a combo of 멘 탈 (mental | mental) + 붕 괴 (bunggoe |
(gap) has come to mean “the boss” or the person with the power deconstruction or collapse).
dynamic in a group.  
갑 (gap)refers to a person who has a relative advantage or power in a In Korean, this is more often used to express yourself when your mental
particular phase. It can also simply means when something is ‘the best’, status is on the fritz! It’s used in various situations where this is the case.
‘above the others’. For example, you could say it when at the last minute you realize you
You’ll often see this word in legal contracts, such as if you get a work have to work on the weekend and you have a huge date that you can’t
contract. The words 갑 (gap) and 을 (eul) mean A and B, or the former cancel!
and latter. 갑 (gap) is usually the one holding the power.   25. 헐 (heol) – OMG
  This exclamation is usually used after something shocking or surprising is
What a great word. Make sure to use it like a 갑 (gap)!  said or seen. It’s really similar to “OMG” in English! You’ll notice this
  piece of Korean slang used a lot in texting. 
21. 현웃 (hyeonut) – LOL  
From 현실에서 웃음 (hyeonsireseo useum), this word means “laughter 26. 뭥미 (mwongmi) – What the heck | What is it?
(웃음 | useum) in real life (현실에서 | hyeonsireseo).” This is equivalent This is a purposeful typo of 뭐임 (mwoim), which means “what is this?”
to “laugh out loud” in English, and could be used, for example, while or “what the heck“. When you are typing fast, you can easily input
watching a video or reading a text message. It is used instead of just characters in the wrong order, and this internet slang rose out of this
ㅋㅋㅋ to show you literally laughed out loud. common misspelling! However, it still retains the same meaning! When
  you see something you are unsure of, you can say “ 이 게 뭥 미 (ige
22. 빵터지다 (ppangteojida) – To laugh really loudly (like a bomb) mwongmi)?”
Very similar to 현웃 (hyeonut), 빵터지다 (ppangteojida) is a slang verb  
that means “to laugh really loud” with the emphasis being on the LOUD 27. 레알 (real) – Real | Really
part! 터 지 다 (teojida) usually means “to burst” and 빵 (ppang) is the 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 진 짜 (jinjja | really) and sound cool in the  
process! 34. 꿀팁 (kkultip) – A great tip
  Just like in the phrase 꿀잼 (kkuljaem), this phrase uses the word ‘honey’
28. 돌직구 (doljikgu) – To say or do directly (꿀 | kkul) to mean “really good.” This time it’s a 팁 (tip | tip) that’s being
This word literally translates to “rock fastball” and that’s exactly what considered and this is not just any old tip!
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 In English, we may say “gold” or “golden” to denote something very
manner or behaves very forward, you can use the word 돌직구 (doljikgu) valuable but in Korean, it’s “honey.” Use this when you give a great tip
to describe it and in doing so, compare the action to throwing a fastball to someone or someone gives you advice or tips that are valuable!
with a stone!  
  35. 그린라이트 (geurillaiteu) – Green light (crush)
30. 짤 (jjal) – Photo We’re not talking about traffic here, this “green light” is all about
This is a new internet slang word that simply means “photo” and you can relationships! When someone is giving you the green light or showing
use it in place of 사진 (sajin |picture or photo). interest in you and giving you the go-ahead, you can use the word
  그린라이트 (geurillaiteu) to describe them!
 31. 움짤 (umjjal) – Animated photo | GIF  
You know those animated GIFs floating around the internet? In Korean, 36. 불금 (bulgeum) – TGIF
you can talk about them using the word 움짤 (umjjal)! Fire (불 | bul) Friday (금요일 | geumyoil)! Much like we’d say “TGIF” on
  Friday as the week is winding down, Koreans say 불금 (bulgeum) as they
32. 리즈 (rijeu) – Your prime get amped up for the weekend festivities! If you want to up your Korean
From the expression 리 즈 시 절 (rijeu sijeol), this refers to the best slang game, then you can also use 불 토 (bulto) as well for 불 (bul) +
looking time of your life when you are young and beautiful and in your 토요일 (toyoil). 
prime! Shorten it down and just use the word 리즈 (rijeu) to describe this  
magical time that you never want to leave.  37. 웃프다 (utpeuda) – Funny but sad
  When something is funny (웃기다 | utgida) and sad (슬프다 | seulpeuda)
33. 덕후 (deoku) – A person with an obsessive interest in something at the same time, you can use this combination Korean slang word to
This Korean slang comes from the Japanese word “otaku” that means a describe that situation! Say you’re watching funny YouTube videos and
person who is “crazy about something.” In Japanese, this usually refers you see a clip of a cute puppy falling down or wiping out (without
to a person who is obsessed with Japanese anime or anime characters. getting hurt of course!), you could use 웃프다 (utpeuda) to describe it!
   
However, it is now used in Korean to describe a person who has an 38. 개이득 (gaeideuk) – Big, unexpected benefit or profit
obsessive interest in almost anything – celebrities, studying, movies, When you get something you didn’t expect that benefits you, you can
characters — you name it! It has a slightly negative connotation so be say “개이득 (gaeideuk).” The word 개 (gae) is used a lot in slang words
careful how you use it! in Korean, and it literally means “dog.”
 However, in Korean slang, it is used as an intensifier like “crazily” or  44. 병맛 (byeongmat) – Something so ridiculous that it gives you a funny
other *hmm* more negative words in English. Use this with Korean taste in your mouth
friends, but with caution. This slang word literally means 병신 (byeongsin | idiot) 맛 (mat | taste).
  You can say this when something looks stupid (but funny). From pop
The 이득 (ideuk) part means “benefit or profit.” culture, some examples may be Napoleon Dynamite or Jackass, or
  anything that gives you that funny taste in your mouth because it’s so
 39. 반사 (bansa) – Back at you silly or stupid!
This is a funny Korean slang term used to deflect someone’s insults or  
jokes towards you. Just say this word and it reflects their insult back to  45. 칼군무 (kalgunmu) – Dancing perfectly in sync
them like a mirror! It is a slightly childish and cheesy term.  K-pop and Korean pop culture have really taken off around the world in
  recent years, and this Korean slang term is used to describe the dancing
40. 고퀄 (gokwol) – High quality aspect of performances. When an idol group or a group of dancers is
Short for 고 (go | high) 퀄 리 티   (kwolliti | quality), you can use 고 퀄 dancing like a knife (perfectly in sync) and they nail their performance,
(gokwol) to describe something that is of high quality! See some earrings you may hear commentators use the Korean slang term 칼 군 무
at the store you like and notice they’re really well made? Boom! Perfect (kalgunmu | knife group dance).
time for a “고퀄 (gokwol).”   
  46. 역대급 (yeokdaegeup) – Legendary level | The best ever
41. 클래스 (keullaeseu) – World class This word means  “unprecedented” or “legendary level” and refers to
This slang word has now become more and more used and is simply the someone or something that is the best ever. Use it to really emphasize
Korean pronunciation of the English word “class.” Here, we’re not how awesome something is!
talking about school or social ranking, but it’s used to mean “world   
class” or “high level.” 47. 지린다 (jirinda) – To wet your pants
  From the verb 지 리 다 (jirinda) meaning “to wet your pants”, this
42. 평타 (pyeongta) – Do something at an average level expression is used when something is just so cool that you wet your
From 평타치다 (pyeongtachida), it means to do something average (at pants or feel like you could! 
least). For example, you can use this slang phrase to say you are not   
amazing at something, but you did average or as much as reasonably can 48. 쩐다 (jjeonda) – Very cool
be expected! This comes from the old verb 절 다 (jeolda), which means “to be be
  salted.” It became 쩔다 (jjeolda) or 쩐다 (jjeonda) and in its slang form
43. 음란 마귀 (eumnan magwi) – A person with a dirty mind could take on the meaning “so salty and good” as if to say “very very
Everyone has that friend. They’re the person who always sees the cool.”
innuendo in a situation or has a dirty mind. For them, you can use the   
slang phrase “음란 마귀 (eumnan magwi)” meaning “lewd devil.” 49. 포스 있다 (poseu itda) – To have “the Force”
  When a person has a very strong character or aura, you may hear this
term being tossed around. Ever see Star Wars? This slang phrase literally
means to have “the Force.”
   a baby face that is cute an innocent, but an attractive, overly sexy or
50. 썸 (sseom) – “Something” between two people glamorous body. 
A noun used to describe that special “something” between two people   
who are not in a relationship but have feelings for one another. There is 55. 셀카 (selka) – Selfie
“something” (썸 | sseom)  between them. This slang word is short for 셀프 (selpeu | self) 카메라 (kamera | camera),
The slang expression 썸타다 (sseomtada) or 썸을 타다 (sseomeul tada) and means a “selfie” or to take a picture of yourself! Selfie sticks are all
is used when two people know each other before dating, and start to the rage nowadays and are called 셀카봉 (selkabong) in Korean. 
get along.   
  56. 썰 (sseol) – Story
Use 썸 남 (sseomnam | about men), and 썸 녀 (sseomnyeo | about From the word 설 (seol) meaning “theory,” this Korean slang word has
women) to describe someone you have feelings towards but not come to mean “story.” You can also use it as a verb in the form 썰 을
formally dating. 풀다 (sseoreul pulda | to tell a story). 
    
51. 사랑꾼 (sarangkkun) – A person full of love 57. 셀럽 (selleop) – Celebrity
A person who expresses or shows their love a lot is a 사 랑 꾼 This word is Konglish for the word “celebrity.” In Korean, they call
(sarangkkun). This is a person who is just filled up to the brink with love celebrities or stars “연예인 (yeonyein)” but use this slang word to sound
(the romantic kind or not)! cool and trendy as you refer to your favorite star!
   
This word is also used as a sarcastic word for people who are constantly  58. 선수 (seonsu) – Player
involved in dating rumors and scandals. You may think: “Wait a minute, I have learned this vocabulary word
  before in my regular Korean studies!” and you would certainly be right.
52. 베프 (bepeu) – Best friend This word means “player” as in an athlete. However, when used in the
Do you have a 베 프 (bepeu) to hang out with? This slang term is slang form and referring to relationships, this refers the other meaning
shortened from the Konglish phrase 베 스 트 프 렌 드 (beseuteu of “player” as in someone who dates around.
peurendeu | best friend). You can also say 절 친 (jeolchin), shortened   
from 절친한 친구 (jeolchinhan chingu | literally ‘great friend’). 59. 득템 (deuktem) – An item you get for free or at a great bargain
  Short for 이득 아이템 (ideuk aitem), this slang word means something
53. 케미 (kemi) – Chemistry you get for free or at a real bargain! For example, if you head out
This slang word is a shortened form of the word “chemistry” in English – shopping and find a really great sweater at half off, that’s a 득 템
but we’re not talking about science here! This is for when there is (deuktem)! Also when you play video games (which are all the rage in
“chemistry” between two people. In Korean, you can cut it down to a South Korea) and get a free item, there’s another. YOINK!
simple “케미 (kemi).”   
  60. 된 장 남 | 된 장 녀 (doenjangnam | doenjangnyeo) – An appearance-
54. 베이글녀 (beigeullyeo) – A baby-faced but glamorous girl obsessed guy (or girl) who lives beyond their means
This word is a funny combination of the words baby face ( 베이 | bei) + 된 장 (doenjang) is fermented bean paste that is often used in
glamor (글 | geul). 녀 (nyeo) just refers to a female. This is a girl who has the cooking of Korean foods, including 된장찌개 (doenjangjjigae | bean
 paste stew) which is known to be very filling but cheap! The terms  and need a 버카충 (beokachung), you can just look for the big machines
된장남 (doenjangnam) and 된장녀 (doenjangnyeo) refer to a guy (남 | in the subway stations!
nam) or girl (여 | yeo) who values expensive or superficial things despite  
being unable to afford them. 66. 페북 (pebuk) – Facebook
  This word is short for 페 이 스 북  (peiseubuk), which is the way Koreans
For example, a girl who dates an older, richer man to get free gifts, trips say “Facebook” in English. It’s simply been shortened down, so if you
or plastic surgery or a man who lives in the most expensive area of the want to sound cool and in the know, call it 페북 (pebuk) next time you’re
city despite having a less-than-average paying job could be called a  chatting with your Korean friends!
된 장 녀 (doenjangnyeo) or 된 장 남 (doenjangnam), respectively. These  
terms have negative connotations so use them sparingly! You say 페북 탐라 (pebuk tamna) for the 페북 (pebuk) timeline. 탐라
  (tamna)  is the shortened version of 타임라인 (taimnain).  Make sure to
61. 브금 (beugeum) – Background music give 좋아요 (joayo, or “like”) when you see your favorite friends post on
This word is short for “background music” and refers to any sort of jingle your 탐라 (tamna)!
you might listen to in the background. You might hear it while studying,  67. 프사 (peusa) – Profile picture
working or chilling out in the cafe with Korean friends!  Speaking of Facebook, everyone needs a profile picture for their favorite
  social media page! You can talk about that by using this Korean slang
62. 강추 (gangchu) – Strongly recommend word, which is short for 프로필 사진 (peuropil sajin | profile picture).
This word is a combination of 강 하 다 (ganghada) meaning “to be  
strong” and 추천하다 (chucheonhada) meaning “to recommend”. 68. 훈남 (hunnam) – A handsome and well-mannered guy
   This comes from the descriptive verb 훈 훈 하 다 (hunhunhada), which
63. 깜놀 (kkamnol) – Surprise! means “warm or heartwarming” plus 남 자 (namja | man). Commonly,
Short for 깜짝 놀라다 (kkamjjak nollada) or 놀랐어요 (nollasseoyo), this handsome guys are referred to as 미 남 (minam), so the term 훈 남
term is used when you are shocked or startled. The verb 놀 라 다 (hunnam) is used to describe a guy who is both attractive physically and
(nollada) means exactly that – to be surprised, shocked or startled and kind and warms you up just by looking at him. Want to describe a girl in a
the phrase 깜 짝 놀 라 다 (kkamjjak nollada) means to be suddenly similar way? Use the term 훈녀 (hunnyeo).
surprised!   
   69. 뇌섹남 (noesengnam) – A smart, attractive guy
64. 버카충 (beokachung) – Bus card charge This is another Korean slang term used to describe a certain type of guy!
Guess what, it’s another shortened Korean slang phrase! This one is While the previous referred to a handsome and kind guy, this one will
short for 버 스  카 드  충 전 (beoseu kadeu chungjeon | bus card charge) emphasize the intelligence aspect! Let’s break it down:
and has abbreviated because of it’s common usage. Most people use the 뇌 (noe) means “brain”
bus or subway daily. 섹시하다 (seksihada) means “to be sexy”
  남자 (namja) means “man”
In South Korea, transportation cards for the bus and subway system  
need to be regularly charged with money, and next time you’re in town Put it all together, and you’ve got a got who is very smart and sexy. It’s
good to be a nerd sometimes!
  75. 비번 (bibeon)  – Password
70. 아점 (ajeom) – Brunch Short for 비 밀 번 호 (bimilbeonho), meaning “password,” this word is
This is a combination of the words for breakfast (아침 | achim) and lunch used by the younger generation quite commonly in place of the full term.
(점심 | jeomsim). Like in English when we combine those two words, put  
them together and you’ve got a word that means “brunch.” 76. 안물 (anmul) – I didn’t ask
  This is short for 안 물 어 봤 어 (anmureobwasseo), meaning “I didn’t ask
And if you eat a bit late in the day, you can use the word 점저 (jeomjeo), you.” It can be slightly rude and should only be used with those that are
which is a combination of 점심 (jeomsim) and 저녁 (jeonyeok). really close to you when you know they won’t be offended.
   
71. 안습 (anseup) – Watery eyeballs (from an embarrassing situation) For example, maybe your friend is bragging about how good-looking
This is an abbreviation of 안 구 에  습 기 차 다 (angue seupgichada), they are or how many likes they got on their picture, and you use this
meaning “dampening of the eyeballs.” It’s a direct term used to describe phrase to say “I didn’t ask you” in a sort of funny way to tell them not to
when someone tears up from embarrassment or humiliation! be arrogant.
   
 72. 금사빠 (geumsappa) – A person who falls in love easily 77. 궁 (angung) –  I’m not curious
From 금방 사랑에 빠지는 사람 (geumbang sarange ppajineun saram), Very similar to the previous, this is short for 안궁금해 (angunggeumhae),
this term is used to describe a person who easily falls in love. meaning “I am not curious.” You could use it in very similar
금방 (geumbang) means “a short time” or “soon” circumstances to say “I am not curious.” 
사랑에 빠지다 (sarange ppajida) means “to fall in love”  
사람 (saram) means “person.” 78. 노답 (nodap) – No answer
  Like in some of the other Korean slang terms,  노 (no) here is the same
Do you know anyone like this? as “no” or “not” in English.
  답 (dap) means “answer.”
73. 넘사벽 (neomsabyeok) – Something that cannot be overcome  
Short for the phrase 넘을수 없는 사(4)차원의 벽 (neomeulsu eomneun So this phrase means “no answer” and can be used in any situation
sa(4)chawonui byeok), this term literally means “unclimbable wall.” It is where there is no solution. By using it, you are inferring there is “no
used to refer to something that cannot be overcome or that is a big answer” to the problem or situation like a troublemaker for whom who
obstacle. there is no hope for.
   
74. 지못미 (jimonmi) – Sorry I couldn’t protect you 79. 맥날 (maengnal) – McDonald’s
From 지켜주지 못해 미안해 (jikyeojuji mothae mianhae), meaning “sorry This is just a shortened phrase for 맥 도 날 드 (maekdonaldeu), which is
I couldn’t protect you,” this term is used most commonly when someone the Korean way to say “McDonald’s.” Next time you see the golden
(usually a celebrity) turns out bad in a picture. Type this phrase as a arches sign, you can refer to it as 맥날 (maengnal) to your friends!
hashtag in Instagram and you’ll find some examples!
80. 얼빠 (eolppa) – Someone who is drawn to good-looking people
From 얼 굴 에  빠 지 다 (eolgure ppajida), this term is used to describe a Although what each particular stage of the night consists of will depend
person who easily feels drawn to someone handsome or pretty. on the particular people who are out that night. There may even be a 4
  차 (sacha) or 5 차 (ocha) involving more food or beer and noodles
81. 근자감 (geunjagam) –  Unfounded self-esteem outside a convenience store.
This term comes from the expression 근 거 없 는  자 신 감  (geungeo  
eomneun jasingam) which literally means “self-esteem/confidence When it is time to move to the next stage you might hear your Korean
without grounds.” It is when someone has a huge ego or confidence friends or coworkers say something like 2 차 갑시다 ( icha gapsida) or 2
about something but they really shouldn’t! 차 가자 (icha gaja | let’s go to stage 2). If you are on a company dinner
  then these gaps between stages offer a good opportunity to make your
82. 드립치다 (deuripchida) – To make a joke excuses and go home / to a different bar away from your boss.
From “ad lib” (애드립 | aedeurip), this verb means “to make a joke” or  
“to make an absurd comment.” 85. 짱 (jjang)! – Great or amazing
This sound effect means ‘great’ or ‘amazing’. You can just say it on its
own, without putting it into a sentence. It is also sometimes used in
EVERGREEN KOREAN SLANG order to make other slang words. A common one of these is 얼짱
  (eoljjang), which means great or amazing face [the 얼 (eol) comes from
Here are the cool Korean slang expressions and words that have stood the the word 얼굴 (eolgul)]. You can also say 몸짱 (momjjang) to describe
test of time and are still in use today.  somebody with an amazing body.
   
83. 내가 쏠게 (naega ssolge) – I’ll pay | treat  
From the verb 쏘다 (ssoda), which means ‘to shoot (a gun | arrow etc.)’, 86. 얼짱 (eoljjang) – A good-looking person
the Korean slang expression 내가 쏠게 (naega ssolge) means ‘I’ll pay’. When someone is really good-looking, you can use 얼짱 (eoljjang) to
You can say this at the end of a date if you want to impress your describe them! It’s a combination of 얼굴 (eolgul | face) and 짱 (jjang |
companion and take care of the check. another slang word meaning “great” or “the best”).
   
You could also use it at a bar with your Korean friends. If you are a 87. 몸짱 (momjjang) – A hot body
구두쇠 (gudusoe | miser: literally ‘iron shoes’) then you might not want This Korean slang term can be used to describe someone with a great
to learn this expression. body, like a guy who is quite fit and muscular or a girl who has a great
  figure! It is a combination of the word for “body” (몸 | mom) and 짱 |
84. 일차, 이차, 삼차 (ilcha, icha, samcha) – Stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 jjang which means “great” or “the best.”
A typical night out with Korean friends, or a company dinner ( 회 식 |   
hoesik), can be separated into stages called 차 (cha). The first stage, 88. 간지 난다 (ganji nanda): Great, stylish, awesome
일차 (ilcha), involves a meal with some drinks to go with it. The second This Korean slang expression comes from the Japanese for 느낌
stage, 이차 (icha), often means going to a bar to continue drinking. The (neukkim | feelings) and so literally means ‘feeling is coming out’.
third stage, 삼차 (samcha), might involve going to a noraebang.
 The phrase 간지 난다 (ganji nanda) means great, stylish, awesome, or  
멋있다 (meositda). This phrase can be used to describe fashion, food, 91. 뻥치지마 (ppeongchijima)! – Don’t lie
appearance, architecture, or even a skillful football move. It is quite a This Korean slang expression means ‘don’t tell a lie’.
new slang word, and can be used in most situations as a replacement for 뻥 (ppeong) means “lie”.
the rather cheesy word 대박 (daebak). 뻥 을 치 다 (ppeongeul chida) is the expression you use to express the
  idea of “telling a lie”.
The opposite of this is 간지 안나 (ganji anna) which can be used jokingly The suffix ‘지마 (jima)’ is the informal version of ‘-지 마세요 (ji maseyo)’
to say something is awful. If you want to say somebody (such as a which means ‘don’t’.
celebrity) is stylish, you can say 간지남 (ganjinam | for guys) or 간지녀 You should only use this expression with Korean friends who you are
(ganjinyeo | for ladies). close with, especially if the lie they are telling isn’t particularly serious. An
  example of this would be friend claiming that they can drink ten bottles
89. 폭탄 (poktan) – Bomb or bomb cocktail of soju when you know that they can’t handle their alcohol. 뻥 치지마
The Korean slang word 폭탄 (poktan) literally means ‘bomb’. It is used to (ppeongchijima)!
describe something that is terrible, such as a piece of work that you have  
really messed up. It can also be used to describe a really really ugly In situations where you’re not with close friends, you should use
person. 거짓말하지 마세요 (geojinmalhaji maseyo) instead.
   
Another way to use 폭탄 (poktan) is by adding a 주 (ju) at the end to 92. 바람둥이 (baramdungi) – Player 
make 폭탄주 (poktanju). This is basically a cocktail of whatever random A 바 람 둥 이 (baramdungi) is a playboy who isn’t looking for a serious
alcohol your friend managed to find and mix together. It is often a mix of relationship, and may even be seeing multiple people at the same time.
beer, soju, whisky, maybe some vodka, and some other things. Watch He will be gone as quickly as the wind (바람 | baram).
out: It’s called 폭탄주 (poktanju) because it is dangerous like a bomb! Girls will often tell their boyfriends not to be a 바람둥이 (baramdungi),
  although the word can be used to describe playgirls too.
90. 왕따 (wangtta) – Outcast  
You don’t want to be the 왕따 (wangtta)! A similar use of the word 바 람 (baram) is the phrase 바 람 맞 았 어 요
This Korean slang word describes a person who has no friends and is (baram majasseoyo) which means ‘to be stood up’. A 바 람 둥 이
bullied by everybody at school. They have to sit on their own because (baramdungi) isn’t fully in a relationship yet. If somebody is in a
nobody wants to sit near them or be associated with them in any way at relationship but they are cheating on their partner then you can use the
all. The bullying is often justified by saying ‘We did it because he/she is word 양다리 (yangdari | meaning both-legs) which is the Korean slang
왕따 (wangtta)’, as if being 왕따 (wangtta) means that you are denied for ‘two-timing’.
human rights.  
  93. 꽝 | 꽝이다 (kkwang | kkwangida) – Wrong | you lose
Almost every high-school drama in Korea will involve a 왕따 (wangtta) at This word comes from the sound 꽝 (kkwang) which is like a banging or
some point in the storyline so listen out for the word. Unfortunately, bashing kind of sound. It basically means ‘wrong’ or ‘you lose’.
despite teachers’ efforts to stop bullying, the phenomenon of 왕 따 Game shows in Korea often have some kind of ladder game (사다리 게임
(wangtta) exists in the real world too. | sadari geim) to determine what prize the contestants win (it is
 sometimes also played by friends or coworkers to determine who pays The pastries are made using a press so they always look the same and
for lunch). If you get 꽝 (kkwang) it means you don’t win any prize. are also the same on both sides, which is where this expression comes
  from.
The 꽝 (kkwang) sound is often accompanied by the tune from the  
drama ‘secret garden’ to further mock the losing contestant. 97. 방콕 (bangkok) – Stay in your room
This Korean slang expression means ‘to stay in your room’, and is used
 94. 놈 (nom) – Man or person when somebody is so tired or worn out that they plan to stay in their
In the Korean movie “ 좋 은 놈 , 나 쁜 놈 , 이 상 한 놈 (joeunnom, room all weekend or all vacation. If somebody uses this word to describe
nappeunnom, isanghannom)”, the ‘nom’ ( 놈 | nom) in this title means their vacation, don’t get confused and think that they are going to
‘man’ or ‘person’. It is used as a suffix such as 미친놈 (michinnom | crazy Thailand.
person), or like the three examples in the movie title.  
   98. 알바 (alba) – A part-time job
It usually has negative connotations, and you should only use it with This is a shortened phrase and comes from 아 르 바 이 트 (areubaiteu),
really close friends who have a good sense of humor. In fact, in general which means “part-time job” in Korean. The word originally comes from
you should remember that the Korean language is very hierarchical and the German word “arbeit”, meaning “work or labor.”
you can only really use Korean slang with close friends. Whatever you do, Bonus round: You can add 생 at the end of 알바 (alba) to make 알바생
don’t use it to introduce yourself to your partner’s parents for the first (albasaeng). This refers to someone who is studying at school and also
time, unless you like getting dumped! working part time. The 생 (saeng) comes from the word 학 생
  (haksaeng), which means “student”. 
95. 공주병 (gongjubyeong) – Princess disease  
This literally means ‘princess disease’ (the male equivalent is ‘prince You often see 알바생 (albasaeng) at 편의점 (pyeonuijeom | convenience
disease’ or 왕자병 (wangjabyeong). This is when somebody is acting like stores), 피 씨방 (pissibang | Internet cafe), and 카페 (kape | cafe) etc.
a spoiled little princess and constantly seeking attention and wanting Look out for those 알 바 생 (albasaeng) the next time you’re nearby a
their partner to buy them things. 대학교 (daehakgyo | university)!
   
As this word comes from hanja (Korean based on Chinese Characters), it 99. 소맥 (somaek) – Soju + beer
has a similar sounding equivalent in Cantonese. This amusing Two of the most popular alcoholic drinks in Korea are (you guessed it) –
video explaining the Cantonese equivalent explains the concept of soju and beer! What do you get when you mix the two in your glass? Why
공주병 (gongjubyeong) quite well. 소맥 (somaek) of course (소주 + 맥주 = 소맥 | soju + maekju = somaek).
  Cheers!
96. 붕어빵 (bungeoppang) – Two people that look or act the same  
This can be used to suggest that two people look or act the same. It 100. 눈팅 (nunting) – Looking only, no chatting
comes from the name of the bean paste filled pastries that resemble fish You can use this word to describe chatting with your eyes and not
that you can buy from roadside stalls in winter. speaking, or reading posts or forum threads and not leaving a comment
  or a trace of you being there!
 눈 팅 (nunting) is the combination of words ‘eye’ + ‘(chatting)ting’,
originally started in online chatting room, to call people who just listen to
other people’s conversations but not saying anything. so 눈 팅 하 다
(nuntinghada) literally means to chat with eyes.

Now, the bigger meaning is that they only look and do not do things like
posting or leaving a comment. These people are called 눈 팅 족
(nuntingjok), with 족 (jok) meaning ‘tribe’. Although the meaning is
slightly different, 유 령회 원 (yuryeonghoewon | ghost member) is also
used for those who clearly exist but is invisible in online community.
 
Next time you catch someone 눈팅 (nunting), encourage them to get in
the conversation!
 
101. 당근 (danggeun) – Of course
This word, which literally means “carrot,” is used to mean “of course”
because it sounds similar to the word for “ 당 연 하 지
(dangyeonhaji)?” You can say “당근이지 (danggeuniji)?”