A Guide to Korean Slang and Abbreviations: Expressions Common in Conversation, Social Media and Dramas, and How to Use Them Properly
Not in textbooks, but everywhere in real conversation, social media and dramas: Korean slang and abbreviations. We cover common abbreviations, slang for emotions, consonant-only chat shorthand, fandom terms, how new words are formed and what to watch out for when using them.
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Many learners have the experience of studying Korean hard, then looking at a Korean friend's messages, social media comments or variety show captions and not understanding a thing. "ㅇㅈ", "갑분싸", "별다줄", "TMI"… words you've never seen in a textbook come pouring out. These are Korean slang and abbreviations.
Korean is a language where slang and abbreviations appear and disappear very quickly. In this guide we focus on slang and abbreviations that have been used relatively long and widely, and explain how they're formed and what to watch out for when using them. Trendy words change fast, so understanding the principles matters more than memorising each one.
Why is there so much slang?
There are several reasons slang thrives in Korea. Fast internet and widespread smartphones made online communities and messengers part of daily life, and the urge to communicate quickly and briefly produced abbreviations. Hangul's structure of combining consonants and vowels also makes it easy to shorten words or express them with consonants alone. Variety show captions, dramas and K-pop fandoms are important channels spreading new words too.
How new words are formed
| Principle | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| First syllables | Taking the first syllable of several words | 갑분싸 = 갑자기 분위기 싸해짐 ("the mood suddenly turned cold") |
| Blending two words | Combining parts of two words | 혼밥 = 혼자 (alone) + 밥 (meal) |
| Consonants only | Using only initial consonants in chat | ㄱㅅ = 감사 (thanks), ㅇㅇ = 응응 (yeah) |
| Intensifying prefixes | Adding an intensifier in front | 꿀잼, 핵인싸, 개좋아 |
| Mixing loanwords | Combining English and Korean | 인싸 (insider), 아싸 (outsider) |
| Imitating sounds | Writing sounds as letters | ㅋㅋ (laughter), ㅠㅠ (crying eyes) |
Knowing these principles lets you guess the meaning of unfamiliar abbreviations from context.
Common everyday abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Full form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 혼밥 / 혼술 | 혼자 밥 / 혼자 술 | Eating alone / drinking alone |
| 갑분싸 | 갑자기 분위기 싸해짐 | The atmosphere suddenly becomes awkward and cold |
| 별다줄 | 별걸 다 줄인다 | "You'd abbreviate anything" — teasing excessive abbreviation |
| 소확행 | 소소하지만 확실한 행복 | Small but certain happiness in everyday life |
| 얼죽아 | 얼어 죽어도 아이스 아메리카노 | "Iced Americano even if I freeze to death" — someone who drinks iced coffee even in winter |
| 생파 | 생일 파티 | Birthday party |
| 열공 | 열심히 공부 | Studying hard |
| 강추 | 강력 추천 | Strongly recommended |
| 비추 | 비추천 | Not recommended |
| 맛집 | 맛있는 집 | A restaurant with delicious food |
| 멘붕 | 멘탈 붕괴 | Mental breakdown — being badly flustered or confused |
| TMI | Too Much Information | Unnecessary details nobody needed to know |
Many, such as 맛집, 혼밥 and 멘붕, have become everyday words used even in news and advertising.
Expressions for feelings and opinions
About fun
- 꿀잼 (kkuljaem): "honey-sweet fun" — really fun.
- 노잼 (nojaem): "no + fun" — boring.
- 핵잼 (haekjaem): "nuclear (super-strong) + fun" — incredibly fun.
About people's personalities
- 인싸 (inssa): from "insider" — someone sociable and on top of trends.
- 아싸 (assa): from "outsider" — someone who doesn't fit in with the crowd or prefers being alone; also used light-heartedly about oneself.
- 핵인싸 (haeginssa): the ultimate insider, hugely popular.
- 금사빠 (geumsappa): short for "someone who falls in love quickly".
Exclamations and agreement
- 대박 (daebak): surprise or amazement, for good news or shocking news.
- 헐 (heol): an exclamation of shock or disbelief.
- ㅇㅈ (인정, injeong): "agreed", "so true".
- 찐 (jjin): a strong pronunciation of 진짜 ("real") — genuine, true. E.g. 찐친 (a true close friend), 찐팬 (a real fan).
- 킹받네 (kingbanne): a playful twist on 열받네 ("I'm getting angry").
Consonant shorthand in chat
Korean chat often uses only initial consonants. It looks like code at first, but knowing a few lets you understand most chats.
| Shorthand | Full form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ㅋㅋ / ㅋㅋㅋ | 크크 | Laughter — the more ㅋ, the bigger the laugh |
| ㅎㅎ | 흐흐, 히히 | A soft laugh or smile |
| ㅠㅠ / ㅜㅜ | (crying eyes) | Sadness, being moved, disappointment |
| ㅇㅇ | 응응 | "Yeah", "got it" |
| ㄴㄴ | 노노 | "No" |
| ㄱㅅ | 감사 | Thanks |
| ㅈㅅ | 죄송 | Sorry |
| ㅊㅋ | 축하 | Congrats |
| ㄱㄱ | 고고 (go go) | Let's go, let's start |
| ㅂㅂ | 바이바이 | Bye-bye |
| ㅇㅋ | 오케이 | OK |
| ㅁㅊ | 미친 | "Crazy" — surprise (a rough expression, so be careful) |
Note that sending a single ㅋ can seem half-hearted or sarcastic; to come across as friendly, it's natural to use two or more, as in ㅋㅋ or ㅎㅎ.
K-pop fandom terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 최애 / 차애 | Your favourite member / second favourite |
| 입덕 / 탈덕 | Becoming a fan / quitting being a fan |
| 덕질 | Fan activities for something you love |
| 성덕 | "Successful fan" — a fan who achieved their dream, such as meeting their star |
| 본방사수 | Making sure to watch a broadcast live |
| 떼창 | The whole audience singing together at a concert |
| 짤 | A short image or GIF shared online |
Expressions often heard in dramas and variety shows
- 썸 (sseom): the ambiguous stage of mutual attraction before dating — "썸 탄다" (we have a "some" thing going).
- 밀당 (mildang): "push and pull" — the tug-of-war of winning someone's heart.
- 꼰대 (kkondae): a mocking term for an authoritarian elder or boss who imposes their ways.
- 사이다 / 고구마 (saida / goguma): a satisfyingly refreshing turn of events / a frustrating, stifling one.
- 먹방 (meokbang): "eating broadcast" — shows of people eating, known abroad as "mukbang".
- 국룰 (gungnul): "national rule" — a rule or custom everyone takes for granted.
Cautions when using slang
Choose your situation and audience
Slang and abbreviations are mainly used in casual conversation between friends and on social media. Avoid them with elders, people you've just met, formal conversation at work, emails and exam answers. Older people in particular may not know them or may find them rude.
Watch out for rough language
Prefixes such as 개- and expressions such as ㅁㅊ originally come from swear words. Between close friends they're sometimes used lightly as intensifiers, but depending on the situation they can sound very rude. It's safest not to use them until you understand the nuance precisely.
Avoid derogatory terms
Some internet slang demeans particular groups, genders or regions. Don't use slang you don't understand; check its meaning and background first.
Trends change fast
Slang is often short-lived. Words that were once trendy may now feel dated. It's better to start with expressions that have been used long enough to become everyday words than with the very latest buzzwords.
How to study slang
- Watch variety show captions: Korean variety shows use lots of slang in on-screen captions, showing how it's really used.
- Read social media and comments: posts and video comments on topics you're interested in show natural usage.
- Look up unknown words straight away: check meanings and example sentences in online dictionaries or by searching.
- Ask Korean friends: checking with native speakers whether a word is still used and in what situations is the most reliable approach.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need to know slang?
Not for exams or formal situations, but knowing common expressions helps enormously with understanding dramas, variety shows and social media and chatting naturally with Korean friends.
Does it seem strange when foreigners use slang?
Used naturally in the right situation, it often comes across as friendly. Overusing it or using it in the wrong context can feel awkward, though.
What's the difference between ㅋㅋ and ㅎㅎ?
ㅋㅋ feels like laughing out loud, while ㅎㅎ is closer to a gentle smile. ㅎㅎ gives a slightly calmer, more polite impression.
Final thoughts
Slang and abbreviations are living language that shows how Koreans think and communicate right now, carrying Korean society's trends, worries and humour. Words such as 혼밥 and 소확행 reveal changing lifestyles, and 얼죽아 reveals Koreans' love of coffee.
While building a solid foundation in textbook Korean, start with understanding slang. Then try using it, one word at a time, with close friends. The day you reply "ㅇㅈ? ㅇㅈ!", your Korean will have come a step closer.
