Korean slang (신조어, 은어) evolves constantly, especially among young people. These expressions reflect contemporary culture, internet trends, and generational speech patterns.
Popular Exclamations
대박 (Daebak)
Meaning: Awesome! Wow! Jackpot!
Usage:
- 대박! 진짜? (Wow! Really?)
- 이거 대박이다 (This is awesome)
- 대박 사건 (Major incident)
헐 (Heol)
Meaning: OMG! What?! (Surprise/shock)
Usage:
- 헐, 진짜야? (OMG, really?)
- 헐 미쳤어 (OMG that's crazy)
쩐다 / 쩐다 (Jjinda)
Meaning: Amazing! Awesome! (Impressed)
Usage:
- 쩐다! (Awesome!)
- 진짜 쩐다 (Really amazing)
짱 (Jjang)
Meaning: The best! Number one!
Usage:
- 너 짱이야! (You're the best!)
- 짱 맛있어 (Super delicious)
- 짱 좋아 (The best/Really good)
Describing Things
개 (Gae) - Intensifier
Meaning: Very, extremely (literally "dog")
Usage:
- 개좋아 (Really good)
- 개웃겨 (Hilarious)
- 개예쁘다 (Really pretty)
- 개힘들다 (Super hard/difficult)
Note: Can be considered crude, use with close friends only
존 (Jon) - Intensifier
Meaning: Really, very (from "존나" - extremely vulgar form)
Usage:
- 존맛 (Really delicious - from 존나 맛있어)
- 존잘 (Really handsome - from 존나 잘생겼어)
- 존예 (Really pretty - from 존나 예쁘다)
Note: Less vulgar than full form but still casual
꿀 (Honey)
Meaning: Sweet, easy, great (literally "honey")
Usage:
- 꿀잼 (Very fun - honey + jam)
- 꿀팁 (Great tip)
- 꿀잠 (Great sleep)
- 꿀 같은 (Sweet like honey)
핵 (Nuclear)
Meaning: Super, extremely (literally "nuclear")
Usage:
- 핵노잼 (Super boring)
- 핵이득 (Huge profit/benefit)
- 핵꿀 (Super sweet/great)
Fun/Boring
잼 (Jam)
Meaning: Fun (from 재미있어 - interesting/fun)
Usage:
- 꿀잼 (Very fun - honey + jam)
- 핵잼 (Super fun)
- 잼있어 (Fun/Interesting)
노잼 (No Jam)
Meaning: No fun, boring
Usage:
- 노잼이야 (This is boring)
- 핵노잼 (Super boring)
TMI (Too Much Information)
Meaning: Unnecessary information (Konglish)
Usage:
- TMI지만 (TMI but...)
- 그건 TMI야 (That's TMI)
Agreement/Disagreement
인정 (Injung)
Meaning: I agree, Acknowledge, Facts
Usage:
- 인정! (I agree!)
- 인정합니다 (Acknowledge it)
- 인정할 수밖에 (Can't help but agree)
ㅇㅈ (Abbreviation of 인정)
Meaning: Agree
Usage: Mostly in text/online
레알 (Real)
Meaning: Really, for real (from English "real")
Usage:
- 레알? (Really?)
- 레알 대박 (Really awesome)
실화? (Silhwa)
Meaning: Is this real? For real?
Usage:
- 실화야? (Is this real?)
- 실화냐 (For real?)
Describing People
얼짱 (Face-jjang)
Meaning: Someone with a great face, very attractive
Usage:
- 얼짱이야 (Has a great face)
몸짱 (Body-jjang)
Meaning: Someone with a great body
Usage:
- 몸짱이 되고 싶어 (Want to get a great body)
맘짱 (Mind-jjang)
Meaning: Good-hearted person
Usage:
- 얼굴도 예쁜데 맘짱이야 (Pretty and good-hearted too)
허세 (Heosae)
Meaning: Showing off, pretentious
Usage:
- 허세 부리지 마 (Don't show off)
- 허세쟁이 (Show-off person)
Internet/Gen Z Slang
극혐 (Geukyeom)
Meaning: Extremely hate (from 극도로 혐오)
Usage:
- 이거 극혐이야 (I extremely hate this)
갓 (God)
Meaning: God-tier, legendary (from English "god")
Usage:
- 갓성비 (God-tier cost-effectiveness)
- 갓벽 (God-tier perfection - from 완벽)
- 갓 (prefix for excellence)
억텐 (Eokten)
Meaning: Forced/fake (from 억지 + tension)
Usage:
- 억텐 떨지 마 (Don't be fake)
- 억텐 웃음 (Forced laughter)
센스 (Sense)
Meaning: Social skills, tact, sense (Konglish)
Usage:
- 센스 있다 (Have good sense/tact)
- 센스 없어 (No sense/tactless)
- 센스쟁이 (Person with good sense)
Modern Dating Slang
썸 (Some)
Meaning: Ambiguous romantic relationship (from English "something")
Usage:
- 썸 타다 (To be in a "some" relationship)
- 썸남/썸녀 (Guy/girl you have a "some" with)
솔로 (Solo)
Meaning: Single (from English "solo")
Usage:
- 솔로야 (I'm single)
- 솔로 탈출 (Escape from being single)
금사빠 (Geumsappa)
Meaning: Fall in love quickly (from 금방 사랑에 빠지는 사람)
Usage:
- 나 금사빠야 (I fall in love quickly)
앰비 (Ambi)
Meaning: Having ambiguous feelings (from "ambiguous")
Usage:
- 걸냥 앰비해 (Just keeping it ambiguous)
Food Slang
존맛 (Jonmat)
Meaning: Really delicious (from 존나 맛있어)
Usage:
- 존맛탱 (Super delicious)
- 이거 존맛! (This is really delicious!)
혼밥 (Honbap)
Meaning: Eating alone (from 혼자 밥 먹다)
Usage:
- 혼밥했어 (I ate alone)
혼술 (Honsul)
Meaning: Drinking alone (from 혼자 술 마시다)
Usage:
- 오늘 혼술할래 (Want to drink alone today)
Work/Study Slang
야근 (Yageun)
Meaning: Working late, overtime (from 야간 근무)
Usage:
- 오늘 야근이야 (I have to work late today)
칼퇴 (Kaltoe)
Meaning: Leave work exactly on time (from 칼 같이 퇴근)
Usage:
- 오늘은 칼퇴! (Leaving exactly on time today!)
꿀잠 (Kkuljam)
Meaning: Good sleep, sweet sleep (from 꿀 + 잠)
Usage:
- 오늘 꿀잠 잤어 (Had a good sleep today)
Abbreviations
ㅇㅋ (OK)
Meaning: Okay (from 오케이)
Usage: In text messages
ㄱㅅ (Thanks)
Meaning: Thanks (from 감사)
Usage: In text messages
ㅈㅅ (Sorry)
Meaning: Sorry (from 죄송)
Usage: In text messages
ㅋㅋㅋ (Laugh)
Meaning: LOL, haha (from 크크크 laughter sound)
Usage: The more ㅋ, the funnier
ㅎㅎㅎ (Laugh)
Meaning: Hehe, lighter laugh (from 하하하)
Usage: Softer laughter than ㅋㅋㅋ
Emotional Expressions
멘붕 (Meonbung)
Meaning: Mental breakdown (from 멘탈 붕괴)
Usage:
- 멘붕 왔어 (I'm having a mental breakdown)
빡치다 (Ppakchida)
Meaning: To be pissed off, angry
Usage:
- 진짜 빡쳐 (I'm really pissed off)
열받다 (Yeolbatda)
Meaning: To get heated, angry
Usage:
- 너무 열받아 (I'm so angry)
설레다 (Seolleda)
Meaning: Heart fluttering, excited (in romantic context)
Usage:
- 설레! (My heart is fluttering!)
Trendy Expressions
인싸 (Inssa)
Meaning: Insider, popular person (from "insider")
Usage:
- 인싸들 (Popular people)
- 인싸 되고 싶어 (Want to be popular)
아싸 (Assa)
Meaning: Outsider, loner (from "outsider")
Usage:
- 나 아싸야 (I'm a loner)
JMT (Abbreviation)
Meaning: Jonna Masissda Tangnibal (존나 맛있다 탕니발) - Really delicious
Usage: In reviews, social media
킹받다 (Kingbatda)
Meaning: Extremely annoyed (킹 + 열받다)
Usage:
- 킹받네 (So annoying)
Reaction Words
어쩔티비 (Eojjeoltibi)
Meaning: "What TV" - What can you do about it? So what?
Usage: Sarcastic response
저쩔티비 (Jeojjeoltibi)
Meaning: Counter to 어쩔티비
Usage: Sarcastic counter-response
찐 (Jjin)
Meaning: Real, genuine (from 찐짜 - a twist on 진짜)
Usage:
- 찐친 (Real friend)
- 찐이야 (It's genuine)
Older Slang Still Used
짜증 (Jjajeung)
Meaning: Annoying, irritating
Usage:
- 짜증나 (It's annoying)
- 짜증나네 (How annoying)
쫌 (Jjom)
Meaning: A bit, a little (from 조금)
Usage:
- 쫌만 (Just a little bit)
- 쫌 해봐 (Try a bit)
뻥 (Ppeong)
Meaning: Lie, bluff
Usage:
- 뻥이야 (It's a lie)
- 뻥 치지 마 (Don't lie)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: Using slang in formal situations
Inappropriate context
✅ Correct: Use slang only among friends
Appropriate context
❌ Incorrect: 개 with respected people
Too crude
✅ Correct: 정말 / 진짜 (really)
Politer alternatives
❌ Incorrect: Using outdated slang
Seems out of touch
✅ Correct: Learn current trends
Stay updated
Summary Table
| Slang | Meaning | Formality | Usage Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 대박 | Awesome | Casual | Universal casual |
| 헐 | OMG | Casual | Friends |
| 개 | Very | Very Casual | Close friends only |
| 존 | Really | Casual | Young people |
| 꿀 | Sweet/Great | Casual | Universal |
| 잼/노잼 | Fun/Boring | Casual | Universal |
| 인정 | Agree | Casual | Universal |
| 썸 | Ambiguous romance | Casual | Dating context |
| 존맛 | Delicious | Casual | Food context |
| 인싸/아싸 | Insider/Outsider | Casual | Social context |