12 min read
Here are 50 Korean slang words with meaning, from texting codes like ㅋㅋ to the everyday 대박. Almost all of them are banmal (반말, casual speech), so they work well with friends and can go badly with a boss, a teacher or anyone clearly older. Below you’ll find what each one means, how Koreans type it on KakaoTalk (Korea’s main messaging app) and the few that come across as rude.
Key takeaways
- ㅋㅋ means “lol” and is built from the consonant ㅋ. A single ㅋ reads as dry or sarcastic. Type three or more to sound amused.
- Consonant shortcuts like ㅇㅋ (OK), ㄱㅅ (thanks) and ㅈㅅ (sorry) are for friends only. With a boss, write 네 (yes) or 감사합니다 (thank you) in full.
- 대박 (daebak) can mean “awesome”, “huge” or “no way”, and it’s the safest slang word to use with people your own age.
- Words that start with 개- or 존- are vulgar intensifiers. Use them with close friends and never at work.
What do ㅋㅋ, ㅇㅋ and other Korean texting shortcuts mean?
Korean texting relies on choseong (초성), the first consonant of each syllable. Hangul stacks letters into syllable blocks, so the word 오케이 (okei, “OK”) is three blocks starting with ㅇ, ㅋ and ㅇ. Drop the vowels and keep the first sounds, and you get ㅇㅋ. You can type it in two taps, and any Korean reader decodes it instantly.
The 16 shortcuts below show up in nearly every group chat. The last column matters more than the meaning, because who you send them to decides whether they come across as friendly or lazy.
| Shortcut | Short for | Meaning | Who you can send it to |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅋㅋ | 크크 (keukeu, a laughing sound) | lol, haha | Friends and most peers. More ㅋ means funnier |
| ㅎㅎ | 하하 / 히히 (haha / hihi) | hehe, a soft smile | Almost anyone. The politest laugh |
| ㅇㅇ | 응응 (eungeung) | yeah, yep | Close friends only. Can feel curt |
| ㄴㄴ | 노노 (no no) | nope | Close friends only |
| ㅇㅋ | 오케이 (okei) | OK | Friends. Looks lazy to a boss |
| ㄱㄱ | 고고 (gogo) | let’s go | Friends, gaming chats |
| ㄱㅅ | 감사 (gamsa) | thanks | Friends. Write 감사합니다 for anyone formal |
| ㅈㅅ | 죄송 (joesong) | sorry | Light slips with friends. Never for a real apology |
| ㅊㅋ | 축하 (chukha) | congrats | Friends, usually doubled as ㅊㅋㅊㅋ |
| ㅂㅂ | 바이바이 (baibai) | bye bye | Friends |
| ㅠㅠ / ㅜㅜ | Two crying eyes | sad, touched, “pretty please” | Almost anyone you’re on warm terms with |
| ㄷㄷ | 덜덜 (deoldeol, trembling) | yikes, whoa | Friends, online forums, gaming |
| ㅎㅇ | 하이 (hai) | hi | Friends |
| ㅇㅈ | 인정 (injeong, “I acknowledge”) | agreed, so true | Friends |
| ㄹㅇ | 리얼 (rieol, “real”) | for real, seriously | Friends |
| ㅅㄱ | 수고 (sugo, “effort”) | good work, see you | Friends and teammates in games. Say 수고하셨습니다 to anyone formal |
Which Korean texting shortcuts are safe with anyone?
Only two of these are close to universal: ㅎㅎ and ㅠㅠ. You’ll see them in messages from shop staff, teachers and parents, usually tacked onto the end of a full polite sentence to warm it up. ㅋㅋ works with peers and coworkers your own age in a relaxed chat. Everything else on the list is banmal territory, so keep it for people who already talk to you casually.
Why one ㅋ sounds cold: how many ㅋ should you type?
Koreans read the number of letters as a measure of tone. Typing ㅋㅋ means something close to “lol”, and the length of the string tells the reader how hard you’re laughing.
- ㅋ (one): reads as flat, bored or sarcastic, especially as a full reply. Many people take a lone ㅋ as a brush-off.
- ㅋㅋ (two): a light, polite chuckle. It’s often added just to soften a message.
- ㅋㅋㅋ to ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ: genuinely funny.
- A long ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ string: you’re crying laughing.
ㅋㅋ or ㅎㅎ: which laugh should you use?
Go with ㅎㅎ when you want to look friendly without making noise. It’s closer to a smile than a laugh, which is why older Koreans and customer service staff lean on it.
Use ㅋㅋ when something is actually funny. If a joke from a friend gets only ㅎㅎ back, they may read it as polite and unimpressed. As with ㅋ, a single ㅎ can come across as cold.
What’s the difference between ㅠㅠ and ㅜㅜ?
Not much. Both are vowels that look like eyes with tears running down. Some people think ㅠㅠ looks like heavier crying, but in practice it comes down to habit. They cover a wide range of feelings: sad news, being moved by a drama ending, or a cute “please” when you ask for a favor (도와줘 ㅠㅠ, help me ㅠㅠ).
Everyday Korean slang words you’ll hear out loud
Shortcuts are mostly for typing. The 18 words below are said out loud in variety shows, dramas, cafés and classrooms. Most started online and moved into everyday speech.
| Word | Romanization | Meaning | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 대박 | daebak | awesome, huge, no way | Positive and very common. Fine with most peers |
| 헐 | heol | OMG, wait what | Casual. Can sound childish to elders |
| 짱 | jjang | the best | Playful, used by kids and adults |
| 레알 | real | for real | Jokey and casual |
| 꿀잼 | kkuljaem | super fun (honey + fun) | Casual praise for shows, games, plans |
| 노잼 | nojaem | boring, no fun | Stings when aimed at someone’s joke |
| 꿀팁 | kkultip | a great tip, life hack | Very widely used, even in ads |
| 갑분싸 | gapbunssa | the mood suddenly went cold | Casual. Describes an awkward moment |
| 인싸 | inssa | insider, the social butterfly | Friendly or teasing |
| 아싸 | assa | outsider, loner | Fine about yourself, unkind about others |
| 국룰 | gungnul | “national rule”, the unwritten standard | Casual and jokey |
| 멘붕 | menbung | mental breakdown, “I’m losing it” | Casual. Exaggeration, not a clinical term |
| 웃프다 | utpeuda | funny and sad at once | Casual |
| 킹받다 | kingbatda | so annoyed | Jokey, among friends |
| 빼박 | ppaebak | undeniable, no doubt about it | Casual |
| 얼죽아 | eoljuga | iced coffee even if you freeze | Widely used, light and fun |
| 소확행 | sohwakhaeng | small but certain happiness | Mainstream, used in media |
| 불금 | bulgeum | “fire Friday”, a big Friday night | Mainstream |
Why so many Korean slang words are three syllables long
Look at 갑분싸, 얼죽아 and 소확행. They’re juimmal (줄임말, shortened words), made by taking the first syllable of each word in a phrase. It works like choseong, except whole syllables are kept.
갑분싸 comes from 갑자기 분위기 싸해짐 (“the atmosphere suddenly went cold”). 얼죽아 comes from 얼어 죽어도 아이스 아메리카노 (“iced americano even if I freeze to death”). 소확행 comes from 작지만 확실한 행복, “small but certain happiness”.
Once you know this, you can usually work out a new word by asking what phrase it shortens. Some words are blends instead: 웃프다 joins 웃기다 (funny) and 슬프다 (sad), and 멘붕 joins the English “mental” with 붕괴 (bunggoe, collapse). In 킹받다, “king” swaps in for 열 in 열받다 (to get angry), as an exaggerating prefix.
Korean slang compliments (and which to keep among friends)
Compliment slang is where foreigners most often slip up, because a word that sounds sweet in a drama clip can have a vulgar origin. Here are the six you’ll hear most, roughly from safest to riskiest.
- 훈남 / 훈녀 (hunnam / hunnyeo): a guy or girl with warm, pleasant good looks. It’s mild and safe, and you’ll hear it on TV.
- 금손 (geumson): “golden hands”, meaning someone very good at drawing, crafts, makeup or photos. The opposite is 똥손 (ttongson), clumsy hands, usually said about yourself.
- 엄친아 (eomchina): short for 엄마 친구 아들, “mom’s friend’s son”, the perfect kid your parents compare you to. It’s a compliment with a little teasing, and the daughter version is 엄친딸.
- 사기캐 (sagikae): “cheat character”, borrowed from gaming. It means someone who’s good at everything, as if their stats were hacked.
- 개이득 (gaeideuk): a huge win or a great deal. The 개- prefix makes it slangy, so keep it with friends.
- 존잘 / 존예 (jonjal / jonye): extremely handsome or extremely pretty. 존 comes from a vulgar intensifier. Plenty of young Koreans type it casually, but don’t say it to someone’s parents or a coworker. For a safe version, say 진짜 잘생겼다 (jinjja jalsaenggyeotda, really handsome) or 진짜 예쁘다 (jinjja yeppeuda, really pretty).
Shortened Korean words you’ll see on menus, signs and KakaoTalk
These ten aren’t really edgy. They’re everyday short forms, and you’ll see them on café boards, restaurant signs, job posts and in your friends’ messages. Recognizing them is useful even if you never use them yourself.
| Word | Full form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 생파 (saengpa) | 생일 파티 | birthday party |
| 생선 (saengseon) | 생일 선물 | birthday present (the same spelling as the word for fish, which is the joke) |
| 남친 / 여친 (namchin / yeochin) | 남자친구 / 여자친구 | boyfriend / girlfriend |
| 셀카 (selka) | “self camera” | selfie |
| 아아 (aa) | 아이스 아메리카노 | iced americano |
| 알바 (alba) | 아르바이트, from German Arbeit | part-time job |
| 카톡 (katok) | 카카오톡 | KakaoTalk, also “text me” (카톡해) |
| 치맥 (chimaek) | 치킨 + 맥주 | fried chicken and beer |
| 혼밥 (honbap) | 혼자 밥 먹기 | eating alone |
| 할많하않 (halmanhaan) | 할 말은 많지만 하지 않겠다 | “I have a lot to say, but I won’t” |
That brings the count to 50: 16 shortcuts, 18 everyday words, 6 compliments and these 10 short forms. If you’re planning a trip, 아아, 치맥 and 혼밥 are the ones you’ll actually read on menus.
When Korean slang sounds rude
Korean has speech levels built into its grammar, and slang belongs almost entirely to the casual one. That’s what trips people up. A word can be harmless in meaning and still offend because of who you send it to.
Slang belongs to banmal, not jondaenmal
Jondaenmal (존댓말) is polite speech, the -요 and -습니다 endings you learned first. Banmal is what close friends of the same age, siblings and people who’ve agreed to drop formality use with each other. Shortcuts like ㅇㅇ and ㅇㅋ are basically banmal in written form.
Sending ㅇㅋ to a manager reads roughly like answering “k” to your CEO. At work, Koreans reply 네 (ne, yes) or 넵 (nep, a brisk and friendly “yes”). Our guide to Korean honorifics explains who gets which level.
Prefixes to keep out of polite company: 개- and 존-
개 (gae) literally means “dog”. As a slang prefix it works like “freaking”: 개이득 (huge win), 개웃겨 (so funny), 개맛있어 (crazy delicious).
존- is ruder, because it comes from a vulgar word. Young Koreans use both all the time with friends. Neither belongs in a message to a teacher, a host family or anyone older than you.
Shortcuts that are actually insults or swears
Some consonant pairs you’ll run into in comment sections are swearing, plain and simple. ㅅㅂ stands for a strong curse word. ㅗ is used because it looks like a raised middle finger.
ㅁㅊ is short for 미친 (michin, crazy). Friends sometimes use it as “that’s insane”, but aimed at a person it’s an insult. 극혐 (geukhyeom, “extreme disgust”) is harsh too. Learn to recognize these, and don’t use them.
Words that target groups of people
Korean internet culture also has slang that mocks people for their age, gender, region or job. These terms tend to spread through comment sections, and Korean speakers find them offensive. If you see a word you don’t recognize being thrown at a group of people, look it up before you repeat it.
How to use Korean slang with friends: a worked example
Here’s a typical KakaoTalk exchange between two friends of the same age. Count how much of it is slang.
- Friend: 야 오늘 치맥 ㄱㄱ? (Hey, chicken and beer tonight? Let’s go?)
- You: ㅇㅋ ㅋㅋㅋ 몇 시? (OK lol, what time?)
- Friend: 7시 홍대. 나 오늘 완전 멘붕이었음 ㅠㅠ (7 at Hongdae, the nightlife district. I totally lost it today ㅠㅠ)
- You: 헐 ㅠㅠ 그럼 오늘 내가 쏨 (Whoa ㅠㅠ then tonight’s on me)
- Friend: 대박 ㄱㅅ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ (Amazing, thanks lol)
Six slang items in five short lines, and it reads as warm, not lazy. 쏘다 (ssoda, literally “to shoot”) means to treat someone, and you’ll hear it at almost every group dinner.
Now say you need to confirm a meeting with your 팀장님 (timjangnim, team leader, with the honorific -님). The slang goes away completely: 네 팀장님, 확인했습니다. 감사합니다 ㅎㅎ (Yes, I’ve checked it. Thank you).
The one ㅎㅎ softens the message, and the rest is standard polite Korean.
The mirroring rule Koreans actually follow
Copy the other person. If a new Korean friend writes to you in polite -요 forms with ㅎㅎ, reply the same way. If they switch to ㅇㅇ and ㅋㅋㅋ, they’re signaling that casual is fine, and you can follow.
Often someone asks outright, 말 놓을까요? (mal noeulkkayo?, “shall we speak casually?”). That question is the green light for banmal and for most of the slang on this page.
Common mistakes foreigners make with Korean slang
- Using slang before learning the polite form. If you know 대박 but not 감사합니다, you’ll sound off in shops and offices. Learn the polite basics first. Our basic Korean phrases for travelers covers the ones you need.
- Answering long messages with ㅇㅇ. If a friend sends a paragraph and you reply ㅇㅇ, it can look like you didn’t read it. Add a word or a ㅋㅋ.
- Using 아싸 or 노잼 about other people. Both are fine as jokes about yourself. Pointed at someone else, they hurt.
- Leaning on slang you saw once in a meme. Slang ages quickly, and a word that was everywhere a few years ago can sound forced. Use the words your friends actually use.
- Mixing levels in one sentence. A polite -요 sentence with a 개- word in the middle sounds strange. Pick one register for the whole message.
Where to pick up new Korean slang next
Slang moves faster than textbooks, so you need sources that update on their own. Korean variety shows are especially good because they flash slang on screen as captions (자막, jamak). Webtoon comment sections and Korean drama subtitles help too, as long as you watch with Korean captions turned on. For a lighter start, our list of easy first K-dramas has shows full of everyday banter.
When you run into a word you don’t know, check it in Naver Dictionary, Korea’s most-used online dictionary, or in Urimalsaem (우리말샘), the open dictionary run by the National Institute of Korean Language, which records many new and informal words. Both are free online. If you can’t read Hangul yet, learn the alphabet first, because choseong shortcuts only make sense once you know the letters. Our weekend Hangul plan gets you there in two days.
One practical next step: change your phone keyboard to Korean for a week and answer your Korean friends with ㅋㅋ, ㅇㅋ and ㅠㅠ. You’ll learn the tone rules faster from the replies you get than from any list.
FAQ
What does ㅋㅋ mean in Korean?
ㅋㅋ means “lol” or “haha”. It comes from the consonant ㅋ, which sounds like the start of a laugh (크크, keukeu). More ㅋ means funnier, and a single ㅋ can come across as sarcastic or cold.
What does 대박 (daebak) mean?
대박 means something huge or amazing. Depending on tone it can be “awesome”, “jackpot” or “no way!”. It’s one of the most common Korean slang words and fine with most people your age. In formal settings, stick to standard words like 정말 좋네요 (that’s really great).
Is it rude to text ㅇㅇ or ㅇㅋ in Korean?
With close friends, no. With a boss, teacher or anyone older, yes, because both are casual banmal shortcuts that read as lazy. Reply 네 or 넵 instead. Even with friends, a bare ㅇㅇ after a long message can sound dismissive.
What is the difference between ㅋㅋ and ㅎㅎ?
ㅋㅋ is laughing and ㅎㅎ is smiling. ㅎㅎ is softer and more polite, so older people, shop staff and coworkers use it to warm up a message. If something’s actually funny, ㅋㅋㅋ is the better reaction.
What does ㅠㅠ mean in a Korean text?
ㅠㅠ shows two eyes with tears running down. It can mean sad, moved, sorry or “pretty please”, depending on context. ㅜㅜ means the same thing, and it’s one of the few shortcuts that’s fine in fairly polite messages.
Can I use Korean slang at work?
Mostly no. Korean workplaces use polite speech, so shortcuts like ㅇㅋ and words with 개- or 존- don’t belong there. A light ㅎㅎ, or ㅋㅋ with coworkers your own age in a casual chat, is usually fine. When in doubt, match how your colleagues write to you.
Related reading
Sources k-korea.blog
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