Korean slang from K-dramas and online: 대박, 헐, ㅋㅋ, 갑분싸 and more explained
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Textbook Korean will not prepare you for the first time a drama character shouts 대박 or a friend replies to your message with nothing but ㅋㅋㅋ. Slang moves fast, but some words have stuck around long enough to be worth knowing. Here are the ones you will meet most often, what they mean, and when it is best to keep them to yourself.
Reactions
- 대박 (daebak): amazing, awesome, huge. Can be positive ("this is 대박") or a reaction to shocking news. It is everywhere and safe with friends.
- 헐 (heol): OMG, no way. A reaction to something surprising or ridiculous. Very common in chat and speech among younger people.
- 진짜? (jinjja?): really? 진짜 also works as "really" or "very": 진짜 맛있어 (really tasty). It is ordinary, everyday Korean rather than slang, and fine almost anywhere informal.
- ㅋㅋ (kk): laughter in text, from the sound 크크. More ㅋ means funnier. ㅎㅎ (hh) is a softer, friendlier chuckle. A lone ㅋ can read as cold or sarcastic.
- ㅠㅠ / ㅜㅜ: crying eyes. Used for sadness, sympathy or being moved.
Fun, boring and awkward
- 꿀잼 (kkuljaem): super fun, "honey fun" (꿀 is honey, 잼 is short for 재미, fun).
- 노잼 (nojaem): boring, no fun. You will see both in comments on shows and videos.
- 갑분싸 (gapbunssa): short for 갑자기 분위기 싸해짐, "the mood suddenly went cold". Used when someone says something that kills the atmosphere.
- 킹받네 (kingbatne): "so annoying", a playful twist on 열받네 (it makes me angry), with 열 replaced by "king" for extra emphasis. Usually used about something irritating in a funny way.
People
- 인싸 (inssa): an insider, someone popular and social, from "insider".
- 아싸 (assa): an outsider, someone who keeps to themselves. Many people use it about themselves with a laugh.
- 오빠 (oppa): older brother, used by women for an older brother, an older male friend or a boyfriend. Fans also use it for male idols.
- 언니 (eonni): older sister, used by women for an older sister or older female friend. Also used in shops and restaurants to call a female staff member, though not everyone likes it.
- 형 (hyeong) and 누나 (nuna): the versions men use for an older man and an older woman.
These family words are not slang exactly, but drama makes them look more casual than they are. Use them only with people who have invited it, and mind the speaker's gender: a man does not call anyone 오빠 or 언니 except as a joke.
Food
- 존맛 (jonmat): incredibly delicious. 존 comes from a vulgar word, so this is strong. You will see it on social media and in food reviews, often as 존맛탱. A milder alternative is 꿀맛 (kkulmat), "honey taste".
- JMT: the romanised abbreviation of 존맛탱, common in captions.
Short forms you will see in chat
- ㅇㅇ: yes, yeah (from 응).
- ㄴㄴ: no no.
- ㄱㄱ: let's go (고고, from "go go").
- ㅇㅋ: okay.
- ㄱㅅ: thanks (from 감사).
When not to use slang
- Never with your boss, teachers, older strangers or in anything formal. Slang is almost always in casual speech (반말), which is rude in the wrong setting.
- Be careful with anything containing 존 or other vulgar roots. They are common online but sound crude out loud, especially from a foreigner.
- Slang ages quickly. Something that was hot a few years ago can sound dated or try-hard now, so listen to how the people around you speak before adopting it.
- When in doubt, ordinary polite Korean is never wrong.
How to keep up
Variety shows, webtoon comments and the subtitles on YouTube are the best places to pick up current slang in context. When you meet a new word, search it in Korean with 뜻 (meaning) added, for example "킹받네 뜻".
What slang have you heard in dramas that you still don't understand? Drop it in the comments and let's work it out together.