Korean slang Vol.1

솔까말 (solkkamal)– To speak openly and honestly 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, use the Korean slang 솔까말 (solkkamal).

Short for 극한의 혐오 (geukanui hyeomo), this phrase . 극한 (geukan) means “limit or extreme” and 혐오 (hyeomo) means “hatred, disgust or revulsion” so put them together and you’ve got a shortened phrase that means just that — extreme disgust.

Short for 엄마친구의 아들 (eommachinguui adeul | my mom’s friend’s son) or 엄마친구의 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.

From 현실에서 웃음 (hyeonsireseo useum), this word means “laughter (웃음 | useum) in real life (현실에서 | hyeonsireseo).” This is equivalent to “laugh out loud” in English, and could be used, for example, while watching a video or reading a text message.

Very similar to 현웃 (hyeonut), 빵 터지다 (ppang teojida) is a slang verb that means “to laugh really loud” with the emphasis being on the LOUD part! 터지다 (teojida) usually means “to burst” and 빵 (ppang) is the sound a gun or bomb makes.

This is a shortened version of 언론플레이 (eonnonpeullei), which means “media play.” However, this is not all fun and games! In this case, 플레이 (peullei | play) is not referring to playing or fun, but rather to “manipulation.” It is used to express the act of using the media to create a beneficial image for a corporation or celebrity, etc.

Ever have a mental breakdown? You can express this idea with “멘붕”, which is a combo of 멘탈 (mental | mental) + 붕괴 (bunggoe | deconstruction or collapse). In Korean, this is more often used to express yourself when your mental status is on the fritz! It’s used in various situations where this is the case.

This word literally translates to “rock fastball” and that’s exactly what 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 manner or behaves very forward, you can use the word 돌직구 (doljikgu) to describe it and in doing so, compare the action to throwing a fastball with a stone

From the expression 리즈 시절 (rijeu sijeol), this refers to the best looking time of your life when you are young and beautiful and in your prime! Shorten it down and just use the word 리즈 (rijeu) to describe this magical time that you never want to leave.

You know those animated GIFs floating around the internet? In Korean, you can talk about them using the word 움짤 (umjjal)!

This Korean slang comes from the Japanese word “otaku” which means a person who is “crazy about something.” In Japanese, this usually refers to a person who is obsessed with Japanese anime or anime characters. However, it is now used in Korean to describe a person who has an obsessive interest in almost anything – celebrities, studying, movies, characters — you name it! It has a slightly negative connotation so be careful how you use it.

Just like in the phrase 꿀잼 (kkuljaem), this phrase uses the word “honey” (꿀 | kkul) to mean “really good.” This time it’s a 팁 (tip | tip) that’s being considered and this is not just any old tip!

This “green light” is all about relationships. When someone is giving you the green light or showing interest in you and giving you the go-ahead, you can use the word 그린라이트 (geurillaiteu) to describe them!

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 get amped up for the weekend festivities!

When something is funny (웃기다 | utgida) and sad (슬프다 | seulpeuda) at the same time, you can use this combination Korean slang word to describe that situation!

When you get something you didn’t expect that benefits you, you can say “개이득 (gaeideuk).” The word 개 (gae) is used a lot in slang words in Korean, and it literally means “dog.”

Short for 고 (go | high) 퀄리티 (kwolliti | quality), you can use 고퀄 (gokwol) to describe something that is of high quality!

From 평타치다 (pyeongtachida), it means to do something average (at 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 be expected!