Slang Basics

Quick Reference

Slang	Meaning	Usage
대박	Awesome, jackpot	대박! 진짜?
헐	OMG, what?!	헐, 진짜야?
쩐다	Amazing, intense	진짜 쩐다
별로	Not really, meh	별로야
짱	Best, awesome	너 짱이야!

Warning: Slang Changes Quickly

Korean slang evolves rapidly. What's popular now may be outdated in 1-2 years. This guide covers widely-used terms, but stay current through Korean media and friends.

Exclamations & Reactions

Positive Reactions

대박 [dae-bak] - Awesome, jackpot, amazing

대박! 진짜?
Wow! Really?

대박이다!
That's awesome!

Usage: Very common, suitable for most situations

쩐다 [jjeon-da] - Intense, amazing, awesome

진짜 쩐다!
That's really amazing!

이거 쩌는데?
This is awesome, isn't it?

Usage: Slightly more intense than 대박

짱 [jjang] - Best, number one, awesome

너 짱이야!
You're the best!

짱이다!
It's the best!

Usage: Common among younger speakers
Note: Can be used as prefix: 짱 좋다 (super good)

꿀잼 [kkul-jaem] - Super fun, very entertaining

이 영화 꿀잼!
This movie is super fun!

꿀잼이었어.
It was really entertaining.

From: 꿀 (honey) + 재미 (fun) → super fun

개 [gae] - Intensifier (very, super)

개 웃겨!
Super funny!

개 맛있어!
Super delicious!

Warning: Originally vulgar (means "dog"), now common among young people
Not appropriate with elders or formal situations

Negative Reactions

헐 [heol] - OMG, what?!, no way

헐, 진짜야?
OMG, really?

헐... 어떡해?
Oh no... what should I do?

Usage: Surprise, shock, disbelief

별로 [byeol-lo] - Not really, not particularly good, meh

별로야.
It's not that great. / Meh.

별로 안 좋아해.
I don't particularly like it.

Usage: Polite way to express dislike

노잼 [no-jaem] - Not fun, boring

이 영화 노잼.
This movie is boring.

노잼이다.
It's not fun.

From: No + 재미 (fun)
Opposite: 꿀잼

최악 [choe-ak] - The worst

오늘 최악이야.
Today is the worst.

최악이다.
It's the worst.

Describing People

Positive

잘생기다 [jal-saeng-gi-da] - Handsome (slang shortened forms)

완전 잘생겼어!
So handsome!

Short: 잘생

예쁘다 [ye-ppeu-da] - Pretty (standard, but common in casual speech)

진짜 예쁘다.
Really pretty.

귀엽다 [gwi-yeop-da] - Cute

너무 귀여워!
So cute!

Short casual: 귀욤

멋있다 [meot-it-da] - Cool, stylish

멋있어!
Cool!

멋지다 also common

Personality/Behavior

착하다 [chak-ha-da] - Kind, nice

진짜 착해.
Really kind.

~충 [-chung] - Person who... (often negative)

관종 - attention seeker (관심+충)
맘충 - annoying mom with kids (엄마+충)

Usage: Usually negative, be careful

꼰대 [kkondae] - Old-fashioned person, out-of-touch elder

완전 꼰대네.
What an old-fashioned person.

Warning: Disrespectful, don't use directly to someone

Internet/Youth Slang

Common Expressions

ㅇㅈ [인정, in-jeong] - Agreed, I acknowledge that

ㅇㅈ? (인정?)
You agree?

ㅇㅈ (I agree)

Often: 인정? with question mark

실화? [sil-hwa] - Is this real? For real?

실화야?
Is this for real?

실화냐?
Are you serious?

레알 [re-al] - Real (from English)

레알?
Really?

레알 대박
Really awesome

Note: 리얼 also used

인싸 / 아싸 [in-ssa / a-ssa]

인싸 - insider, popular person (인사이더)
아싸 - outsider, loner (아웃사이더)

나 완전 아싸야.
I'm a total outsider.

TMI - Too much information (from English)

Used in Korean context as "unnecessary info I'm sharing"

TMI인데, 나 오늘...
This is TMI, but today I...

Shortened Internet Speak

ㅅㄱ [수고] - Good work

ㅅㄱ했어!
Good work!

ㅊㅋ [축하] - Congratulations

ㅊㅋㅊㅋ!
Congrats!

ㄱㅅ [감사] - Thanks

ㄱㅅ
Thanks

Dating & Relationship Slang

썸 [sseom] - "Something" - ambiguous relationship stage

우리 썸 타는 것 같아.
I think we have something going on.

썸남/썸녀 - guy/girl you have a "thing" with

밀당 [mil-dang] - Push and pull (in dating)

밀고 당기기 shortened
Playing hard to get

밀당하지 마.
Don't play games.

솔로 [sol-lo] - Single (from English "solo")

나 평생 솔로야.
I'm forever single.

커플 [keo-peul] - Couple (from English)

우리 커플이야.
We're a couple.

Food Slang

꿀맛 [kkul-mat] - Honey taste → delicious

이거 꿀맛이다!
This is delicious!

존맛 [jon-mat] - Super delicious

존맛탱! (even more emphatic)
Super delicious!

From: 존나 (very vulgar intensifier) + 맛
Note: 존나 is vulgar, but 존맛 is widely used

JMT - 존맛탱 (abbreviated)

이 식당 JMT!
This restaurant is amazing!

Emotional States

빡치다 [ppak-chi-da] - To be pissed off, annoyed

진짜 빡쳐.
I'm really pissed off.

빡친다!
That's so annoying!

멘붕 [men-bung] - Mental breakdown

멘탈 붕괴 shortened

멘붕 왔어.
I'm having a mental breakdown.

심쿵 [sim-kkung] - Heart flutter

심장이 쿵 shortened

심쿵했어.
My heart fluttered.

Usage: When excited or touched by something cute/romantic

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Match the Meaning

1. 대박
2. 헐
3. 별로
4. 짱
5. 꿀잼

a) Not really, meh b) Best, awesome c) Super fun d) OMG, what?! e) Awesome, jackpot

Exercise 2: Choose Appropriate Slang

1. Your friend shows you their amazing test score:
2. You just saw something surprising:
3. Someone asks if you liked a boring movie:
4. Your friend looks really good today:
5. You're describing a really fun party:

Exercise 3: Context Check

Which situations is it okay to use slang?

1. Text message to close friend
2. Email to professor
3. Casual conversation with same-age friend
4. Job interview
5. K-drama reaction with friends

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Answer Key

Exercise 1: 1-e, 2-d, 3-a, 4-b, 5-c

Exercise 2: Sample Answers 1. 대박! / 짱이다! 2. 헐! / 대박! 3. 별로였어 / 노잼이었어 4. 오늘 멋있어! / 완전 예쁘다! 5. 꿀잼이었어 / 대박이었어

Exercise 3: 1. ✓ Appropriate 2. ✗ Too casual 3. ✓ Appropriate 4. ✗ Too casual 5. ✓ Appropriate

Generational Differences

Older Slang (Still Used)

짱 - Still common but slightly dated 완전 - Totally (still very common) 대박 - Very stable, all generations

Current Popular (2020s)

꿀잼/노잼 - Popular 인싸/아싸 - Current TMI - Trendy

Outdated (Avoid)

쩐다 - Becoming dated 엄지척 - Dated (thumbs up)

Stay current by watching recent K-content!

Common Mistakes

1. Using slang in formal situations:

❌ (to professor) 이 수업 짱이에요!
✓ (to professor) 이 수업 정말 좋아요

2. Overusing intensifiers:

❌ 개 개 개 좋아 (too much)
✓ 진짜 좋아 / 개 좋아 (pick one)

3. Mixing very different age group slang:

Don't use slang from 2000s mixed with 2020s - sounds awkward

Cultural Note

When to Use Slang

Safe contexts: - Close friends same age - Casual group chat - Reacting to media/content - Informal social situations

Risky contexts: - Anyone older (even by 1-2 years) - Workplace - School with teachers - First meetings

Age Sensitivity

Korean age hierarchy is strict: - Even 1 year difference can matter - Slang with 오빠/언니 might be okay if very close - Never with 선배 unless invited - Absolutely never with elders or superiors

Regional Variations

Seoul vs. Busan vs. other regions have different slang. As a learner, stick to standard Seoul slang you hear in mainstream media.

Learning Resources

To stay current: - Korean variety shows - K-drama (recent ones) - Korean YouTubers - Korean social media (Instagram, Twitter/X) - Webtoon comments sections - Ask Korean friends!

Warning signs slang is outdated: - Parents using it - Not hearing it in recent media - Koreans laugh when you use it - Feels forced in conversation

Use slang sparingly until you're confident in contexts and timing. It's better to sound slightly formal than to misuse slang inappropriately!