안녕하세요? Hello? / How are you?)
좋아요 Like)
팔로우 Follow)
언팔로우 Unfollow)
DM Direct Message)
스토리 Story)
#해시태그 Hashtag)
인싸 Insider, trendy person)
아싸 Outsider)
멘션 Mention)
피드 Feed)
짤 Funny image or meme)
레알 Real, seriously)
TMI Too Much Information, often used informally)
꿀팁 Helpful tip)
소통 Communication)
화이팅 Fighting, encouragement)
불금 TGIF; lit. “Fire Friday”)
셀카 Selfie)
노잼 No fun)
꿀잼 Very fun)
레전드 Legend, legendary)
킹받다 To be extremely annoyed)
데프콘 State of mental or emotional strain)
걍 Just, simply)
솔까 Honestly speaking)
커엽다 So cute)
꾸안꾸 Looks effortless but is actually well put-together)
갑분싸 When the atmosphere suddenly goes cold)
킹정 The best, king of emotion)
불토 Lit. “Fire Saturday”, meaning an exciting Saturday night)
인맥 Connections, network)
정주행 Binge-watching)
존맛 Super delicious)
실망 Disappointment)
넘사벽 An insurmountable wall, something off the charts)
새벽 감성 Late-night sentimentality)
눈팅 Lurking online without commenting or liking)
쓰앵님 A term used to call someone in a customer service position)
인싸력 Insider's strength or ability)
비밀번호는 **** Password is ****)
쿠폰 어디 있어? Where's the coupon?)
심쿵 Heart-fluttering)
노가다 Hard, monotonous work)
대박 Jackpot, amazing)
터짐 Exploding, a lot of fun)
오지다 To be amazing / awesome)
오픈 카톡 Open Chat in KakaoTalk)
카스 KakaoStory)
주접 Flattery or nonsense talk)
썸타다 To have a fling or be in a vague relationship stage)
일코 일상 코스프레; pretending to be normal)
풀메북 풀 메이크업 북; full makeup face)
JMT 존맛탱; Extremely delicious, acronym)
만반잘부 만나서 반가워 잘 부탁해; Nice to meet you, please look after me)
흥부자 Person full of excitement and enthusiasm)
얼죽아 얼어 죽어도 아이스; used by people who drink iced drinks even in winter)
팩폭 Fact bombing, abruptly telling the harsh truth)
치명타 Critical hit, killer point)
갬성 Sentimentality, mood, vibes)
어쩔티비 What are you going to do, TV?)
나드리 Short trip or outing)
오구오구 Expression for something that is adorable)
실화냐? Is this for real?)
지린다 An expression for something that is really cool or awesome)
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Please note that online Korean slang and expressions change rapidly and new phrases constantly enter the lexicon. The list provided here captures a snapshot of popular terms at the time of writing.
Hello, dear readers! I’ve been diving headfirst into Korean social media expressions lately, and I’d love to share what I’ve learned. My fascination with Korean culture began back in college when I watched a K-drama for the first time. Before I knew it, that curiosity turned into a lasting affection. When I traveled to Seoul last summer, I realized I hardly understood many fun abbreviations I was seeing online. So I thought, why not gather my experiences and help you discover a few of these expressions too?
A Growing Appreciation for Korean Culture
Communicating with Korean friends on social media showed me how language and culture are deeply linked. From everyday greetings to playful slang, everything felt so vibrant and new. I truly enjoyed learning these expressions:
안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo)
This means “Hello,” and at first, its pronunciation seemed tricky. But after a bit of practice, it felt much smoother.
감사합니다 (Gamsahabnida)
This is “Thank you,” and I used it when a Korean artist replied to my comment on Instagram. It’s a small phrase with a big impact.
++These greetings++ might look intimidating, yet they quickly become second nature once you start using them regularly. Trust me, it’s a wonderful way to connect with people you meet online.
Fun Slang and Abbreviations
Korean social media slang is just as playful as ours. At first, I was puzzled by repeated letters like ㅋㅋㅋ, but then I noticed how it captured the actual sound of laughter.
ㅋㅋㅋ (kekeke) or ㅎㅎㅎ (hahaha)
Perfect for showing laughter or amusement in a casual way. These letters match the giggling sounds in Korean.
대박 (Daebak)
Means “Awesome!” or “That’s amazing!” I often see it under music videos or popular posts.
화이팅 (Hwaiting)
A handy expression for “Cheer up!” or “You can do it!” My friend texted me ++화이팅++ before an important meeting, and it totally made my day.
++눈치 (Nunchi)++
Refers to the ability to grasp someone’s feelings or the atmosphere of a situation. There’s no exact English equivalent, but it’s a huge part of Korean social dynamics.
Deepening the Experience
When you use these expressions on social media, you’ll notice how it brings you closer to others. If you’re curious, try adding them under a K-Pop video or a friend’s post. You might get a warm response like “오 잘하네요!” (Oh, you’re doing well!). And don’t worry about little slip-ups—mishaps can lead to funny moments and genuine connections.
Here are a few tips I’ve discovered along the way:
Experiment with new phrases in your replies.
Give compliments like 최고 (Choego) (“The best!”) or 귀엽다 (Gwiyeopda) (“So cute!”).
Embrace mistakes as part of the learning journey.
Keep track of fun words and phrases you come across.
Even my not-so-perfect attempts opened doors to new friendships. One time, I misspelled a word and ended up using an entirely different term! Luckily, the person kindly corrected me, and we had a good laugh about it.
Conclusion
My adventure into Korean social media expressions has enriched not only my language skills but also my cultural understanding. Learning these phrases often feels like unlocking hidden layers of meaning—especially when seeing how people express humor, support, and excitement online. If you love exploring new cultures like I do, why not give it a try? You never know what delightful encounters you might have just by typing “안녕하세요” in a comment.
Below is a short list of references I’ve found helpful:
Kim Soo-hyun, Korece Sosyal Medya Dili ve Kültürü, Seul Yayınları, 2020.
Seoul Üniversitesi Dil Enstitüsü, Gençler Arasında Sosyal Medya Dilinin Etkileri, 2019.
Park Min-jun, Korece Slang ve Kısaltmaların Kökenleri, Han Sung Yayıncılık, 2018.
Lee Ji-eun, Sosyal Medyada Kültürlerarası İletişim, Asya Dilbilim Dergisi, 2021.
Choi Woo-shik, Korece İfadeler ve Kullanım Alanları, Dil ve Kültür Araştırmaları Enstitüsü, 2017.
Remember: Every phrase you learn is a step into a broader world. Keep going, and one day, you’ll be the one showing others how to say “화이팅!” in just the right moment.
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