1. Korean Linguistics 101
Emily Rae Sabo | 2015 ETA Spring Conference| April 3rd-6th | Jeju Island, South Korea
PART I. Slang you should know...
1. 빵셔틀 Literally means ‘bread shuttle.’ Usually used at school, where one student is
bullied to do the errands for people who are in a stronger position than they are.
2. 재수 없어 Describes a person who is mean and thus, strongly disliked.
3. 왕따 The outcast or reject within a group of people. The victim of bullying.
4. 엄마몬 & 아빠몬 “Mom & Dad monster” for teens in the “I hate my parents” stage.
5. 땡땡이 치다, which means ‘to play hookey from work or school’.
6. 학교통 – school rebel (the kid who doesn’t listen to the teachers, picks fights a lot…)
7. 양 아치 – kids who think they are too k00l for sch00l; kids who pick fights, never study, argue
with the teacher, chew chewing gum in class… that kind of thing
8. 모범생 – opposite of a 양아치 – a kid who’s really good at school, a braniac
1. 빨갱이 Derogative term for ‘commies.’ Derives from ‘red.’ Used to show extreme
hatred. Often used as an insult for those who have lived and/or support the North.
2. 친일파 Literally ‘people friendly to Japan.’ Originally used to denote the ‘collaborator’
Koreans who were supportive of Japan’s occupation of Korea. Now used as a derogatory
term meaning Japanophile Korean.
3. 쪽발이 Offensive ethnic slur for a Japanese person. Literally means pig feet, probably
referring to the black Japanese tabi shoes once worn in Japan, said to resemble pig
trotters. Sometimes spelled as 쪽바리.
4. 종북 Offensive term for “North Korean sympathizer.” Comes from 從北, 從 [jong]
meaning ‘to follow’ or ‘slave’ and 北 [puk] denoting the North. Term used to designate
those who blindly follow the North’s regime.
AsateacherForculturalreasons

2. 1. 엄친아 noun. Abbreviation of 엄마친구아들 – meaning ‘The son of my mother’s friend.’
Generally used to mean someone who is good at everything. Derives from Korean mothers
constantly reminding their children that their friends’ children are achieving at a higher
level than they are.
2. 된장녀 된장 means soy bean. 녀 denotes a woman. So, 된장녀 refers to a modern
Korean woman who will live as frugally as possible on a cheap beanpaste stew so they can
save up as much money as possible to spend on designer shoes and handbags.
3. 막장 Slang word meaning something that is so bad that it couldn’t get any worse.
4. 답답하다 adjective. An extremely versatile word used to describe situations that are
emotionally or physically stifling. For example, “I’ve been cooped up all day - ahh 답답해.”
Or “I felt so 답답해 because he didn’t understand me no matter what I said.“
5. ㅗㅗ Emoticon meaning ‘fuck you’, resembling sticking one’s middle finger up.
6. 뭥미? Means “What the…?” It originates from the word 뭐임, which means “What is it?”
When you type 뭐임 quickly using the Korean keyboard, you often end up with 뭥미, which
is how this word came about. For example, “이건뭥미?”= What the heck is this?
7. 지랄 offensive. Bullshit. Often written as ㅈㄹ, like ‘BS’ in English.
8. 흑역사 Literally ‘black history.’ Used to describe those times that you’d rather forget.
9. 행쇼 This phrase, popularized by G-dragon, is a shortened word for 행복하십쇼 which
means “Be happy” in an honorific verb tense. Now used to say goodbye like “Peace.”
10. 갑이다/을이다 갑 and 을 are words used to express the power dynamic between
people. 갑 represents the person with more power, and 을 is the subjugated. This usage
was popularized by Gag Concert’s comedy segment called “갑/을 Company” during which
comedians satirize Korea’s corporate culture.
11. 개념 offensive. Derives from Korean word for ‘notion/concept’ but is used to imply
‘common-sense/brains’ and is very rude when combined with 무 or 없다.
12. 훈남(man) /훈녀(woman) Refers to a gentle person who gives off a soft, charming,
responsible vibe. This is the person with whom you want to bake cookies together and
have lots of babies. Not so much the madly hot, one-night stand type. This term originates
from the phrase, 훈훈하다, which means heart-warming.
13. 개꿀 Literally ‘comb honey.’ It’s slang for things that are good, relaxing and easy-going.
Perhaps a cushy military post. Or a cool college class that’s got a super interesting
professor who doesn’t believe in homework. J
14. 시월드 시 (in-law/ husband’s family) + 월드 (world) The husband’s side would have the prefix 시:
시어머니 and 시아버지 would be his parents. The word 시집가다 literally meaning “go to in-law’s
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3. house” means “get married” for women. In the old days, women married into their husband’s
families and lived with the parents. Although that is not as common these days, the husband’s side
almost always has higher importance in matters of family and holidays, which has created the word
시월드, as it is a completely different world to which the wife has to get accustomed after marriage.
The power of 시월드 is immense, and you really can’t escape it. (If you’ve seen enough Korean
dramas, you’ll understand immediately.) There is another expression from the perspective of the
husband, 처월드(in-law /wife’s family world), but it hasn’t caught on as much, because obviously,
they do not suffer from it as much as the wives do from 시월드.
15. 멍 – sound effect for a blank stare
16. 찌찌뽕 – like “jinx!” in English, said when two people say the same thing at the same time
17. 지잡대 Name for universities outside the Seoul Metropolitan area. Used as an insulting term for
those who failed to gain a place at the more prestigious universities of Seoul
18. 노처녀 히스테리 An old unmarried woman à bitter & crazy to the point of hysteria. Cat lady.
19. 당근 A play on words, 당근이지 is another way of saying 당연하지, which means ‘of course’.
Except 당근 means ‘carrot’, so instead of saying, “of course”, you’re really saying, “it’s a carrot!”
But the meaning is still ‘of course’.
PART 2. Konglish
Let’s Avoid Konglish
-Editorial by Lee Chang-sup
(Korea Times executive managing director. Contact him at editorial@koreatimes.co.kr.)
A Korean student was denied a scholarship at an American university because his address contained the word "villa.
" University admissions officers thought the student lived in a huge estate or a mini village his parents own, which is
what "villa" means in the United States, according to his father. However, this was not the case — he came from a
modest family that lives in a villa, which in Korea refers to a small condominium where working class people live.
Konglish puzzles many native English speakers but embarrasses Koreans. For example, "pension" means a fixed
regular payment to retired people in English but means a motel in Korean. The term "condominium" is also misused
here. A condominium is a room or set of rooms people own, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, but in
Korean, it means a motel in a resort. There are also many confusing Konglish expressions for food and clothing. To
"overeat" means to eat too much, but Koreans use the word to mean to vomit. "Diet" refers to what you eat and drink
regularly, but Koreans use it to mean to lose weight through exercise. "Burberry" is a high-end clothing brand known
for its light, waterproof and stylish trench coats, but in Korea, a "Burberry man" refers to a man who only wears a
trench coat and exposes himself to schoolgirls. "Combi" may be short for "combination" but means wearing a sports
coat and a pair of trousers to Koreans. Koreans and Japanese say "pants" when Americans and Britons say
"underpants."
Serious misunderstanding arises when Koreans say "mind control" to mean self-improvement or calming down,
when in fact, the word means brainwashing or manipulation. Although "feminism" refers to "the belief that men and
women should have equal rights and opportunities," according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Koreans use it to
denote women's liberation. "Benchmarking" is used here to mean to copy best practices, but it means "a
measurement of the quality of an organization's policies, products, programs and strategies and their comparison
with standard measurements or similar measurements of its peers," according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Business terms are not exempt from Konglish. "Name card" is widely used here instead of "business card. " "After-
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4. service" is wrongly used here to denote warranty service. "Booking" in Korean means introducing a woman at a night
club to a male client even through it simply means "reservation" in English.
Konglish also includes words that Koreans have made up. For instance, "spolex" means sports complex, while
"leports" means leisure sports. "Officetel," which is a combination of the words "office" and "hotel," refers to a one-
room studio apartment in Korea. Korean-language newspapers are not free from misusing English words. For
example, journalists use the term "transgender" ("people who have a sexual identity that is not clearly male or clearly
female") when they mean "transsexual" ("someone who medically changes himself or herself into a member of the
opposite sex").
They also misuse "syndrome" (symptoms that occur together and characterize a disease or disorder) to describe
sensational events involving celebrities and other famous people. For example, the media say "Kim Yu-na syndrome"
rather than "Kim Yu-na phenomenon" or "Kim Yu-na fever. " (Kim Yu-na is a South Korean Olympic medalist in
figure skating). TV talk show hosts use the acronym "AI" to mean avian flu, when AI stands for "artificial intelligence"
in English. Many journalists falsely assume that most Westerners know what "White Day" is. Instead of saying
"ballroom dance," they say "sports dance" here. TV talk show hosts refer to panelists as "panels."
Koreans also have a tendency to use plural words when singular ones would be more appropriate. For example, they
are famous for using "our" when Westerners say "my. " A man once said, "Let me introduce ‘our' wife," making
foreigners wonder whether his wife has more than one husband. This habit comes from the fact that Koreans are
group-oriented while Westerners are individualistic. Koreans say "our" country, "our" company and "our" family,
when foreigners say "my" country, "my" company and "my" family. " In this hierarchy-oriented Confucian society,
office workers introduce their co-workers as either their "seniors" or "juniors. " In the United States, they generally
introduce people they work with simply as "co-workers." Koreans also tend to use collective nouns to refer to
individual persons or things. For example, they say "I have four families" instead of "I have four family
members."Many Koreans, from President Park Geun-hye to children, raise their hands and say "fighting" in public
photo sessions to express their unity and shared goals. This usage is also part of Konglish.
People have different views about Konglish. Former Korea Times editor Ahn Jung-hyo said "the use of Konglish
embarrasses Korea. " However, former Korea Times columnist Jon Huer noted that "Konglish is one of the 10 most
wonderful things about Korea" because it reflects Koreans' creativity and cleverness. Like foreigners, North Korean
defectors are struggling to learn Konglish, which they have never used in the North. In a way, this also impedes their
integration into the capitalistic society.
English language variations are not bad in themselves nor unique to Korea. Japan, Singapore and most other non-
English speaking countries worldwide have coined English words and expressions that they understand but
outsiders don't. However, people should avoid them because they are somewhat informal and often cause
misunderstanding. The media, government and schools should seek professional advice from native speakers to set
an example.

5. PART 2. Konglish cont’d
English loan words with altered meanings
The word as it’s
said in Korean
The English word
it derives from
What it refers to
in Korean context
What it originally means in an
English context
버버리 Burberry Overcoat or trench coat Trademark of light, long, waterproof coat
커닝 Cunning Cheating Deception
호치키스 Hotchkiss Stapler Trademark of staplers
헌팅 Hunting Searching for a mate Searching for animal to kill
젤리 Jelly Gummy candy Spreadable condiment for toast.
샤프 Sharp Mechanical pencil Not dull (a.)
스탠드 Stand Lamp Legless table/counter
트레이닝 Training Sweat suit Coaching
비닐 Vinyl Plastic Plastic or imitation leather
요플레이 Yoplait Solid yogurt Name brand of yogurt
Totally new phrases using English words
The new phrase as its
said in Korean
What it derives from in
English
What the new phrase means
오토바이 Auto-bi~(ke) Motorcycle
골던 볼 Golden ball Sudden death (in game)
킹 카 Abbrev. of "king card" from a playing cards "The pick of the litter" or "The cream of the crop"
라이브 잉글리시 Live English Real-life English
맥가이버 나이프 McGuyver Knife Swiss Army Knife
오펀 카 Open car Convertible car
팬티 스타킹 / 팬티 스토킹 Panty stockings Panty hose
스포츠 댄싱 Sports dancing Ballroom dancing (for competition)
와이 셔츠 "Y" shirts Dress shirt(s)
코팅 Coating Plastic coating (also: lamination)
매직 Magic Magic Marker (permanent marker)
펑크 Punc Puncture (flat tire)

6. PART 3. Phonology Survival Sheet
뭐야
/
누구
/m,
n/
tend
to
be
denasalized
word-­‐
initially.
알아요
/
말
/
라면
• Between
vowels
à
alveolar
flap
(Eddy)
• At
end
of
a
word
à
“L”
• At
beginning
à
unstable
(silent
or
“N”)
Any questions? Want to talk more?
• emilysabo@gmail.com
• emilyraesabo (my Kakao)