Popular Abbreviations and New Words
Learn popular Korean shortened words like 아아, 혼밥, 맛집, 먹방 and 소확행, how they were made, and where they sound natural.
Narae · Everyday conversation & today's KoreanWhat you will learn in this lesson
- Understand how Koreans shorten words by taking the first syllable
- Recognize about 20 common shortened words and new words
- Know which ones are fine in everyday talk and which are too casual
In a café, I always order 아아. My English teacher was confused: "Ah-ah?" It means iced Americano! Koreans love to make words short. Today you'll learn the ones everybody uses.
How Korean short words are made
The most common way is simple: take the first syllable of each word and put them together.
아이스 아메리카노 → 아이스 + 아메리카노 → 아아 생일 파티 → 생일 + 파티 → 생파
Some short words also use the syllable 혼 from 혼자 (alone), as in 혼밥 and 혼술, or mix English and Korean.
New words come and go quickly. In this lesson we only use words that have been around for years and that most Koreans know. Many of them, like 맛집 and 셀카, are now normal everyday words. Others are playful and best for friends.
Food and daily life
- 아아 aa iced Americano (아이스 아메리카노)
- 맛집 [맏찝] matjip a restaurant famous for good food (맛 taste + 집 house/place)
- 먹방 [먹빵] meokbang eating show, a video of someone eating (먹는 방송)
- 혼밥 honbap eating alone (혼자 + 밥)
- 혼술 honsul drinking alone (혼자 + 술)
- 생파 saengpa birthday party (생일 파티)
- 셀카 selka selfie (셀프 + 카메라)
- 비번 bibeon password (비밀번호)
- 남친 namchin boyfriend (남자 친구)
- 여친 yeochin girlfriend (여자 친구)
Feelings and people
- 소확행 [소화캥] sohwakaeng small but certain happiness (소소하지만 확실한 행복)
- 깜놀 kkamnol shocked, surprised (깜짝 놀라다)
- 강추 gangchu strong recommendation (강력 추천)
- 인싸 inssa a popular, social person (from English "insider")
- 아싸 assa someone who stays outside the group, a loner (from English "outsider")
- 갑분싸 gapbunssa the mood suddenly turns awkward (갑자기 분위기 싸해지다)
- 별다줄 byeoldajul "You shorten everything!" (별걸 다 줄인다)
- 버카충 beokachung charging a bus card (버스 카드 충전)
Where did they come from?
| Short word | Full form | How it was made |
|---|---|---|
| 소확행 | 소소하지만 확실한 행복 | First syllables of three key words |
| 갑분싸 | 갑자기 분위기 싸해지다 | First syllables: 갑 + 분 + 싸 |
| 별다줄 | 별걸 다 줄인다 | A joke word about short words themselves |
| 버카충 | 버스 카드 충전 | Three nouns, one syllable each |
| 깜놀 | 깜짝 놀라다 | Two syllables from a common phrase |
| 강추 | 강력 추천 | Two Sino-Korean words |
| 먹방 | 먹는 방송 | Now known around the world as mukbang |
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My favorite is 별다줄! When my friends make a really strange short word, I say 아, 별다줄 ㅋㅋ. It's a short word that makes fun of short words. So Korean!
Using them in sentences
- 아아 한 잔 주세요. aa han jan juseyo. One iced Americano, please. Very common in cafés. Staff understand it, but 아이스 아메리카노 is also fine.
- 이 근처에 맛집 있어요? [이 근처에 맏찝 이써요?] i geuncheoe matjip isseoyo? Is there a good restaurant near here? 맛집 is a normal word now. Safe with anyone.
- 요즘은 혼밥하는 사람이 많아요. [요즘은 혼바파는 사라미 마나요.] yojeumeun honbapaneun sarami manayo. These days many people eat alone. 혼밥 is widely used, even in news.
- 주말에 친구 생파 가. jumare chingu saengpa ga. I'm going to a friend's birthday party this weekend. Casual. With friends.
- 퇴근하고 혼술 한잔했어요. [퇴근하고 혼술 한잔해써요.] toegeunhago honsul hanjanhaesseoyo. After work, I had a drink by myself.
- 이 영화 강추! i yeonghwa gangchu! I strongly recommend this movie! Casual, friendly. Common in reviews online.
- 깜놀했잖아! [깜놀핻짜나!] kkamnolhaetjana! You scared me! Casual, with friends.
- 따뜻한 커피 한 잔이 내 소확행이야. [따뜨탄 커피 한 자니 내 소화캥이야.] ttatteutan keopi han jani nae sohwakaengiya. A cup of warm coffee is my small happiness.
- 걔는 완전 인싸야. gyaeneun wanjeon inssaya. That person is a real social butterfly. Casual. 인싸 is a compliment.
- 비번이 뭐였지? [비버니 뭐엳찌?] bibeoni mwoyeotji? What was the password again?
- 농담했는데 갑분싸됐어. [농담핸는데 갑분싸돼써.] nongdamhaenneunde gapbunssadwaesseo. I made a joke and the mood got awkward.
Be careful with these
아싸 can hurt. Calling yourself an 아싸 as a joke is common, but calling another person 아싸 may sound unkind.
Playful words are for friends. 갑분싸, 별다줄, 깜놀 and 강추 are fun in chat and with friends, but not in a job interview, a report, or when talking to your teacher or an older person you don't know well.
Everyday words are safe. 맛집, 먹방, 혼밥, 셀카, 남친 and 여친 are used by people of all ages, on TV and in newspapers. Still, in a formal situation, the full word (남자 친구, 비밀번호) is safer.
Older people may not know newer words. If your grandmother-age neighbor looks confused, just use the full form.
How to learn new ones. When you hear a short word you don't know, it is perfectly fine to ask: 그게 무슨 뜻이에요? (What does that mean?) or 줄임말이에요? (Is that a short word?). Koreans are usually happy to explain, and many of them also had to ask the first time.
Planning the weekend
Check quiz
Q1. What is 혼밥?
Q2. Which is the full form of 소확행?
Q3. Your friend makes a joke at dinner and everyone goes quiet. Which word fits?
Q4. Which short word is safe to use with almost anyone, even on TV?
Q5. What does 비번 mean?
Q6. In a job interview, what should you say instead of 강추해요?
Amazing work! Next time you're in a Korean café, try ordering 아아 한 잔 주세요. Small wins like that are my 소확행. 화이팅!
Key points
- Most short words take the first syllable of each word: 생일 파티 → 생파
- 맛집, 먹방, 혼밥, 셀카 are normal words used by all ages
- 갑분싸, 별다줄, 깜놀, 강추 are playful: friends and casual chat only
- Calling someone else 아싸 can sound unkind
- In formal situations, use the full form
Recommended official free resources
- Standard Korean Dictionary — National Institute of Korean Language
- Korean Basic Dictionary (multilingual) — National Institute of Korean Language
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