If you’re exposed to the Korean language – whether through listening to K-Pop, watching Korean dramas, or through some other means, chances are that even if you don’t know the language, you might have picked up on a couple of English-sounding words. That’s because Korean has a lot of loanwords and Konglish words.
But what are these, and do they have the same meaning as the English words they’re derived from? We explain all here.
What Is Konglish?
Konglish (콩글리시; konggeulrisi), otherwise known as Korean-style English, is a type of loanword in Korean where the words are coined in Korea but the roots of those words are from English. Essentially, they’re pseudo-English words (formally known as pseudo-anglicisms).
You can distinguish these from other loanwords because English speakers who don’t know Korean wouldn’t understand what you were talking about if you were to use them in an English-speaking country.
An example is 스킨십 (seukinsip). This is an amalgamation of the English words “skin” and “ship”. When put together in English, these two words don’t mean anything, but in Korean, 스킨십 means physical intimacy, physical contact, or touch.
What are Direct Loanwords?
Direct loanwords (외래어; weraeeo), on the other hand, are words that are directly translated from their original language to Korean. Most of the loanwords found in Korean are from English. It’s estimated that about 90% of loanwords found in Korean are from English.
Words like 커피 (keopi), which means coffee, and 컵 (kup), which means cup, are examples of this.
Konglish Word List
Here are just some of the most frequently used Konglish words. You’ll probably come across them in your Korean studies.
Whilst Konglish can be confusing at first, they’ll likely become so normal that you ㅈon’t even bat an eyelid when you see them!
| Korean | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 서비스 | seobiseu | Free service or gift, e.g. free side dishes at a restaurant (literally “service”) |
| 와이셔츠 | waisyeocheu | Dress shirt (literally “y-shirt”) |
| 셀프 | selpeu | Self-service at a restaurant or buffet (literally “self”) |
| 아파트 | apateu | Apartment (literally “apart”) |
| 핸들 | haendeul | Steering wheel (literally “handle”) |
| 헤어숍 | heeosyop | Beauty salon (literally “hair shop”) |
| 스탠드 | seutaendeu | Desk lamp (literally “stand”) |
| 화이팅 | hwaiting | Hand in there, you’ve got this! (literally “fighting”) |
| 원샷 | wonsyat | Bottom’s up! (literally “one shot”) |
| 핸드폰 | haendeupon | Smartphone (literally “hand phone”) |
| 노트북 | noteubuk | Laptop (literally “notebook”) |
| 아이돌 | aidol | K-Pop star (literally “idol”) |
| 컨디션 | keondisyeon | Refers to someone’s physical condition or health (literally “condition”) |
| 헌팅 | heonting | Flirting or looking for a date (literally “hunting”) |
| 노트 | noteu | Notebook, though 공책 is used more often (literally “note”) |
| 프린트 | peurinteu | Refers to printed documents, not the action of printing itself (literally “print”) |
| 린스 | rinseu | Hair conditioner (literally “rinse”) |
| 오토바이 | otobai | Motorbike (literally “autobi”, a shortened form of “auto bicycle”) |
| 리폼 | ripom | Refers to upcycling or renovating, particularly in fashion, home design or furniture (literally “reform”) |
| 아이쇼핑 | aishyoping | Window shopping (literally “eye shopping”) |
| 리모컨/리모콘 | rimokeon/rimokon | Remote control (literally “remo-con”, a shorted version of “remote control”) |
| 샤프 | syapeu | Mechanical pencil (literally “sharp” from “sharp pencil”) |
| 슈퍼 | syupeo | Supermarket or grocery store (literally “super”) |
| 미팅 | miting | Blind date, though 소개팅 is used more often (literally “meeting”) Sometimes used for “meeting” too |
| 원룸 | wonrum | Studio apartment (literally “one room”) |
| 셀카 | selka | Selfie (literally “sel-ka”, a shortened version of “self camera”) |
| 사이다 | saida | Soda pop (literally “cider”) |
| 바바리 (코트) | babari (koteu) | Trench coat (literally “Burberry”, but the word refers to all trench coats, not just Burberry trench coats) |
| 매직펜 | maejik | Permanent marker (literally “magic pen”, derived from Magic Markers) |
| 헬스클럽 | helseukeulleop | Gym (literally “health club”) |
| 핫플 | hatpeul | Popular place (restaurant, area, etc.). Literally “hot pl(ace)” |
| 싸인 | ssain | Autograph (literally “sign”) |
| 커닝 | keoning | Cheating on an exam or test (literally “cunning”) |
| 비닐봉지 | binilbongji | Plastic bag (literally “vinyl bag”) |
| 가글 | gageul | Mouthwash (literally “gargle”) |
| 개그맨/개그우먼 | gaegeumaen/gaegeuumeon | Male/Female comedian (literally “gag man” and “gag woman”) |
| 매너리즘 | maeneorijeum | Habitual behavior (literally “mannerism”) |
| 슈크림 | syukeurim | Custard cream (literally “syu cream”) |
| 커트라인 | keoteurain | Cut-off point (literally “cut line”) |
| 퀵서비스 | kwikseobiseu | Express delivery (literally “quick service”) |
| 포켓볼 | poketbol | Pool (literally “pocket ball”) |
| 에로(영화/무비) | ero (yeonghwa/mubi) | Adult movie (literally “ero”, short for “erotic”) |
Want to Learn Some Konglish Jokes?
When you have a few hundred Korean words under your belt, you can whip out some Konglish jokes. These are jokes that mix Korean with English. They can also help you memorize some new Korean words.
Here are some examples:
Q: What did the milk say when it fell over?
A: 아야
Explanation: “milk” in Korean is 우유 (uyu) which, when turned on its side, looks like 아야 (aya). Aya in English sounds like an exclamation you would make if you fell over and hurt yourself.
Q: What did the fish say when his friend was eaten?
A: 오뎅!
Explanation: 오뎅 (odaeng) sounds like “oh dang!” but it’s also the Korean word for Japanese oden, which includes fishcakes in a light broth. The implication here is that the fish was turned into oden and eaten. Oh dang indeed!
Cultural tip: Usually, a pure-Korean word is used to specifically refer to the fishcakes served in oden. They call them 어묵 (eomuk).
Q: What is a robot’s favorite food?
A: 비빔밥
Explanation: 비빔밥 (bibimbap) is a well-known and much-beloved Korean rice dish, but it also sounds like something a robot would say!
Q: What do vampires have for breakfast?
A: 코피
Explanation: 코피 (kopi) quite literally translates to nosebleed, but it also sounds a lot like 커피 (keopi), which is coffee in Korean.
Korean language tip: Watch your pronunciation on the word “coffee” so it doesn’t sound like “nosebleed”!
Q: What store is a cow scared of?
A: 다이소
Explanation: 다이소 (daiso) is actually the Korean word for the store Daiso, but, as 소 (so) means “cow” in Korean, it also sounds like “die cow” using a mix of Korean and English.
Q: What is grandad’s favorite money?
A: 할머니
Explanation: Okay, this is a cute one. 할머니 (halmeoni) in Korean means grandmother (aww!), but it also sounds like “all money” in English.
Q: Which animal apologizes the most?
A: 오소리
Explanation: 오소리 (osori) sounds like “oh sorry” in English, but it actually means badger in Korean.
Q: What did the cat say to the sheep?
A: 고양이!
Explanation: 고양이 (goyangi) means cat in Korean. In Korean, 양 (yang) means “sheep” and 이 (i) is often added to names or titles if you’re close to someone. So the answer could be interpreted as similar to “Go, sheepy!”
Q: How do you escape a bear?
A: Turn it over and walk through it.
Explanation: This is like the 아야/우유 joke at the beginning. Bear is 곰 (gom) in Korean, but if you turn the hangeul word upside down it looks like 문 (mun), which means “door”.
Q: What do you call a piece of toast with only butter on it?
A: 노잼.
Explanation: 노잼 (nojaem) sounds like “no jam” in English. But in Korean, 노잼 is a slang word meaning “boring” or “not interesting”. I quite like toast with just butter, but I guess many would find this boring!
Q: What’s the most popular insect in the world?
A: 스타벅스
Explanation: 스타벅스 (seutabeokseu) means Starbucks, but it also sounds like “star bugs” in English.
Q: What happens when seeds die?
A: They become 주근깨
Explanation: 깨 (kkae) is the word for seeds in Korean and 주근깨 (jukeunkkae) is the word for freckles. But the word for freckles sounds like 죽은 깨 (jukeun kkae), which translates to “dead seed”.
Q: Who lives in the Amazon?
A: 아마… 존
Explanation: 아마존 (amajon) is the Korean word for Amazon (both the place and the company). But it also sounds like “probably John” in Korean: 아마 존 (ama john).
English Loanwords In Korean
What’s great about Korean loanwords that are derived from English is that they provide Korean learners with vocabulary words that you can learn really easily especially at the beginning when you’re just starting to study the language. Here are just some of the English words you can find in Korean:
| Korean Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 컴퓨터 | keompyuteo | Computer |
| 인터넷 | inteonet | Internet |
| 쇼핑 | syoping | Shopping |
| 카메라 | kamera | Camera |
| 버스 | beoseu | Bus |
| 티비 | tibi | TV |
| 택시 | taeksi | Taxi |
| 컵 | keop | Cup |
| 커피 | keopi | Coffee |
| 핫도그 | hatdogeu | Hot dog |
| 피자 | pija | Pizza |
| 햄버거 | haembeogeo | Hamburger |
| 프린터 | peurinteo | Printer |
| 땡큐 | ddaengkyu | Thank you |
| 크리스마스 | Keulliseumaseu | Christmas |
How Many English Loanwords Are There in Korean?
There are countless English loanwords in Korean. In 1994, Sohn Homin estimated that loanwords made up around 5% of the Korean language. Since then, the number of English loanwords used in Korean has grown exponentially, so this percentage has likely increased.
And this number keeps growing too. For instance, using loanwords like 메이크업 (meikeueop; makeup) are becoming more popular even though there’s already a native Korean equivalent (화장; hwajang).
Watch this video to see how much Koreans struggle when they’re told not to use loanwords from other countries. As you can see, it’s an ingrained part of the Korean language.
Why Are There So Many English Words in Korean?
Simply put: globalization (and perhaps a bit of neocolonialism, in which a state controls another state through culture, politics and economics rather than through violent rule).
It should be noted that any explanation is pure speculation based on the history of the Korean peninsula.
In the late 1940s to early 1950s, the USA exerted influence over the South Korean army. They had little to no Korean speaking skills, so Koreans who could speak English were given a lot of political power. As a result, English was seen as a form of currency at that time.
A lot of people suggest that this perception still exists as many people in Korea believe that using English words makes them seem more well educated.
Plus, with loads of Koreans studying and travelling abroad, it’s no wonder there are so many loanwords in the language. But you’d probably be surprised by the number of loanwords found in other languages too; there are thousands of loanwords found in English.
Why Are There English Words in Korean Songs?
There are many different interpretations as to why there are so many English words in Korean songs:
- The most influential pop songs come from English-speaking countries
- Many Korean artists lived in the USA or other Western countries for some time (e.g. Psy lived in the USA for a few years, and Tablo is a Korean-Canadian national)
- They want the songs to have global appeal
- It sounds cool
Japanese Loanwords In Korean
There are quite a few Japanese loanwords in Korean. In fact, you could argue that some of the Konglish terms above are actually Japanese loanwords as many of them are derived from the Japanese word for that term, which is usually a mistranslation of a word from a different language (usually English).
From 1910 to 1945, Korea was occupied by Japan so the Japanese held massive sway in the country. During this time, Koreans were forced to use Japanese and the occupying country aimed to eradicate the Korean language. This is likely where the influence of these loan and Konglish words come from.
Nowadays, however, South Korea has made a concerted effort to get rid of a lot of these loanwords from everyday life because of the political implication. For instance, you might find that older Korean generations still use words like 다마네기 (damanegi), which means onion. This is derived from the Japanese word ダマネギ (damanegi). Younger generations instead use 양파 (yangpa) to refer to onions.
That being said, some Japanese loanwords still exist in Korean, like the ones below.
| Korean Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 구두 | gudu | Shoes (from Japanese 靴, kutsu) |
| 가방 | gabang | Bag (from Japanese 鞄, kaban) |
German Loanwords In Korean
If you’re familiar with German, you might recognize quite a few Korean words. Some of these are actually derived from the Japanese word for these terms and they have German roots. This includes:
| Korean Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 알레르기 | allereugi | Allergy (derived from the German word “allergie”) |
| 아스피린 | aseupirin | Aspirin |
| 호프 | hopeu | Beer bar (from the German word “Hofbrau”, a German beer) |
| 아르바이트/알바 | areubaiteu/alba | Part-time job (from “arbeit” in German) |
French Loanwords In Korean
For those familiar with the French language, here are a couple of French loanwords you’ll find in Korean.
| Korean Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 카페 | kape | Café |
| 샹송 | syangsong | Song (derived from the French word “chanson”) |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why Do Some Korean Words Sound Like English?
Probably because they’re loanwords from English, which we cover above!
How Do Koreans Pronounce English Words?
When speaking Korean and using loanwords from English, these have a slightly different pronunciation compared to the original English words. This is because the words are written phonetically in the Korean script.
If you pronounce the words using the English pronunciation, it’s likely that Koreans won’t understand what you’re saying. Learn the Korean alphabet to understand why they’re pronounced in this way!
How to Write English Words in Korean
유 갠 심프리 두 잇 라익 디스 (You can simply do it like this)!
You’ll need to learn the Korean alphabet before you attempt to write out English words in Korean. After that, sound out the words in English and use the closest equivalent in Korean.
It’s a fun game for beginners!