{"id":50389,"date":"2021-11-17T15:00:16","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T14:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/?p=50389"},"modified":"2025-04-16T15:22:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T06:22:11","slug":"untranslatable-korean-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/untranslatable-korean-words\/","title":{"rendered":"Untranslatable Korean words entering the English dictionary"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6><em>Last updated: April 2025<\/em><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Korean culture is slowly gaining a foothold in the rest of the world and, as a result<\/span><b>, many untranslatable Korean<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> words are becoming known even to non-native speakers. The use of certain Korean words is becoming so popular that some of them have even become part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oed.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oxford English dictionary<\/a>. Curious to know what these words are? Then read on, but first let&#8217;s find out what led to this phenomenon.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>The spread of Korean culture around the world<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to mass cultural products such as K-pop and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/some-curiosities-about-k-dramas-korean-tv-series\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K-drama<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Korea and certain words in Korean have slowly spread to the rest of the world, unconsciously becoming part of common knowledge. In particular, the most famous examples are bands like <\/span><b>BTS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which are now popular all over the world. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last but not least, <\/span><b>Korean food<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Korean food is also appreciated by more and more people because of its unique taste and healthy ingredients, and the number of Korean restaurants abroad is increasing exponentially. Therefore, terms indicating traditional Korean dishes account for a large number of the new entries in the dictionary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In 2021, 26 new Korean words were introduced into the Oxford English dictionary. As of <strong>December 2024, 7 untranslatable Korean words<\/strong> have been added too! <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s give a look at them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-92771\" src=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Untranslatable-Korean-words.png\" alt=\"Untranslatable Korean words\" width=\"798\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Untranslatable-Korean-words.png 798w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Untranslatable-Korean-words-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Untranslatable-Korean-words-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Untranslatable Korean words related to food<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we&#8217;ve already mentioned, many of the new untranslatable Korean words<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">added to the English dictionary that refer to Korean culture are food-related. We have:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Banchan<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ubc18\ucc2c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). These are typical Korean side dishes, which are served in many small plates and accompany each main course<\/span>;<\/li>\n<li><em>Bulgogi<\/em>\u00a0(from \ubd88\uace0\uae30). This is a beef dish marinated in soy sauce, typical of Korean cuisine;<\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chimaek<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\uce58\ub9e5<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). This is the typical combination of fried chicken and beer, much loved by Koreans and often featured in dramas. The word comes from the combination of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chicken<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\uce58\ud0a8<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, used in Korean to indicate fried chicken and not normal chicken, which is called <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dalk<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ub2ed<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">maekju<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ub9e5\uc8fc<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), a Korean word for beer;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dongchimi<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ub3d9\uce58\ubbf8<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). This is a type of crispy kimchi in broth typical of the winter period;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Galbi <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\uac08\ube44<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). This term refers to a meat dish made of beef ribs marinated in soy sauce;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>Japchae <\/em>(from \uc7a1\ucc44). This is a side dish of potato starch noodles seasoned mainly with vegetables and soy sauce;<\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kimbap<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\uae40\ubc25<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). Kimbap (from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\uae40\ubc25<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) is a roll of seaweed and rice filled with other toppings that can vary between fish, meat and vegetables. It is very similar in appearance to sushi rolls and is ubiquitous at <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/famous-korean-street-food\/\">Korean street food stalls<\/a>;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Samgyeopsal<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\uc0bc\uacb9\uc0b4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). This is pork belly meat, which is usually served raw and sliced and is cooked directly at the table using a grill placed in the middle;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>Dalgona<\/em> (from \ub2ec\uace0\ub098). <span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">A type of Korean sweet made by adding baking soda to melted sugar, typically sold by street vendors in the form of a flat disc with a simple shape carved on its surface;<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-start=\"749\" data-end=\"851\"><em>Jjigae<\/em> (from \ucc0c\uac1c). This is<span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"> Korean stew, typically made with meat, seafood, or vegetables in a seasoned broth;<\/span>\u200b<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"855\" data-end=\"962\"><em>Tteokbokki<\/em> (from \ub5a1\ubcf6\uc774). <span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">A famous street food, stir-fried rice cakes in a spicy sauce.<\/span>\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among these u<\/span>ntranslatable Korean words<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you might have noticed that the <strong>famous <\/strong><\/span><strong><i>kimchi<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the typical Korean side dish made of cabbage marinated in spicy sauce, is missing. The reason is simple; the word was already in the dictionary and has only been updated in the new edition.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Untranslatable Korean words related to Hallyu<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the untranslatable Korean words related to Korean culture that have been introduced in the Oxford dictionary, most are <\/span><b>related to Hallyu<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and others have spread thanks to them. Let&#8217;s see what they are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Hallyu<\/em> (from \ud55c\ub958). This term symbolises the metaphorical Korean wave which, through mass cultural products, has swept over the rest of the world;<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prefix <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K-<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This is not a purely Korean term, but a prefix used in English and other languages that specifies that the following term refers to Korea. Some examples are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K-pop<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (a term that was actually already present in full in the dictionary), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K-drama<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K-food<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>K-drama<\/em>. Given the popularity of<a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/some-curiosities-about-k-dramas-korean-tv-series\/\"> Korean dramas<\/a> and the numerous occurrences of the term k-drama, the expression was introduced in full in the dictionary;<\/li>\n<li><em>Hanbok<\/em> (from \ud55c\ubcf5). It is the traditional Korean dress;<\/li>\n<li><em>Manwha<\/em> (from \ub9cc\ud654). It refers to Korean comics;<\/li>\n<li><em>M<\/em><em>ukbang<\/em> (from \uba39\ubc29). The correct transliteration would actually be meokbang and the term comes from the combination of the words <i>meokda<\/i> (\uba39\ub2e4), to eat, and <i>bang<\/i> (\ubc29), room, and literally means a room in which one eats. By extension, the term has come to denote a particular kind of video that has become popular on the web lately, in which people film themselves eating.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-60470\" src=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Noraebang-in-Korea-4.png\" alt=\"Noraebang in Korea\" width=\"798\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Noraebang-in-Korea-4.png 798w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Noraebang-in-Korea-4-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Noraebang-in-Korea-4-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Untranslatable Korean words related to entertainment<\/h2>\n<p>From the world of K-dramas and K-pop to the subtle dynamics of human connection, here are some untranslatable Korean words that offer a glimpse into the richness of <strong>Korean culture<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>PC bang<\/em> (from PC\ubc29). <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Term used to refer to internet caf\u00e9s;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>Tang soo do <\/em>(from \ub2f9\uc218\ub3c4), <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a Korean martial art;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>Trot<\/em> (from \ud2b8\ub85c\ud2b8). <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a type of Korean folk music typical of the early decades of the twentieth century;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>Pansori<\/em> (from \ud310\uc18c\ub9ac) is a<span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"> Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a vocalist and a drummer;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>Noraebang<\/em> (from \ub178\ub798\ubc29). Features <span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">private rooms to enjoy karaoke.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Untranslatable Korean words related to expressions<\/h2>\n<p>Some Korean phrases just <em data-start=\"389\" data-end=\"398\">get you<\/em> \u2014 they say exactly what you mean when English falls flat. These untranslatable Korean words add <strong>extra flavor<\/strong> to the little things we feel every day.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Aegyo <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\uc560\uad50<\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). This is an excessively tender or childlike behaviour adopted in order to look cute and adorable;<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Daebak<\/em> (from \ub300\ubc15). It is an exclamation indicating joy and astonishment at the same time;<\/li>\n<li><em>Fighting<\/em> (from \ud654\uc774\ud305 or \ud30c\uc774\ud305). The Korean word is itself derived from English, but has a different meaning from the original. It is in fact a cry of encouragement. Now, this meaning of the word, initially used only by Koreans, is also recognised by the English dictionary;<\/li>\n<li><em>Konglish<\/em> (from \ucf69\uae00\ub9ac\uc26c). The term comes from the combination of the words<i> Korean <\/i>and <i>English<\/i> and indicates hybrid expressions that mix elements of both languages;<\/li>\n<li><em>Skinship<\/em>. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term is originally English but in Korean has come to mean exaggerated physical contact in public.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-95447\" src=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Untranslatable-Korean-words-1.png\" alt=\"Untranslatable Korean words in the English dictionary\" width=\"798\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Untranslatable-Korean-words-1.png 798w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Untranslatable-Korean-words-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Untranslatable-Korean-words-1-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Untranslatable Korean words related to relationships<\/h2>\n<p>Korean has a word for <strong>every kind of bond<\/strong> \u2014 from sweet sibling love to playful teasing between friends. These untranslatable Korean words make relationships feel deeper, warmer, and sometimes hilariously specific.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Nuna<\/em> (from \ub204\ub098). <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A term that literally means older sister, but by extension can also mean an older friend or girlfriend (but only if older). However, the term can only be used by male persons;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>Unni<\/em> (from \uc5b8\ub2c8, <em>eonni<\/em>). <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A term for an older sister or older friend that can be used by female persons;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>Oppa<\/em> (from \uc624\ube60). Term used to refer to an older brother or older friend or one&#8217;s boyfriend (but only if older). This also has the distinction of being usable only by female persons;<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"431\" data-end=\"529\"><em>Hyung<\/em> (from \ud615).\u00a0<span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">A term used by males to address an older brother or close older male friend;<\/span>\u200b<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"533\" data-end=\"635\"><em>Maknae<\/em> (from \ub9c9\ub0b4), r<span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">efers to the youngest person in a family or group; now especially used to denote the youngest member of a K-pop group.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here we are at the end of the list of <\/span><b>untranslatable Korean words<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that have been introduced into the Oxford English dictionary. Which of these did you already know?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information on Korean language and culture, keep following the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go! Go! Hanguk blog<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and don&#8217;t hesitate to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/#form\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about living and studying in Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last updated: April 2025 Korean culture is slowly gaining a foothold in the rest of the world and, as a result, many untranslatable Korean words are becoming known even to non-native speakers. The use of certain Korean words is becoming so popular that some of them have even become part of the Oxford English dictionary. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":49105,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1222],"tags":[1295,1299,1314],"class_list":["post-50389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-korean-language","tag-how-to","tag-korean-language","tag-study-korean"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50389"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95870,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50389\/revisions\/95870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}