K-POP Glossary

Common fan words and slang, with the original Korean, romanization, meaning and example sentences.

1위 공약 1wi gongyak: An event an artist promises fans they will do if they win first place on a music show or chart.
갓벽 gatbyeok: A blend of "god" and "perfect" (wanbyeok), meaning flawlessly perfect.; “라이브까지 갓벽한 무대였어.”Even the live vocals were godbyeok (flawless) — what a stage.
갓생 gatsaeng: A blend of "god" and "life" (insaeng), describing a diligent, well-planned, model lifestyle.; “새벽에 운동하는 멤버 보고 나도 갓생 살기로 했어.”Seeing the member work out at dawn, I've decided to live a 'god life' (gatsaeng) too.
교환 gyohwan: Fans swapping photocards or merch they want with each other.; “리더 포카 두 장 나와서 교환 구해요.”Got two of the leader's photocards, looking to trade.
군백기 gunbaekgi: A blend of the Korean words for 'military' and 'hiatus': the period when activities pause because members are doing military service.
굿즈 goods (merch): Official merchandise sold at concerts or pop-ups.
꽃길 kkotgil: Means "a path paved with flowers" — a cheer wishing someone nothing but good things ahead.; “우리 애들 앞으로 꽃길만 걷자!”May our kids walk only on kkotgil (flower paths) from now on!
다꾸 dakku: Short for "diary decorating": decorating a planner with idol photos and stickers.; “컴백 기념으로 다꾸 한 페이지 완성!”Finished a page of dakku (diary decorating) to celebrate the comeback!
대상 daesang: The top prize at a year-end award show.
대포 daepo: A term likening the huge telephoto-lens cameras used by hommas to cannons.; “행사장 앞줄에 대포가 쫙 깔려 있더라.”The front rows at the event were lined with daepo (huge telephoto cameras).
댄라 daenra: Short for "dance line": the members who mainly handle dancing in a group.; “댄라 유닛 무대 꼭 보고 싶어.”I really want to see the dance line unit stage.
덕계못 deokgyemot: Short for "a deokhu (superfan) never gets lucky": a joke that the more devoted the fan, the less likely they are to bump into their star by chance.; “친구는 공항에서 멤버 봤다는데 나는 역시 덕계못이야.”My friend saw a member at the airport, but as usual I'm deokgyemot (fans never get to run into their idols).
덕질 deokjil: All the activities of passionately supporting someone you like and enjoying related content.; “요즘 퇴근하고 덕질하는 게 제일 행복해.”These days, doing deokjil (fan activities) after work is what makes me happiest.
덕후 deokhu: A person who is deeply into a certain field or subject; the word comes from the Japanese 'otaku'.; “나 완전 아이돌 덕후라서 안무도 다 외워.”I'm a total idol deokhu (hardcore fan), so I know all the choreography by heart.
데뷔조 debutjo: A group of trainees effectively confirmed as the debut lineup.
떡밥 tteokbap: New photos, videos, news and other content that give fans something to talk about.; “오늘 떡밥이 너무 많아서 정신이 없어.”So much tteokbap (new content to feast on) today, I can't keep up.
떼창 ttechang: When the entire audience sings along together at a concert.
랩라 raepra: Short for "rap line": the members in charge of rapping in a group.; “이번 수록곡은 랩라가 직접 가사를 썼대.”I heard the rap line wrote the lyrics for this B-side themselves.
레전드 rejeondeu: A stage or moment so great that it will be talked about for years.; “이번 연말 무대는 진짜 레전드였다.”This year-end stage was truly legendary.
리더 rideo: The member who represents the group and leads the other members.; “리더가 수상 소감에서 멤버들 이름 다 불러 줬어.”The leader called out every member's name in the acceptance speech.
막내 maknae: The youngest member of a group.
막방 makbang: Short for "last broadcast": the final music show appearance of an album's promotions.; “벌써 막방이라니 너무 아쉬워.”It's already the last show (makbang)? I'm so sad.
막콘 makkon: The final show of a multi-night run; members often get emotional and cry.; “막콘에서 다 같이 울어 버렸어.”We all ended up crying together at the makcon (last concert).
맏언니 mateonni: The oldest member of a girl group.; “맏언니가 무대 끝나고 멤버들 다독여 줬대.”I heard the eldest sister comforted the members after the stage.
맏형 matyeong: The oldest member of a boy group.; “맏형이 막내 챙기는 모습이 너무 보기 좋아.”It's so heartwarming to see the eldest brother looking after the maknae.
머글 meogeul: A term for ordinary people who don't do fan activities, taken from the Harry Potter novels.; “머글 친구한테 이 노래 들려줬더니 좋아하더라.”I played this song for my muggle friend and they liked it.
메인보컬 main vocal: The member at the center of a group's vocals.
멤버십 membeosip: The official fan club's paid membership, with perks such as pre-sale tickets and exclusive content.; “올해 멤버십 기간 끝나기 전에 갱신해야 해.”I need to renew before this year's membership period ends.
뮤뱅 myubaeng: Short for KBS's music show "Music Bank."; “금요일 뮤뱅 사전녹화 응모했어.”I applied for Friday's Music Bank pre-recording.
믿듣 mitdeut: Short for "trust and listen": a singer whose music is so good you play every new song without hesitation.; “역시 믿듣 그룹, 이번 앨범도 전곡이 좋아.”A true mitdeut ("trust and listen") group — every track on this album is great too.
믿보 mitbo: Short for "trust and watch": someone whose performances or work you can always count on.; “무대 장인이라 믿보 퍼포먼스야.”They're stage masters, so their performances are always worth watching (mitbo).
본방 bonbang: The actual live broadcast, or first airing, of a music show.
본진 bonjin: Your main favorite group — the one at the center even if you like several groups.; “다른 그룹도 좋지만 본진은 절대 못 바꿔.”Other groups are great too, but I could never switch my bonjin (main group).
비담 bidam: Short for "in charge of visuals": the member especially noted for their looks in a group.; “우리 그룹은 비담이 따로 없어, 다 비담이야.”Our group doesn't have just one bidam (visual member) — they're all visuals.
비주얼 visual: A term for the member who draws particular attention for their looks.
사녹 sanok: Short for 'pre-recording' (sanok): a stage performance filmed before a music show's live broadcast.
사생 saseng: Short for "sasaeng fan": someone who follows idols around and invades their private life; criticized even within fandoms.; “공항에서 사생 때문에 멤버들이 너무 힘들어 보였어.”The members looked so worn out at the airport because of sasaeng (obsessive stalker fans).
생카 saengka: Short for "birthday cafe": a cafe event decorated and run by fans to celebrate an idol's birthday.; “이번 주말에 친구랑 생카 투어 가기로 했어.”My friend and I are going on a saengka (birthday café) tour this weekend.
서브유닛 sub-unit: A smaller team formed by some members of a group to promote separately.
선공개 seongonggae (pre-release): Releasing some tracks ahead of an album's release.
선배님 seonbaenim: A respectful title for artists who debuted earlier (sunbaenim), often heard on TV shows and at award ceremonies.; “어릴 때부터 선배님 무대 보고 꿈을 키웠어요.”I've dreamed of this since I was little, watching your stages, sunbaenim.
선예매 seonyemae: A presale that gives people who meet certain conditions, such as fan club members, the first chance to buy tickets.; “멤버십 가입해야 선예매 할 수 있대.”I heard you need a membership to get presale.
성덕 seongdeok: Short for "successful deokhu (superfan)": a fan who achieved the dream, such as meeting their star in person or being recognized by them.; “팬싸에서 내 이름 기억해 줬어, 나 성덕이야!”They remembered my name at the fansign—I'm a seongdeok (a fan who made it)!
센터 center: The member who takes the center spot in a dance formation and draws the most attention.
쇼츠 챌린지 syocheu chaellinji: A challenge video on short-form vertical video platforms where people dance part of a new song's choreography; idols often film them together.; “쇼츠 챌린지에 선배 그룹이랑 같이 나왔어.”They appeared in a Shorts challenge with a senior (sunbae) group.
쇼케이스 showcase: A public event where a new song is first presented at a comeback or debut.
수록곡 surokgok (b-side): A song included on an album besides the title track.
스밍 seuming: Short for "streaming": playing music repeatedly to boost chart results.; “자기 전에 스밍 돌려 놓고 잘게.”I'll leave the seuming (streaming) running before I go to sleep.
슬로건 seullogeon: A cloth banner with an idol's name or a cheering message that fans hold up at concerts.; “앵콜 때 다 같이 슬로건 들기로 했어.”We all agreed to hold up our slogans together during the encore.
심쿵 simkung: Short for "my heart goes thump": a moment of butterflies or being deeply moved.; “엔딩 윙크에 심쿵했어.”That ending wink made my heart skip a beat (simkung).
알고리즘 algorijeum: Refers to video platforms' recommendation systems; among fans, it's used when someone became a fan by chance thanks to a recommended video.; “알고리즘이 이 직캠 띄워 줘서 입덕했어.”The algorithm pushed this fancam to me and I became a fan (ipdeok).
앨범깡 aelbeomkkang: Opening a purchased album to see which photocards or items are inside.; “앨범깡 영상 찍으면서 두근두근했어.”My heart was pounding while filming my album unboxing (albumkkang).
앵콜 encore: An extra performance after the main set at the audience's request, or a repeat performance after winning No. 1 on a music show.
양도 yangdo: Passing tickets or merch you own on to another fan. Concert tickets are often restricted from being transferred under the rules.; “굿즈 중복돼서 정가로 양도해요.”I got duplicate merch, so I'm passing it on at face value.
어그로 eogeuro: Posts or behavior meant to deliberately attract attention or stir up trouble.; “그 글은 어그로니까 반응하지 말자.”That post is just aggro (clickbait), so let's not react.
언니 eonni: What a woman calls an older woman; female fans often use it for female idols too.; “언니 이번 콘셉트 너무 잘 어울려요!”Unnie, this concept suits you so well!
엔딩요정 endingyojeong: The member the camera closes in on at the end of a music show performance, or that moment itself.; “오늘 엔딩요정 표정 연기 대박이었어.”Today's ending fairy (the member in the final close-up) nailed the facial expression.
엠카 emka: Short for Mnet's music show "M Countdown."; “엠카에서 컴백 무대 첫 공개래.”I heard the comeback stage premieres on M Countdown (Mka).
역조공 yeokjogong: When an artist prepares gifts or snacks to hand out to fans.
연습생 yeonseupsaeng (trainee): Someone trained in singing, dancing and more at an agency before debut.
영업 yeongeop: Introducing your favorite idols to others to try to make them fans.; “친구한테 무대 영상 보내면서 열심히 영업 중이야.”I'm doing some serious yeongeop (recruiting new fans), sending my friend stage videos.
예절샷 yejeolsyat: A photo taken with your favorite idol's photocard placed next to food or scenery.; “케이크 나오자마자 포카 꺼내서 예절샷 찍었어.”As soon as the cake came out, I pulled out my photocard and took a yejeolshot (photocard-with-food pic).
오빠 oppa: What a woman calls an older man; female fans also use it to address male idols affectionately.; “오빠들 이번 콘서트 너무 멋있었어요!”Oppas, this concert was so amazing!
올라운더 all-rounder: A member who is well-rounded in singing, dancing, rapping and more.
올킬 all-kill: When a new song sweeps No. 1 on all the major music charts.
완전체 wanjeonche: When all members of a group are together.
월드투어 world tour: A concert tour that travels to cities in multiple countries.
음방 eumbang: Short for 'music show' (eumbang): a weekly TV music program.
음색 eumsaek: Refers to the unique color and feel of a voice (tone); fans often use it to praise an attractive voice.; “첫 소절부터 음색이 너무 좋아.”That vocal tone is amazing from the very first line.
음원 차트 eumwon chart: Song rankings on streaming services such as Melon and Genie.
음중 eumjung: Short for MBC's music show "Show! Music Core."; “이번 주 음중에서 스페셜 무대 한대.”I heard there's a special stage on Eumjung (Show! Music Core) this week.
응원법 eungwonbeop (fanchant): A chant that fans shout together at set parts of a song.
응원봉 eungwonbong (lightstick): An official cheering tool with a design unique to each group.
응원봉 연동 eungwonbong yeondong: A feature at concerts where lightsticks connect to a central system and automatically change color and lights in sync with the songs.; “응원봉 연동되니까 객석이 파도처럼 반짝였어.”With the lightsticks synced, the audience sparkled like waves.
인가 inga: Short for SBS's music show Inkigayo.; “일요일 인가 엔딩 요정 누구였어?”Who was the ending fairy on Sunday's Inga (Inkigayo)?
입덕 ipdeok: Refers to starting to become a fan of an idol or group.; “무대 영상 하나 보고 바로 입덕했어.”I became a fan (ipdeok) right after watching one stage video.
자체 제작 jache jejak (self-produced): When idols create songs or content themselves.
자컨 jakeon: Short for "self-made content": variety shows, vlogs and the like produced by idols or their agencies and posted on official channels.; “이번 주 자컨 너무 웃겨서 세 번 봤어.”This week's jacon (self-produced content) was so funny I watched it three times.
존예 jonye: A very informal abbreviation meaning "really pretty"; not used in formal settings.; “이번 콘셉트 사진 진짜 존예야.”These concept photos are seriously jonye (stunningly pretty).
존잘 jonjal: A very informal abbreviation meaning "really handsome"; best used only among close friends or online.; “오늘 헤어스타일 존잘이다.”The hairstyle today is jonjal (insanely good-looking).
직캠 jikcam (fancam): A stage video that follows just one member.
짤 jjal: Photos or short images circulating online; animated ones are called "umjjal."; “이 표정 짤로 저장해 놨어.”I saved this expression as a jjal (image).
차애 chaae: The member or group you like second-most after your bias.; “최애는 리더인데 차애가 요즘 너무 치고 올라와.”My bias is the leader, but lately my chaae (second favorite) is climbing fast.
챌린지 challenge: A promotional method in which many people copy a short dance from a new song and post it as short-form video.
첫콘 cheotkon: The first show of a multi-night run.; “첫콘이라 세트리스트 스포 없이 가서 더 신났어.”It was the first show (cheotkon), so I went in with no setlist spoilers and it was even more exciting.
초동 chodong: Album sales during the first week after release.
총공 chonggong: Short for "all-out attack": fans streaming, voting or searching together at a set time.; “오늘 밤 9시에 투표 총공 있어요!”There's a voting chonggong (all-out fan push) tonight at 9!
최애 choeae (bias): Your favorite member of a group.
컴백 comeback: When an artist releases a new album or song and resumes promotions.
컵홀더 keopholdeo: A cup-holder freebie printed with an idol's photo, given with drinks at birthday cafés and similar events.; “생카에서 받은 컵홀더 앨범에 모아 두고 있어.”I'm collecting the cup holders I got at birthday cafés (saengka) in an album.
킬링파트 killing part: The most memorable and catchy part of a song.
킬포 kilpo: Short for "killing point": the most memorable or funniest part of a stage or video.; “이 영상 킬포는 마지막 멤버 반응이야.”The killing point (best moment) of this video is the member's reaction at the end.
킹받다 kingbatda: An exaggerated, informal version of "getting mad," used playfully when something is annoying or funny-infuriating.; “멤버가 일부러 틀리는 거 너무 킹받아 ㅋㅋ”It drives me nuts (kingbada) when the member messes up on purpose lol
타이틀곡 title track: The track that represents an album, promoted on TV and given a music video.
탈덕 taldeok: Quitting being a fan.; “탈덕한 줄 알았는데 신곡 듣고 다시 돌아왔어.”I thought I'd done taldeok (quit being a fan), but the new song pulled me right back.
탑꾸 tapkku: Short for "toploader decorating": decorating the clear case that holds photocards with stickers and more.; “새로 산 스티커로 탑꾸 해 봤어.”I decorated my toploader (tapkku) with my new stickers.
퇴근길 toegeungil: Refers to idols heading out after finishing a schedule, or to fans greeting and seeing them off at that moment.; “퇴근길에 손 흔들어 줘서 감동이었어.”It was so touching when they waved at me on their way out (toegeungil).
팬덤 fandom: A group of fans of a particular artist, or its official name.
팬미 paenmi: Short for "fan meeting": an event where idols meet fans for games, talk and performances.; “이번 팬미에서 멤버들이 팬 이름 불러 줬대.”I heard the members called out fans' names at this fanmi (fan meeting).
팬싸 paenssa (fansign): Short for 'fan signing event' (fansign): an event where fans meet artists up close and get autographs.
팬콘 paenkon: Short for "fan concert": a show that mixes a fan meeting with a concert.; “팬콘이라 토크 시간도 길어서 좋았어.”It was a fan-con, so the talk segments were long too, which I loved.
포카 poka (photocard): Short for 'photocard': a member photo card randomly included in albums.
포카깡 pokakkang: Opening randomly included photocards to see which member you got.; “포카깡에서 최애 나와서 소리 질렀어.”I screamed when I pulled my bias while opening photocards (pokakkang).
폴꾸 polkku: Short for "Polaroid decorating": decorating Polaroid-style photo prints with stickers and more.; “주말에 친구들이랑 폴꾸 모임 했어.”I had a pollkku (photocard-sleeve decorating) meetup with friends this weekend.
프로듀싱돌 producing-dol: An idol who takes part directly in writing, composing and producing.
피켓팅 piketting: Short for "bloody ticketing": booking for a show where competition is extremely fierce.; “이번 콘서트도 역시 피켓팅이었어.”As expected, this concert was pikketing (a bloody ticketing war) too.
홈마 homma: Short for "homepage master": a fan who shoots idol photos with professional cameras and posts them on a fansite or social media.; “홈마님 사진 덕분에 오늘 무대 복습했어.”Thanks to the homma's photos, I got to relive today's stage.
휴덕 hyudeok: Taking a break from fandom without quitting entirely.; “시험 기간이라 잠깐 휴덕 중이야.”It's exam season, so I'm taking a short fandom break (hyudeok).
MZ emjet: Short for "MZ generation" (born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s); sometimes used jokingly for the quirky behavior of young people.; “막내가 하는 말 완전 MZ 그 자체야.”The way the maknae talks is so MZ (Gen MZ vibes).