This page will be a list of terms common in k-pop and what they mean. Please suggest any words to be added or corrections.
Ahjumma: an older female, typically the age of a mother or aunt, but not your mother
Ahjusshi: an older male, typically the age of a father or uncle, but not your father
Aish: expression of frustration/irritation
Aja: see fighting or hwaiting
Ani/Anyo: no
Annyeong: hello/goodbye, when you are close to someone only.
Annyeonghaseyo: hello, goodbye
Annyeonghigaseyo: goodbye only (“I’ll leave first”)
Antis: people who aren’t fans and go out of their way to criticize and attack the artists they don’t like
Babo: fool/stupid. Depends on the context.
Bagel Girl: female with a youthful face and womanly/curvy body
Black Ocean: form of protest where people wear black or don’t use light sticks
Byungtae: pervert/perverted. (see a lot of ‘idols’)
Daebak: win/jackpot/awesome. Used when something is a winner or incredibly amazing
Deh: yes (see Neh/Yeh)
Dongsaeng: younger person/sibling
Fandom: fan club
Fighting: cheer for good luck and encouragement. Also sometimes written as “Hwaiting”
Flower Boy: male with youthful features. Typically tall, thin, and more feminine/striking features
Gomawo: Thank you (informal)
Hoobae: person who is your professional junior (Ex: 2NE1 is Big Bangs hoobae since 2NE1 debuted after Big Bang)
Hwaiting: cheer for good luck and encouragement (written this way since Koreans have issues with “f”) Also written as “Fighting.”
Hyung: literally means “older brother.” used by males to refer to older males/brothers. Usually if the person uses this term, it means they are somewhat close to the other individual *not always*
Kamsahamnida: Thank you
K-Pop: Korean popular music
Love Call: asking someone to either star in a show, promote a product, or appear somewhere. Also can be a confession/announcement of a wish to meet your ideal type. Can be used to show appreciation or respect for talent/growing popularity.
Maknae/Magnae: literally means “the youngest.” the youngest member in a group
Neh: yes (see also Deh/Yeh)
Netizen: a person on the internet, particularly in chatrooms or comment sections; Korean netizens are popular for being able to find out anything
Noona: literally means “older sister.” used by males to refer to older females/sisters. Usually if the person uses this term, it means they are somewhat close to the other individual *not always*
Nyam: yum/nom
Oppa: used by females to refer to older males/brothers
Sarang: love
Saranghae: I love you (informal)
Saranghaeyo: I love you
Sasaengs/Sassaengs: crazy stalkers posing as fans
Stans: Fans who are loyal (sometimes overly so)
Sunbae: person who is your professional senior (Ex: Big Bang is 2NE1′s sunbae since Big Bang debuted before 2NE1)
Ulzzang: “best face;” used when referring to a person who gained fame due to their looks, typically on internet sites
Yeh: yes (see also Deh/Neh)
