이빠이

Konglish 101

Eng-eu-rish for the Masses

콩글리쉬 101

•air-con 에어콘 air conditioner

•a-pa-teu 아파트 apartment

•a-reu-ba-i-teu 아르바이트 a part-time job, from the German arbeit for work, these days, also called alba 알바, which could be related to Koreans’ love for Jessica Alba.

•bba-ggu 빠꾸 an instruction to “back up” a car. From the Japanese baku.

•ho-peu 호프 a bar or pub, from the German ‘Hof.’ Actually, this is merely the Korean mispronunciation of Hof as there is no equivalent to an ‘f’ in Korean.

•hwa-i-ting 화이팅 literally“fighting.” This oft-cited Konglish word has no English equivalent. It is an interjection used to express a healthy “fighting” spirit or tenacity of will. Its closest English equivalents might be: “Right on!,” “Go for it!,” “Get it done!” (“Git’er done!”), “Don’t give up!” etc.

•MT 엠티 literally “Membership Training” which refers to a weekend drinking getaway with people from the same major or sometimes coworkers.

•ok bu-ddy 오케바리 that’s sounds good or let’s do that.

•o-ra-i o-ra-i 오라이 오라이 for all right, all right when backing up a car

•o-to-bai 오토바이 “autobike” for a motorcycle

•P-turn 피턴 many intersections in Korea do not allow left turns, so it is often necessary to do a P-turn immediately after an intersection, taking a right at the first alley, then two more rights to achieve a ‘P’ directionally.

•remote con 리모콘 a remote control.

•same same 쌤쌤 slang for “the same”when comparing two things.

•seu-kin 스킨 toner as in “I put on my skin in the morning.”

•ssang-yu 쌩유 thank you (in Korean rapper form). Also: ssang-kyu 쌍큐, ssang-yu-bae-ri-kam-sa 쌩유베리감사 combining “thank you very . . .” & Korean “thank you,” ssang-yu 쌩유베리망치 thank you very much (making “much” sound like the Korean word for “hammer”)

•te-re-bi 테레비 television (this is a bit outdated, but some still use it).

•wa-i-sya-sseu 와이샤쓰 an oxford, button-down or dress shirt, from the English “white shirt.”