K-pop & K-drama Korean quiz 케이팝·드라마 단어 퀴즈
Short answer: 사랑해 (saranghae) is “I love you”, 오빠 (oppa) is what a girl calls an older brother, 대박 (daebak) means “awesome!” and 막내 (maknae) is the youngest member. Play 10 questions, then study all 56 words below.
Casual or polite?
Songs and dramas are full of casual Korean (반말) — the way friends, couples and family talk: 사랑해, 고마워, 보고 싶어. It is friendly, but it can sound rude to someone you don’t know well. To make most of these polite, just add 요: 사랑해요, 고마워요, 보고 싶어요. Our conjugation pages show the casual, polite and formal form of every common verb.
Korean also has no single word for “brother” or “sister” — it depends on who is talking. A girl calls her older brother 오빠 and a boy calls his 형; a girl calls her older sister 언니 and a boy calls his 누나.
Feelings & everyday phrases
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 사랑해 | saranghae | I love you | Casual. Add 요 to be polite: 사랑해요. Every form of 사랑하다 → |
| 보고 싶어 | bogo sipeo | I miss you | Literally “I want to see (you)”. Polite: 보고 싶어요. Every form of 보다 → |
| 괜찮아 | gwaenchana | It’s okay / Are you okay? | Said as [괜차나] — the ㅎ in 찮 is silent. Polite: 괜찮아요. Every form of 괜찮다 → |
| 미안해 | mianhae | I’m sorry | Casual. Polite: 미안해요. Formal: 죄송합니다. Every form of 미안하다 → |
| 고마워 | gomawo | Thanks | Casual. Polite: 고마워요. Formal: 감사합니다. Every form of 고맙다 → |
| 진짜 | jinjja | Really / for real | On its own, 진짜? means “Really?”. |
| 대박 | daebak | Awesome! / No way! | Slang for something amazing — first meaning “a huge hit, a jackpot”. |
| 헐 | heol | OMG / What?! | Slang for shock or disbelief. |
| 어떡해 | eotteokae | What do I do?! / Oh no | Said as [어떠캐]. Don’t mix it up with 어떻게, “how”. |
| 아이고 | aigo | Oh my / Oh dear | A sigh of surprise, pain or sympathy — often heard from older people in dramas. |
| 뭐야 | mwoya | What is it? / What?! | Casual. Polite: 뭐예요? |
| 짱 | jjang | The best! | Slang — 짱이야, “it’s the best”. |
| 화이팅 | hwaiting | You can do it! / Go for it! | From the English word “fighting”. The dictionary spelling is 파이팅, but 화이팅 is what you see everywhere. |
| 안녕 | annyeong | Hi / Bye (casual) | For friends. Polite: 안녕하세요 (hello). |
| 잘 자 | jal ja | Good night / Sleep well | Casual. Polite: 잘 자요. Respectful: 안녕히 주무세요. Every form of 자다 → |
| 제발 | jebal | Please (I beg you) | A strong “please” — begging, not ordering. |
| 아니야 | aniya | No / It’s not | Casual. Polite: 아니에요. |
What to call people
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 오빠 | oppa | Older brother (said by a girl) | Girls and women use it for an older brother, an older male friend or a boyfriend. |
| 형 | hyeong | Older brother (said by a boy) | Boys and men use it for an older brother or an older male friend. |
| 언니 | eonni | Older sister (said by a girl) | Girls and women use it for an older sister or an older female friend. |
| 누나 | nuna | Older sister (said by a boy) | Boys and men use it for an older sister or an older female friend. |
| 막내 | mangnae | The youngest (member) | Said as [망내], so the official romanization is mangnae — fans usually write maknae. |
| 선배 | seonbae | Senior (who started before you) | Someone ahead of you at school, at work or in the industry. The opposite is 후배. |
| 아저씨 | ajeossi | Mister (a middle-aged man) | A casual way to call a middle-aged man. |
| 아줌마 | ajumma | Ma’am (a middle-aged woman) | Calling a stranger 아줌마 can sound rude — in restaurants people often say 이모 or 사장님 instead. |
| 사장님 | sajangnim | Boss / owner | The CEO in dramas — and any shop or restaurant owner in real life. |
Fan words
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 컴백 | keombaek | Comeback (a new release) | In K-pop, a group “comes back” with every new album or single. |
| 애교 | aegyo | Acting cute | A cute voice, faces and gestures. |
| 응원봉 | eungwonbong | Light stick | The glowing stick fans wave at concerts — 응원 = cheering, 봉 = stick. |
| 심쿵 | simkung | Heart flutter | Short for 심장이 쿵 — “my heart goes thump”. |
| 귀여워 | gwiyeowo | (You’re) cute | Casual. Polite: 귀여워요. Every form of 귀엽다 → |
| 예뻐 | yeppeo | (You’re) pretty | Casual. Polite: 예뻐요. Every form of 예쁘다 → |
| 멋있어 | meosisseo | (You’re) cool | Said as [머시써]. Polite: 멋있어요. Every form of 멋있다 → |
| 무대 | mudae | Stage (performance) |
Words you hear in songs
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 노래 | norae | Song | |
| 춤 | chum | Dance | |
| 우리 | uri | We / our | Koreans say 우리 (our) where English says “my”: 우리 엄마, “my mom”. |
| 너 | neo | You (casual) | Only for close friends or people younger than you. |
| 나 | na | I / me (casual) | Polite: 저. |
| 마음 | maeum | Heart / mind | Your feelings — not the heart that beats (that is 심장). |
| 꿈 | kkum | Dream | |
| 눈물 | nunmul | Tears | 눈 (eye) + 물 (water). |
| 하늘 | haneul | Sky | |
| 별 | byeol | Star | |
| 영원히 | yeongwonhi | Forever | |
| 같이 | gachi | Together | Said as [가치]. |
| 오늘 | oneul | Today | |
| 내일 | naeil | Tomorrow |
Drama & daily life
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가자 | gaja | Let’s go! | Every form of 가다 → |
| 하지 마 | haji ma | Don’t (do that)! | Casual. Polite: 하지 마세요. Every form of 하다 → |
| 가지 마 | gaji ma | Don’t go! | Casual. Polite: 가지 마세요. Every form of 가다 → |
| 저기요 | jeogiyo | Excuse me (to get attention) | How you call a waiter or a stranger. |
| 잠깐만 | jamkkanman | Wait a moment | Casual. Polite: 잠깐만요. |
| 배고파 | baegopa | I’m hungry | Casual. Polite: 배고파요. Every form of 배고프다 → |
| 치맥 | chimaek | Chicken and beer | 치킨 (chicken) + 맥주 (beer). |
| 오글거려 | ogeulgeoryeo | That’s cringey | Slang for something so cheesy it makes you squirm. |
Questions
What does oppa mean?
오빠 (oppa) means “older brother”, but only girls and women say it — to an older brother, an older male friend or a boyfriend. Boys say 형 (hyeong) instead.
What does daebak mean?
대박 (daebak) is slang for “awesome!” or “no way!”. It first meant a huge hit or a jackpot.
What does maknae mean?
막내 is the youngest person in a family or group — in K-pop, the youngest member. It is said [망내], so the official romanization is mangnae; fans usually write maknae.
How do you say “I love you” in Korean?
사랑해 (saranghae) to a partner, friend or family member. 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo) is the polite form.
Why do K-pop songs use casual Korean?
Lyrics and dramas between friends and couples often use casual speech (반말): 사랑해, 보고 싶어. With people you don’t know well, add 요 — 사랑해요, 보고 싶어요.
Next: Can you read Hangul? — K-pop group names, food and places in Korean.