Korean · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 9 of 12
Humour and informal language
유머와 반말Yumeowa banmal
Joke and tease in casual Korean: 반말 in depth, widely used slang like 대박 and 헐, texting shorthand, irony, and one request in four styles.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Use 반말 naturally with close friends: -냐?, -니?, -아 / -어라, -지 뭐
- Understand widely used slang and texting shorthand
- Recognise irony such as 잘한다 and 잘났어, 정말
- Tell the four speech styles apart in the same request
Listen
At a chicken place in Hongdae, Seoul, university friends Choi Minseok and Yoo Jiae tease each other about a group-chat blunder and plan a friend's birthday party. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Jiae
야, 최민석! 너 어제 단톡방에 뭐 보냈냐? 진짜 대박이더라.
Ya, Choi Minseok! Neo eoje dantokbange mwo bonaennya? Jinjja daebagideora.
Hey, Choi Minseok! What did you send to the group chat yesterday? That was something else.
Minseok
헐, 말도 마. 하은이 생파 계획을 너한테만 보내려고 했는데 단톡방에 보내 버렸어. 하은이도 있는 방에.
Heol, maldo ma. Haeuni saengpa gyehoegeul neohanteman bonaeryeogo haenneunde dantokbange bonae beoryeosseo. Haeunido inneun bange.
Oh no, don't even go there. I meant to send the plan for Haeun's birthday party just to you, but I sent it to the group chat. The one Haeun is in.
Jiae
잘한다, 진짜. 서프라이즈 파티를 주인공이 제일 먼저 알게 됐네. 너 같은 인싸가 그런 실수를 하냐?
Jalhanda, jinjja. Seopeuraijeu patireul juingongi jeil meonjeo alge dwaenne. Neo gateun inssaga geureon silsureul hanya?
Well done, really. The birthday girl was the first to hear about her own surprise party. How does a social butterfly like you make a mistake like that?
Minseok
인싸는 무슨. 바로 지웠는데 하은이가 벌써 읽었더라고. 근데 답장이 없어. 읽씹당한 거지 뭐.
Inssaneun museun. Baro jiwonneunde Haeuniga beolsseo ilgeotdeorago. Geunde dapjangi eopseo. Ikssipdanghan geoji mwo.
Social butterfly, my foot. I deleted it straight away, but Haeun had already read it. And there's no reply. I guess she's left me on read.
Jiae
아, 진짜 웃겨. 그러게 평소에 좀 조심하라니까. 아무튼 이왕 이렇게 된 거, 몰래 준비하는 건 이제 노잼이니까 그냥 대놓고 하자. 이번 주 토요일 저녁 어때?
A, jinjja utgyeo. Geureoge pyeongsoe jom josimharanikka. Amuteun iwang ireoke doen geo, mollae junbihaneun geon ije nojaeminikka geunyang daenoko haja. Ibeon ju toyoil jeonyeok eottae?
Oh, that's so funny. I keep telling you to be more careful. Anyway, now that it's happened, planning it in secret would be no fun, so let's just do it openly. How about this Saturday evening?
Minseok
좋아. 장소는 여기 어때? 하은이 치맥 엄청 좋아하잖아. 그리고 치킨은 내가 쏠게. 사고 친 벌이라고 생각하지 뭐.
Joa. Jangsoneun yeogi eottae? Haeuni chimaek eomcheong joahajana. Geurigo chikineun naega ssolge. Sago chin beorirago saenggakhaji mwo.
Sure. How about here for the place? Haeun loves chicken and beer. And the chicken's on me. I'll think of it as my punishment for messing up.
Jiae
오, 진짜? 네가 쏜다고? 좋아, 그럼 케이크는 내가 준비할게. 근데 단톡방 분위기는 어때? 다들 난리 났지?
O, jinjja? Nega ssondago? Joa, geureom keikeuneun naega junbihalge. Geunde dantokbang bunwigineun eottae? Dadeul nalli natji?
Oh, really? You're paying? Great, then I'll sort out the cake. But what's the mood like in the group chat? Everyone's going crazy, right?
Minseok
다들 웃겨 죽겠대. 준호는 이번 일이 올해 최고 꿀잼이래. 솔직히 나 좀 짱이지 않냐? 덕분에 다들 생파 날짜는 확실히 알게 됐잖아.
Dadeul utgyeo jukgetdae. Junhoneun ibeon iri olhae choego kkuljaemirae. Soljiki na jom jjangiji annya? Deokbune dadeul saengpa naljjaneun hwaksilhi alge dwaetjana.
Everyone says they're dying of laughter. Junho says it's the funniest thing all year. Honestly, aren't I kind of awesome? Thanks to me, everyone definitely knows the date of the party now.
Jiae
뭐래. 잘났어, 정말. 너 때문에 하은이가 서운해하면 어쩔 건데?
Mworae. Jallasseo, jeongmal. Neo ttaemune Haeuniga seounhaehamyeon eojjeol geonde?
Listen to him. Aren't you just brilliant. And what are you going to do if Haeun's upset because of you?
Minseok
알았어, 알았어. 반성하고 있다니까. 너는 내 편 좀 들어라. 아, 그리고 하은이한테 생일 선물로 뭐 줄지 생각해 봤냐?
Arasseo, arasseo. Banseonghago itdanikka. Neoneun nae pyeon jom deureora. A, geurigo Haeunihante saengil seonmullo mwo julji saenggakhae bwannya?
OK, OK. I've said I'm sorry. You could at least take my side. Oh, and have you thought about what to give Haeun for her birthday?
Jiae
당연하지. 하은이 요즘 집순이잖아. 자기가 아싸라서 집이 제일 좋다고 하더라. 그래서 예쁜 잠옷 어때? 집에서 영화 볼 때 입으라고.
Dangyeonhaji. Haeuni yojeum jipsunijana. Jagiga assaraseo jibi jeil jotago hadeora. Geuraeseo yeppeun jamot eottae? Jibeseo yeonghwa bol ttae ibeurago.
Of course. Haeun's a real homebody these days. She says she's a loner, so home's the best place for her. So how about some nice pyjamas? For when she watches films at home.
Minseok
오, 그거 짱이다. 그럼 내가 단톡방에 공지 올릴게. 이번에는 제대로 된 방에. 걱정하지 마라.
O, geugeo jjangida. Geureom naega dantokbange gongji ollilge. Ibeoneneun jedaero doen bange. Geokjeonghaji mara.
Oh, that's perfect. Then I'll post an announcement in the group chat. The right one this time. Don't you worry.
Understand
반말 in depth
Between close friends, (banmal) has more forms than the basic -아 / -어 (-a / -eo). Questions can end in -냐? (-nya?), which is blunt and very common between friends, especially young men, or in -니? (-ni?), which is softer and typical of older people speaking to younger ones: (mwo bonaennya?), (babeun meogeonni?). With adjectives, -냐 (-nya) follows the stem directly: (jonnya?), is it good?
-아 / -어라 (-a / -eora) is a firmer command than plain -아 / -어 (-a / -eo); between friends it sounds jokey rather than rude: (nae pyeon jom deureora), take my side for once. -지 뭐 (-ji mwo) accepts something with a shrug, “I guess, oh well”: (georeogaji mwo), I'll just walk, then. Friends call each other (ya), hey, or name + -아 / -야 (-a / -ya), and say (neo), you; in speech, (nega), you (subject), is usually pronounced (niga).
| Use | Forms | Example |
|---|---|---|
| question | -아 / -어? (-a / -eo?), -냐? (-nya?), -니? (-ni?) | (Mwo hae?), (Mwo hanya?), (Mwo hani?) |
| command | -아 / -어 (-a / -eo), -아 / -어라 (-a / -eora) | (ppalli wa), (ppalli wara) |
| don't | -지 마 (-ji ma), -지 마라 (-ji mara) | (geokjeonghaji mara) |
| suggestion | -자 (-ja) | (geunyang daenoko haja) |
| shrug | -지 뭐 (-ji mwo) | (naega ssoji mwo), oh well, I'll pay |
Slang, texting and irony
Korean slang changes fast, but the words below are understood by almost everyone under fifty and are not rude. Many are short forms: (saengpa) from (saengil pati), (ikssip) from (ilgo ssipda), to read and ignore. Use them only with friends of your age, never with older people or at work.
Irony is common between friends. (jalhanda), well done, and (jallasseo, jeongmal), aren't you brilliant, said with a flat voice, mean the opposite. (mworae), literally “what's he saying?”, means “yeah, right, what nonsense” and is only for close friends. In messages, people write ㅋㅋ (lol), ㅎㅎ (hehe), ㅠㅠ (crying), ㅇㅇ (yeah) and ㄱㅅ (thanks).
| Slang | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (daebak) | amazing, awesome; wow |
| (heol) | oh no, OMG (shock) |
| (jjang) | the best, awesome |
| / (kkuljaem / nojaem) | super fun / no fun, boring |
| / (inssa / assa) | social butterfly / loner |
| (chimaek) | chicken and beer |
| (ssoda) | to treat, to pay for everyone |
| / (jipsuni / jipdori) | homebody (woman / man) |
One request, four styles
Recognising register is as important as knowing words. Here is the same request, “please send it by tomorrow”, in the four styles. (hamnidache) is for formal situations and announcements, (haeyoche) is the polite everyday default, (banmal) is for close friends and family, and (handache) is for writing. A plain-style command such as (bonaera) appears in written instructions, exam questions and slogans; spoken to a friend it sounds bossy or jokey.
| Style | Request | Where |
|---|---|---|
| (hamnidache) | (Naeilkkaji bonae jusipsio.) | formal announcements, speeches |
| (haeyoche) | (Naeilkkaji bonae juseyo.) | everyday polite speech |
| (banmal) | (Naeilkkaji bonae jwo.) | close friends, family |
| (handache) | (Naeilkkaji bonaera.) | writing, instructions, slogans |
More in the grammar: Speech levels: 해요, 합니다, 반말 and 한다 · Idioms, proverbs and spoken Korean
New words
- 단톡방dantokbanggroup chat · from (danche katokbang), a group chat on KakaoTalk; (gongjireul ollida), to post an announcement
- 대박daebakamazing, awesome; wow
- 헐heoloh no, OMG · a reaction to something shocking
- 생파saengpabirthday party · from (saengil pati); (saengil seonmul), birthday present
- 인싸inssasocial butterfly, popular person · from English “insider”
- 읽씹ikssipleaving a message on read · (ikssipdanghada), to be left on read; (dapjangi eopseo), there's no reply (, dapjang)
- 노잼nojaemno fun, boring · English “no” + (jaemi), fun
- 치맥chimaekchicken and beer · from (chikin) + (maekju)
- 쏘다ssodato treat (someone), to pay for everyone · literally “to shoot”: (oneureun naega ssolge), it's on me today
- 꿀잼kkuljaemsuper fun, hilarious · (kkul), honey + (jaemi), fun
- 짱jjangthe best, awesome
- 뭐래mworaeyeah, right; what nonsense · from (mworago hae); only with close friends
- 잘났다jallatdato be full of yourself · usually ironic: (jallasseo, jeongmal), aren't you brilliant
- 아싸assaloner, not part of the crowd · from English “outsider”
Practise
1.Your friend says (na eoje ikssipdanghaesseo). What happened?
2.Your friend spills coffee all over his laptop, and you say (jalhanda). What do you mean?
3.Minseok is paying. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The chicken's on me today.
4.Match the Korean with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.You're asking your professor to send you a file. Which sentence fits?
6.You've just missed the last bus. Oh well, you'll walk. What do you say to your friend?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
오늘은 내가 쏠게.
Oneureun naega ssolge.
It's on me today.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.