Korean Toolbox

Korean for K-pop Fans

The words you see in every comment section, the lines to write in a fan letter, and your favourite groups in Hangul. Tap 🔊 to hear each one.

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30 fan words · 14 fan lines · 16 groups · audio

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K-pop words every fan uses

오빠

oppa

older brother

What a woman calls an older man she is close to, and what fans call older male idols.

언니

eonni · fans write "unnie"

older sister

What a woman calls an older woman. Female fans call older female idols 언니 too.

형

hyeong · fans write "hyung"

older brother

What a man calls an older man. You hear it constantly between members of boy groups.

누나

nuna · fans write "noona"

older sister

What a man calls an older woman. Younger idols call older female fans 누나.

막내

mangnae · fans write "maknae"

youngest member

The youngest in a group, family or office. 황금막내 ("golden maknae") is the youngest who is good at everything.

최애

choeae

bias, favourite member

Short for 최고 애정, "the most love". Your second favourite is 차애.

차애

chaae

second favourite

The member just after your 최애. Fans joke about a 차애 who keeps "ruining" their bias list.

컴백

keombaek

comeback

A group's return with a new album or single. Pronounced like the English word with Korean sounds: keombaek.

데뷔

debwi

debut

A group's first official release. Anniversaries are counted from the debut date.

무대

mudae

stage, performance

무대 means the stage itself and a single live performance of a song.

직캠

jikkaem

fancam

Short for 직접 캠코더, a video that follows one member during a performance.

음방

eumbang

music show

Short for 음악 방송: the weekly TV shows where groups perform and win a 1위 trophy.

일위

irwi

first place, a music show win

Written 1위 on screen. Fans say 1위 축하해요 ("congratulations on first place").

응원봉

eungwonbong

light stick

Each fandom has its own official light stick to wave at concerts.

응원법

eungwonbeop

fan chant

The member names and lines fans shout during a song. Groups publish a guide for each new song.

팬덤

paendeom

fandom

Every group's fandom has a name, like ARMY for BTS or ONCE for TWICE.

팬미팅

paenmiting

fan meeting

An event with games, talk and songs that is smaller and more personal than a concert.

굿즈

gutjeu

merch, goods

Official merchandise: photo cards, posters, keyrings and more.

포토카드

potokadeu

photo card

The small member photos packed into albums. Fans trade them to collect their 최애.

입덕

ipdeok

becoming a fan

Literally "entering 덕" (fandom). The opposite, leaving a fandom, is 탈덕.

덕질

deokjil

fan activities

Everything fans do: streaming, voting, collecting and watching every video.

대박

daebak

awesome, jackpot

Said when something is amazing or surprising, good or bad.

화이팅

hwaiting · fans write "fighting"

you can do it

Konglish cheer for "good luck" or "go for it". Also written 파이팅.

비주얼

bijueol

visual

The member known for their looks. Groups often name one member the 비주얼.

리더

rideo

leader

The member who speaks for the group and keeps it together.

센터

senteo

center

The member who stands in the middle at key moments of a performance.

애교

aegyo

cute acting

A cute voice, faces and gestures. Fans often ask idols for 애교 at fan meetings.

선배

seonbae · fans write "sunbae"

senior

Someone who debuted, joined or graduated before you. The junior is 후배.

후배

hubae · fans write "hoobae"

junior

Someone who started after you. Idols bow to their 선배 at music shows.

연습생

yeonseupsaeng

trainee

A future idol training at a company before debut, often for years.

What to say to your idol

For fan letters, comments and fan signs
사랑해요
saranghaeyoI love you
The classic fan sign and comment line.
보고 싶어요
bogo sipeoyoI miss you
During a break, military service or before a comeback.
항상 응원해요
hangsang eungwonhaeyoI always support you
The fan promise, in letters and comments.
생일 축하해요
saengil chukahaeyoHappy birthday
On a member's birthday. Fans also trend #HappyNameDay.
데뷔 축하해요
debwi chukahaeyoCongratulations on your debut
For a new group, or on a debut anniversary.
일위 축하해요
irwi chukahaeyoCongratulations on first place
After a music show win (written 1위 축하해요).
수고했어요
sugohaesseoyoGood work, well done
After a concert, tour or comeback. It thanks them for their effort.
최고예요
choegoyeyoYou're the best
Any time. Friends say 최고야.
너무 멋있어요
neomu meosisseoyoYou're so cool
For a great stage, outfit or moment.
너무 귀여워요
neomu gwiyeowoyoYou're so cute
For 애교, baby photos or a funny moment.
건강하세요
geonganghaseyoStay healthy
A caring line Koreans write to people they respect, idols included.
행복하세요
haengbokaseyoBe happy
Often the last line of a fan letter.
기다릴게요
gidarilgeyoI'll wait for you
When a member enlists or takes a break.
고마워요
gomawoyoThank you
For the music, a live stream or a fan event.

K-pop group names in Hangul

Write any name in Hangul →

Most groups use an English name, and Koreans write it in Hangul by sound. Reading these is great practice once you know the alphabet: 트와이스 is 트 (teu) + 와 (wa) + 이 (i) + 스 (seu), which is how Korean spells "twice".

BTS방탄소년단 bangtansonyeondan · Bangtan Sonyeondan, "Bulletproof Boy Scouts"
BLACKPINK블랙핑크 beullaekpingkeu
TWICE트와이스 teuwaiseu
SEVENTEEN세븐틴 sebeuntin
Stray Kids스트레이 키즈 seuteurei kijeu
NewJeans뉴진스 nyujinseu
aespa에스파 eseupa
IVE아이브 aibeu
LE SSERAFIM르세라핌 reuserapim · An anagram of "I'm fearless"
ENHYPEN엔하이픈 enhaipeun
TXT투모로우바이투게더 tumoroubaitugedeo · TOMORROW X TOGETHER
ATEEZ에이티즈 eitijeu
ITZY있지 itji · Also a real Korean word: "you know" or "has it"
Red Velvet레드벨벳 redeubelbet
EXO엑소 ekso
BIGBANG빅뱅 bikbaeng

Why fans spell Korean differently

You'll see "oppa", "unnie" and "fighting" in fan posts, but the official Revised Romanization writes 언니 as eonni and 화이팅 as hwaiting. Fan spellings grew up online before the official system was common, and they stuck. Both are fine for chatting; the Hangul is what Koreans read. This page shows the official romanization first and the fan spelling next to it.

Honorifics in K-pop

Korean changes words depending on who is older. That's why idols call each other 형, 오빠, 누나 and 언니 instead of names, why the 막내 gets teased, and why a group bows to its 선배 at music shows. When you write to an idol, use the polite -요 forms in the list above. Casual speech (반말) like 사랑해 or 보고 싶어 is what idols use with close friends, and fans use it playfully, but the polite form is never wrong. Learn more on the how to say it in Korean pages, which show the polite, formal and casual form of every phrase.

From fan to reader

Many people start learning Korean because of K-pop. The fastest path is the same for everyone: learn the 24 letters with the Hangul chart, practice with the reading quiz, then read the group names and fan words on this page without the romanization. Within a week you can read song titles and member names on your own.

Frequently asked questions

What does oppa mean in K-pop?

오빠 (oppa) is what a woman calls an older man she is close to, like an older brother or boyfriend. Female fans call older male idols oppa. Men say 형 (hyung) instead.

How do you say "bias" in Korean?

Fans say 최애 (choeae), short for 최고 애정, "the most love". Your second favourite member is 차애 (chaae).

What does maknae mean?

막내 (maknae) is the youngest member of a group. A youngest member who is good at everything is called the 황금막내, "golden maknae".

What does hwaiting mean?

화이팅 (hwaiting) comes from the English word "fighting" and means "you can do it" or "good luck". Fans shout it to cheer their idols on.

How do I sing along to K-pop songs in Korean?

Paste the lyrics into the K-pop lyrics romanizer on this site. Each line appears with its romanization underneath, written the way it is sung.