50 Useful Konglish Words And Loan Words To Learn
Some of the easiest words to learn in Korean are Konglish words and loan words. Learning these words is a great way to instantly increase your Korean vocabulary. Below you’ll find a list of 50 Konglish words and loan words along with a short explanation of their meaning. But first, let’s take a look at what Konglish is and the difference between Konglish words and loan words.
Related: Konglish Words Quiz
What Is Konglish?
Put simply, Konglish refers to the Korean versions of English words. These words derive from and sound similar to English words but have a slightly different meaning. For example, the Konglish word 센스 [sen-seu] is the Korean version of the English word ‘sense’, and is used when you want to say that someone has a ‘sense’ to read a situation. As you can see, this Konglish word sounds similar to the English word ‘sense’, but has a slightly different meaning and usage.
The Difference Between Konglish Words And Loan Words
Loan words exist in many languages and Korean is no different. Loan words are words which are borrowed from another language and their meaning stays the same. So, what is the difference between Konglish words and loan words?
The difference between Konglish words and loan words is that with Konglish words, the word or meaning of the word is different from that in English. However, with loan words, the meaning of the word is the same in both English and Korean.
Let’s look at a couple of examples:
- 샌드위치 [saen-deu-wi-chi] = sandwich (Loan Word)
- 아파트 [a-pa-teu] = apartment (Konglish)
As you can see, in the first example above the word and the meaning is the same in both Korean and English. As such, it is a loan word. In the second example, the word is derived from the English word, but the Korean version of the word is different from the original English word.
List Of Konglish Words
Here is a list of 30 useful Konglish words for you learn. For each of the Konglish words below, you’ll see a short explanation describing the usage of the word in Korean. If you would like to download a PDF of these Konglish words, you can at the bottom of this list.
1. 드라이버 [deu-ra-i-beo]
Meaning: 드라이버 is a Konglish word meaning ‘screwdriver’.
2. 클립 [keul-lip]
Meaning: 클립 is a Konglish word meaning ‘paperclip’.
3. 리모컨 [ri-mo-keon]
Meaning: 리모컨 is a Konglish word meaning ‘remote control’.
4. 헬스 [hel-seu]
Meaning: 헬스 is a Konglish word used to refer to health clubs / gyms.
5. 에어컨 [e-eo-keon]
Meaning: 에어컨 is a Konglish word which means ‘air conditioner’.
6. 나이트 [na-i-teu]
Meaning: 나이트 is a Konglish word used to refer to night clubs.
7. 아이쇼핑 [a-i-syo-ping]
Meaning: 아이쇼핑 is a Konglish word which means ‘window shopping’.
8. 핸드폰 [haen-deu-pon]
Meaning: 핸드폰 is a Konglish word which means ‘cell phone’.
9. 이벤트 [i-ben-teu]
Meaning: 이벤트 is a Konglish word which is used to refer to a sale or promotion.
10. 사인 [sa-in]
Meaning: 사인 is a Konglish word which means ‘signature’.
11. 밴드 [baen-deu]
Meaning: 밴드 is a Konglish word which means ‘band-aid’.
12. 셀프 [sel-peu]
Meaning: 셀프 is a Konglish word that comes from the word ‘self’ and means ‘self-service’.
13. 서비스 [seo-bi-seu]
Meaning: 서비스 is a Konglish word that comes from the English word ‘service’ and is used when something is free at a shop or restaurant.
14. 원피스 [won-pi-seu]
Meaning: 원피스 is a Konglish word meaning ‘one piece dress’.
15. 가글 [ga-geul]
Meaning: 가글 is a Konglish word which comes from the English word ‘gargle’. It is used to refer to the action of gargling liquid and to refer to mouth wash.
16. 팬티 [paen-ti]
Meaning: 팬티 is a Konglish word used to refer to ‘underpants’.
17. 아파트 [a-pa-teu]
Meaning: 아파트 is a Konglish word used to refer to an ‘apartment’.
18. 다큐 [da-kyu]
Meaning: 다큐 is a Konglish word which means ‘documentary’
19. 컨디션 [kon-di-syeon]
Meaning: 컨디션 is a Konglish word used to refer to ones physical or mental condition.
20. 커닝 [keo-ning]
Meaning: 커닝 is a Konglish word that comes from the English word ‘cunning’. It is used to refer to cheating.
21. 텔레비 [tel-le-bi]
Meaning: 텔레비 is a Konglish word meaning ‘television’.
22. 크레용 [keu-re-yong]
Meaning: 크레용 is a Konglish word meaning ‘crayon’.
23. 포켓볼 [po-ket-bol]
Meaning: 포켓볼 is a Konglish word used to refer to the game pool/billiards.
24. 매직펜 [mae-jik-pen]
Meaning: 매직펜 is a Konglish word used to refer to magic markers.
25. 레포츠 [le-po-cheu]
Meaning: 레포츠 is a Konglish word used to refer to leisure sports.
26. 파마 [pa-ma]
Meaning: 파마 is a Konglish word meaning ‘perm’
27. 원샷 [won-syat]
Meaning: 원샷 is a Konglish word used to encourage someone to finish their drink in ‘one shot’.
28. 콘센트 [kon-sen-teu]
Meaning: 콘센트 is a Konglish word meaning ‘electrical outlet’.
29. 오므라이스 [om-eu-ra-i-seu]
Meaning: 오므라이스 is a Konglish word referring to a Korean dish consisting of omelet and rice.
30. 오토바이 [o-to-ba-i]
Meaning: 오토바이 is a Konglish word which means ‘motorbike’
List Of Korean Loan Words
Here is a list of useful Korean loan words. As was mentioned above, loan words are those words which are borrowed from another language and which have the same meaning in both Korean and the original language. For each of the loan words below, you’ll see the Korean word and the English word it comes from.
- 버스 [beo-seu] = bus
- 샌드위치 [saen-deu-wi-chi] = sandwich
- 스포츠 [seu-po-cheu] = sports
- 햄버거 [haem-beo-geo] = hamburger
- 택시 [taek-si] = taxi
- 버터 [beo-teo] = butter
- 바이러스 [ba-i-reo-seu] = virus
- 컴퓨터 [keom-pyu-teo] = computer
- 피자 [pi-ja] = pizza
- 쇼핑 [syo-ping] = shopping
- 비타민 [bi-ta-min] = vitamin
- 컵 [keop] = cup
- 와인 [wa-in] = wine
- 주스 [ju-seu] = juice
- 초콜릿 [cho-kol-lit] = chocolate
- 포크 [po-keu] = fork
- 아이스크림 [a-i-seu-keu-rim] = ice cream
