These are the words you want to refer to often.

These are commonly used Konglish words that you should put most of your focus on in the beginning to save time and avoid being overwhelmed. While we’ll cover the comprehensive list of Konglish words below, use these 25 to get started. These words follow the “80/20 Principle”, which states that “20% of the vocabulary is used 80% of the time.” Now, we will cover some of the most frequently used Konglish words. Let’s get our feet wet by going through the most commonly used Konglish words. Stepping up as King of Konglish reaps many benefits! Konglish Words So, if you kick things off with the pronunciation “ o-ren-ji,” you already get bonus points! Koreans will recognize your language skills, so you will get more Korean-speaking opportunities if you want them. They are used to hearing Korean learners saying “orange.” The other great thing about learning Korean with these words is that Koreans will be impressed with your pronunciation! If you can’t read the Korean alphabet, learn the Hangeul fast and easy here. If you’re looking at the word in Hangeul, you follow that pronunciation. Yikes! You may be wondering: “How do I know when the pronunciation is slightly different than in English?” Great question! Therefore, the pronunciation sounds like “ o-ren-ji” Pronounced similar to “orange.” However, there is an extra syllable in the Korean version. Let’s take a look at the Konglish pronunciation of the words “menu” and “orange” (for “orange,” the fruit, and the color). Some will sound identical, and some will sound somewhat different to you. Since we sound out English words in Korean, the words may sometimes sound slightly different than the standard English pronunciation. You need to take into account one thing when reading both Korean loanwords and Konglish words, and that is pronunciation. In many cases, the word takes on a Korean meaning exclusive to Korean speakers, and native English speakers may not comprehend its meaning. Words and phrases borrowed from English or other languages are often shortened if Koreans feel they are too long, and these shortened words account for a large number of Konglish words.Īlso, sometimes Konglish words add morphemes or combine English words to create new words. Without studying the meanings, in some cases, it would be hard to understand what Koreans are referring to-even though they are derived from English! Depending on the context, you may be able to decipher the meanings, but still, they require a little learning. Slang words in Korean are often shortened but differ from Konglish words.įor native speakers of English, these can be more difficult to understand. Often, words and phrases borrowed from English (and sometimes other languages) are shortened. If you have studied Japanese, you may notice some similarities. If the word’s meaning or phrases change from its meaning in English, we refer to them as Konglish words. Get the Complete List of Konglish and Korean Loanwords PDF Look for a yellow speaker icon followed by the word, and click on the yellow speaker. Click on the audio to hear the Korean pronunciation of the words. Therefore, even without knowing Korean, you may understand these words.īelow we’ll look at some examples. These words are easier to understand for people whose native language is English or those who speak English because the pronunciation is easily recognizable, and the meaning of the word remains the same. Some common loanwords come from other foreign languages like Japanese and German. If the meaning of the word or phrase is the same in the English language, they are called loanwords. Korean Loanwords or 외래어 (oeraeeo) are Korean words or phrases derived from the English language and have the same meaning as the English word. Korean words derived from the English language fall into two categories: 1) Korean loanwords and 2) Konglish Words.

This brings us to the distinction between loanwords and true Konglish words. Other Konglish words are made from Korean words and/or English words not used in English-speaking countries. It’s an easy way to start speaking Korean. Korean people took English words and sounded them out in Hangeul (the Korean alphabet) for some words that weren’t in the traditional Korean language.įor native English speakers, this is excellent news for you as a student of Korean because you can start saying words in Korean from the get-go without having to pick up a single book. This term is a combination of two languages. Konglish (콩글리쉬) is the Korean version of English words.

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