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Korean words and phrases

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gochujang
Gochujang or red chili paste is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochugaru (red chili powder), chapssal (glutinous rice), meju (fermented soybean) powder, yeotgireum (barley malt powder), and salt. The sweetness comes from the starch of cooked glutinous rice, cultured with saccharifying enzymes during the fermentation process. Traditionally, it would be naturally fermented over years in jangdok (earthenware) on an elevated stone platform called jangdokdae in the backyard.
mukbang
A mukbang ( , ; ; ; ) is an online broadcast in which a host consumes food (from popular fast-food restaurants or home-prepared dishes) while interacting with the audience or providing commentary. The genre became popular in South Korea in the early 2010s, and has become a global trend since the mid-2010s. Varieties of foods ranging from pizza to noodles are consumed in front of a camera. The purpose of mukbang is also sometimes educational, introducing viewers to regional specialties or gourmet spots.
ten thousand years
East Asian phrase used to wish long life
doenjang
Doenjang () or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made of soybean and brine used in Korean cuisine. It is also a byproduct of soup soy sauce production. It is sometimes used as a relish.
Korean proverbs
Wikimedia list article
jjigae
Jjigae () are Korean stews. There are many varieties; they are typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang (red chili paste), doenjang (soy bean paste), ganjang (soy sauce) or saeu-jeot (salted and fermented shrimp). Jjigae is often served as a communal dish.
Kimchi-jjigae
() or kimchi stew is a , or stew-like Korean dish, made with kimchi and other ingredients, such as pork, scallions, onions, and diced tofu. It is one of the most common stews in Korean cuisine.
budae-jjigae
Budae-jjigae () is a type of spicy jjigae (Korean stew) from South Korea that is made with a variety of ingredients, often canned or processed. Common ingredients include ham, sausage, SPAM, baked beans, kimchi, instant noodles, gochujang, and American cheese. The dish is now a popular anju (accompaniment to alcoholic drinks) and a comfort food cooked in a large pot for multiple people. It also goes by the English names army stew, army base stew, and spicy sausage stew.
Mu
("not have; without") Buddhist term, sometimes used as a response to questions
Dano
Korean festival
guk
Guk (), also sometimes known as tang (), is a category of soup dishes in Korean cuisine. Guk and tang are commonly grouped together and used interchangeably. They are regarded as the same type of soup, although tang can sometimes be a little thicker and less thin than guk. It is one of the most basic components in a Korean meal, along with bap (밥, rice), and banchan (반찬, side dishes). In Korean table setting, guk is served on the right side of bap (rice), and left side of sujeo (수저, a spoon and chopsticks).
sinseollo
Sinseollo () or royal hot pot is an elaborate dish consisting of meatballs, small and round jeonyueo (), mushrooms, and vegetables cooked in a rich broth in Korean royal court cuisine. The dish is a form of jeongol (elaborate chowder-like stew). It is served in a large bundt pan-shaped vessel with a hole in the center, in which hot embers are placed to keep the dish hot throughout the meal.
ssam
'''''''''' () are dishes in Korean cuisine where one food is wrapped in another. A common variety is meat such as pork wrapped in a leafy vegetable. It is often accompanied by the condiment and can also be topped with raw or cooked garlic, onion, green pepper, or a (small side dish) such as kimchi. is usually bite-sized to prevent spilling of the fillings.
Ulzzang
Ulzzang (, ) is a popular South Korean term literally meaning "best face" or "good-looking". A person desiring ulzzang status would gain popularity on the internet through entering contests where their photos are judged and chosen by voters. The trend is unisex applies both to males and females.
gujeolpan
Gujeolpan () refers to either an elaborate Korean dish consisting of nine different foods assorted on a wooden plate with nine divided sections in an octagon shape or the plate itself. The name is composed of three hanja words: gu (구, "nine" ), jeol (절, "section"), and pan (판, "plate") in Korean. Foods are separated by color and ingredients, and comprise various namul (seasoned leaf vegetables), meats, mushrooms, and seafood items. In the center of the tray is a stack of small jeon (Korean style pancakes) made with wheat flour, which are called miljeonbyeong (). In addition to its use as a foo
aegyo
() in Korean is a normalized gendered performance that involves a cute display of affection often expressed through a cute voice, changes to speech, facial expressions, or gestures. A similar expression is (; ). literally means behaving in a flirtatious, coquettish manner and it is commonly expected for both male and female K-pop idols and also expected or demanded from exclusively younger females in Korean society in a way which reinforces or reflects Korea's traditional gender roles. However, it is not uncommon for everyday people to behave in such a way, and is widely used as an expression
gamja-tang
Gamja-tang () or pork back-bone stew is a spicy Korean soup made from the spine or neck bones of a pig. It often contains potatoes, cellophane noodles, greens, perilla leaves, green onions, hot peppers and ground perilla seeds.
Hell Chosun
South Korean satirical term
gomguk
Gomguk (), gomtang (), or beef bone soup refers to a soup in traditional Korean cuisine made with various beef parts such as ribs, oxtail, brisket, ox's head or ox bones by slow simmering on a low flame. The broth tends to have a milky color with a rich and hearty taste.
jipsin
'''''' () are Korean traditional sandals made of straw. Koreans have worn straw sandals since ancient times. They are categorized as (; shoes with a short height), and the specific name can vary according to the materials used, as with , , , and .
Hidden cameras in South Korea
Molka (, , lit. 'hidden camera') is the Korean term for hidden cameras or miniature spy cameras secretly and illegally installed, often in order to capture voyeuristic images and videos. Molka is an abbreviation of mollae-kamera (), which means "sneaky camera". The expression originated from the homonymous title of a Korean prank TV show, which existed from March 1991 to November 1992. This makes the term denote prank and spy camera at the same time.
Gui
grilled dishes in Korean cuisine
ajumma
Ajumma (), sometimes spelled ahjumma or ajoomma, is a Korean word for a married, or middle-aged woman. It comes from the Korean word ajumeoni (). Although it is sometimes translated "aunt", it does not actually refer to a close family relationship. It is most often used to refer to a middle-aged or older woman since referring to an elder by name without a title in Korea is not socially acceptable.
meju
Meju () is a brick of dried fermented soybeans. While not consumed on its own, it serves as the basis of several Korean condiments, such as doenjang (soybean paste), ganjang (soy sauce), and gochujang (chili paste). Meju is produced by pounding, kneading, and shaping cooked soybeans, and undergoes fermentation with Aspergillus oryzae and/or Bacillus subtilis.
Bosulachi
Boseulachi, occasionally spelled boslachi, is a South Korean insult formed from the words boji () and byeoseurachi ().
Gosu
Gosu () is a Korean term used to refer to a highly skilled person. In computer gaming the term is usually used to refer to a person who dominated games like StarCraft, Counter-Strike, Tekken, Warcraft III, Diablo II, DotA, League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch, Overwatch 2, Apex Legends and others. The term was adopted by gaming communities in many countries because of a large South Korean presence in online gaming communities.
Korean era name
Numbering for years by monarch reign
bokkeum
Bokkeum () is a category of stir-fried dishes in Korean cuisine.
Paiting
Paiting! (, ) or Hwaiting! (, ) is a Korean word of support or encouragement. It is frequently used in sports or whenever a challenge such as a difficult test or unpleasant assignment is met. It derives from a Konglish borrowing of the English word "Fighting!"
Bojihwayangdong buralsongseonsaeng
Bilingual pun in Classical Chinese and Korean
Doenjang Girl
Pejorative term for women
kkonminam
Kkonminam (; ; from 꽃 (kkot, "flower") and 미남(美男) (minam, "handsome man")) has been commonly used in South Korea since the late 1990s to refer to men who are especially concerned with personal style, grooming and fashion. This lifestyle also includes the significant usage of cosmetics. Although they are sometimes regarded as bishōnen (androgynous), generally gender or sexual orientation is unambiguous.
rabokki
Rabokki () is a type of tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes), with added ramyeon noodles. It is a street food commonly sold in bunsikjip (snack bars). As with other tteokbokki dishes, eomuk (fish cakes) and boiled eggs are a common addition. Cream sauce or Western-style chili sauce may be used instead of gochujang (Korean chili paste).
jjokbari
Jjokbari (, borrowed into Japanese as ) is a Korean language ethnic slur which may refer to Japanese citizens or people of Japanese ancestry. A variation on the slur, ban-jjokbari, meaning literally "half-jjokbari", has been used to refer to mixed Japanese-Korean people, as well as Koreans in Japan who returned to the peninsula.
Daenggi
A () is a traditional Korean ribbon used to tie up and decorate braided hair. According to the History of Northern Dynasties, maidens of Baekje bound their hair at the back and braided it, while a married woman braided her hair into two plaits and secured them to the crown of her head.
bunsik
In Korean cuisine, bunsik () are inexpensive dishes available at bunsikjeom () or bunsikjip () snack restaurants. Bunsik literally means "food made from flour," referring to dishes such as ramyeon (; noodle soup) and bread, but modern bunsik restaurants serve other dishes in large portions at low prices, such as gimbap, tteokbokki, rabokki (tteokbokki with ramyeon), sundae, eomuk, and twigim. One bunsikjip chain is called "Gimbap Cheonguk".
Gukppong
() is a derogatory Korean word that is used to pejoratively describe a Southern Korean nationalist. The word is often used to call out nationalists who are overly patriotic and attract negative attention towards Korea.
jaesusaeng
Jaesusaeng () is a Korean term for graduated high school students who decide to spend a year studying to re-take the College Scholastic Ability Test, hoping to get a higher score and enter the university of their choice. Attending university has a major impact on their future careers. The equivalent term in Japan is rōnin.
dwaeji-gukbap
Dwaeji-gukbap () is a South Korean soup especially popular in Busan made with pork, soy sauce, miso, rice wine, sesame oil, and bone broth. The name literally translates to "pork, soup, rice". It is served with various side dishes like rice, salted shrimp, onion, noodle, kimchi, garlic, and green peppers, which all can be added to the soup. It originated during the Korean War in the 1950s as poverty food. It eventually grew in popularity. The dish spread from Busan to the rest of the Gyeongsang province and eventually the rest of the country. However, the dish is not well-recognized outside of
hwa
'''''' () are a type of traditional Korean boot, which, along with , is a subdivision of Korean shoes. The refers to all kind of shoes that do not go up to the ankle. are usually made of leather, and artisans who make the shoes are called . were originally worn by the Northern kingdoms of Korea. The horse-riding cultures of the North appear to have typically worn leather boots (), while the farmers of the South wore shoes of leather or straw (). Different types of boots were worn by military and civil officials.