Curious what other learners are looking up? Here’s a 25-word cheat sheet—each with Hangul + romanization + one-line meaning so you can read, post, or say it right away. Save your favorites and practice them in Cake for instant AI pronunciation feedback. ✨
The List (25 words, 1 line each) 📝
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대박 (dae-bak) — “Awesome/That’s huge!”; a big win or shocking good news.
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헐 (heol) — “OMG/No way”; quick surprise reaction in chats and comments.
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짱 (jjang) — “The best/So good”; casual praise for people or things.
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킹받네 (king-bat-neh) — Playful “I’m so annoyed!” Gen-Z, meme-y tone.
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갓생 (gat-saeng) — “God-mode life”; working hard, disciplined, productive.
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손절 (son-jeol) — “Cut someone off”; ending a relationship/friendship cleanly.
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썸 (sseom) — “Something” stage; more than friends, not yet dating.
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눈치 (nun-chi) — Social awareness/reading the room; “He’s got good 눈치.”
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정 (jeong) — Warm, sticky affection built over time (hard to translate!).
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화이팅 (hwa-i-ting) — “You got this!/Let’s go!” cheer before an effort.
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사이다 (sa-i-da) — Literally soda; figuratively a “refreshingly satisfying” moment.
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회식 (hoe-sik) — Company/team dinner; work culture keyword.
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치맥 (chi-maek) — Chicken + beer; beloved food combo (K-drama staple).
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맛집 (mat-jip) — “Taste-house”; famous/viral place known for great food.
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귀엽다 (gwi-yeop-da) — “Cute/adorable”; used for people, pets, outfits, idols.
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괜찮아(요) (gwaen-chan-a(yo)) — “It’s okay/I’m fine/No, thanks.” multipurpose.
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미안해(요) (mi-an-hae(yo)) — “Sorry”; add 요 for politeness.
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사랑해(요) (sa-rang-hae(yo)) — “I love you”; casual vs. polite with 요.
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보고 싶어(요) (bo-go si-peo(yo)) — “I miss you/I want to see you.”
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얼마예요? (eol-ma-ye-yo?) — “How much is it?” (travel essential).
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어디예요?/어디야? (eo-di-ye-yo?/eo-di-ya?) — “Where is it/Where are you?”
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주세요 (ju-se-yo) — “Please give me…” polite request (menus, shops).
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매워요 (mae-wo-yo) — “It’s spicy”; add 안 매워요 = “not spicy.”
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맛있어요 (ma-si-sseo-yo) — “It’s delicious”; guaranteed to make staff smile.
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괜찮아요? (gwaen-chan-a-yo?) — “Are you okay?/Is it okay?” polite check-in.
Tiny Usage Boost (copy/paste ready) ✍️
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대박! 오늘 치맥 각이네. — Daebak! Looks like a chicken-and-beer kind of night.
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눈치 챙겨~ — Read the room, please! (friendly tease)
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안 매운 걸로 주세요. — Please make it not spicy.
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여기가 맛집 맞죠? — This is the famous place, right?
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회식 있어요? — Do we have a team dinner?
30-Second Pronunciation Workout 🗣️
Say slow → natural speed; keep vowels short; snap double consonants.
대-박 / 헐 / 짱 / 사-이-다 / 맛-집 / 괜-찮-아-요 / 얼-마-예-요
Tip: ㅓ = eo (uh), ㅡ = eu (tight), final consonants (받침) should be light and quick.
Make It Stick with Cake 📱
Turn this list into real speaking in minutes:
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Search & save: 대박, 헐, 짱, 눈치, 정, 맛집, 주세요, 얼마예요
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Tap-to-repeat each syllable (no guessing)
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AI pronunciation: get instant scores on tricky clusters (e.g., 괜-찮-아-요, 맛-집)
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Speed control: start 0.75× for clarity → 1.25×/1.5× for real-life pace
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Text Mode: practice quietly on the subway or in a café
Try this now: “대박! 여기가 맛집 맞죠?”
Open Cake → record once → watch your score pop. ✨
Ready to learn more Korean expressions? Download the Cake app today and start practicing with AI-powered feedback in minutes.
