K-Pop Terms from Demon Hunters 🎤💥

K-Pop fans keep asking: “What does maknae mean?” “Sunbae vs. hoobae?” “Why do they say comeback so often?” If you saw these in K-Pop: Demon Hunters and everywhere else, here’s a fun, clear guide for Korean learners—with mini lines you can practice right away.

1) Maknae (막내) — “the youngest member” 👶

• Meaning: The youngest person in a group (not just age—often the “baby” of the team’s vibe).

• Korean: 막내 (maknae)

• Example:

  • KR: “우리 팀 막내가 춤을 제일 잘 춰!”

  • EN: “Our maknae dances the best!”

• Try saying: mak-nae (막-내)

2) Trainee (연습생) — before debut 🎧

• Meaning: A pre-debut singer/dancer in training at an agency.

• Korean: 연습생 (yeon-seup-saeng)

• Example:

  • KR: “나는 3년 동안 연습생이었어.”

  • EN: “I was a trainee for three years.”

• Try saying: yeon-seup-saeng (연-습-생)

3) Comeback (컴백) — new release cycle, not “return from hiatus” 🔁

• Meaning: A new album/single promotion period (even if the group never left).

• Korean: 컴백 (keom-baek)

• Example:

  • KR: “다음 주 컴백이에요!”

  • EN: “Our comeback is next week!”

• Try saying: keom-baek (컴-백)

4) Sunbae vs. Hoobae (선배 / 후배) — senior & junior at work/school/industry 🎓

• Meaning:

  • 선배 (sunbae): someone with more experience (senior).

  • 후배 (hoobae): someone less experienced (junior).

• Example:

  • KR: “그분은 내 선배예요. 저는 아직 후배죠.”

  • EN: “They’re my senior. I’m still a junior.”

• Try saying: seon-bae (선-배), hu-bae (후-배)

5) Fan Chant (응원법) — crowd lines you shout together 🎺

• Meaning: A scripted chant (often member names + key words) fans shout with the beat.

• Korean: 응원법 (eung-won-beop)

• Example:

  • KR: “오늘 응원법 완벽하게 하자!”

  • EN: “Let’s nail the fan chant tonight!”

• Try saying: eung-won-beop (응-원-법)

6) Aegyo (애교) — cute charm 🐣

• Meaning: Playful cuteness in voice/gestures to make people go “awww.”

• Korean: 애교 (aegyo)

• Example:

  • KR: “엔딩요정 애교 대박이었어!”

  • EN: “The aegyo at the ending fairy moment was amazing!”

• Try saying: /ay-gyo/ (애-교)

Mini Practice 🎙️

Say these out loud (polite style):

1. “저는 아직 연습생이에요.” (I’m still a trainee.)

2. “우리 막내 귀여워요.” (Our maknae is so cute.)

3. “다음 주에 컴백이에요!” (We have a comeback next week!)

   

Ready to sound stage-ready? Practice these lines with native audio and get instant AI pronunciation feedback in Cake. Your voice, but cleaner. 🎧