[Korean Culture & Language] COVID anxiety and terminologies


Due to COVID-19, there’s been an influx of words and phrases added to our daily vocabulary. 

“Self-isolating,” “pandemic,” “quarantine,” “lockdown,” are some of them. With it, many slang words like ‘Coronacation’, “Corona Bae,” “Quarantine & Chill” were also created. 

What are some new slang words in Korea?


“코로난가,” “작아격리,” “질량관리청” are some slang words that were created due to COVID-19 pandemic, and have become really popular among Koreans. The image below is a popular “코로난가” meme.

의협신문 - 확찐자? 언택트취업? 코로나19 신조어 "몇 개나 아세요?" (doctorsnews.co.kr)

온라인 메신저를 중심으로 떠돌고 있는 '어 코로난가' 짤 ⓒ의협신문

It reads: 

Human Psychology…

Fever – Oh no, COVID-19?

Cough – Oh no, COVID-19?

Headache – Oh no, COVID-19?

Sneeze – Oh no, COVID-19?

Stomachache – Oh no, COVID-19?

Body ache – Oh no, COVID-19?

Every symptom makes me feel like I got COVID-19. Now I would even suspect that I have COVID-19 from wanting to poop.

So, “코로난가” refers to a phenomenon where someone compulsively checks for symptoms and suspects COVID-19 even if they were not exposed to a high-risk scenario. 

This reflects a very “웃픈” situation because not only is physical health at risk but also mental health - anxiety. This meme has become so popular in Korea because many people can relate to it.

If you’re interested in learning about other slang words like 작아격리 or ,질량관리청, please

check out the next article!


웃프다 is a combination of “웃기다 (funny)” and “슬프다 (sad),” meaning that something is both funny and sad

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