[Korean Culture & Language] Korean Portmanteus in Romantic Relationship

 

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers!

In my last article, I covered some Korean slang words for friendships and dating.

Today I will cover slang words that can be used in a little deeper relationships.

내 남친 완전 가싶남 이었지.

내 남친은 초식남이라서 좋아.

내 여친은 뇌섹녀야.

여친 and 남친 are shorter versions of 여자친구 and 남자친구. Many Korean slangs are created from taking two words from its original word. Below are examples of how you can use the words 여친/남친:
Ex)
어제 남친이 저녁 만들어줬어. (My boyfriend cooked me dinner last night)
이번주 토요일에 여친이랑 놀이공원 가기로 했어. (My girlfriend and I planned to go to a theme park this Saturday)

가싶남 is a shorter version of “가지고 싶은 남자,” which literally translated as “the guy I want to have”. It usually refers to a guy who every girl wants. It sounds like a “gossip -nam,” but it has nothing to do with gossips. 가싶녀 can be used for women.

Ex) 존은 정말 가싶남 이야 can be simply translated as “John is such a babe”

초식남 is directly translated as “a herbivore man”. Can you guess what it actually means?
It refers to a man who is more interested in his work and hobbies than women and dating. It became extremely popular when a Japanese columnist used the term in 2006.
So, “내 남친은 초식남이라서 좋아,” means “I like how my boyfriend is more interested in his work and hobbies than in women”. The atonym of this slang word is “육식남,” which is literally translated as “a carnivore man”. Carnivore men are known to be really assertive in their relationships with women. You can use “초식녀” for women.

Ex) 나는 초식남이 좋더라 (I like a guy who is less assertive in relationships with women)

뇌섹녀 refers to a woman whose intelligence is seen as attractive, regardless of their physical appearance. It is an abbreviation of “뇌가 섹시한 여자,” which directly translates as “A woman who has a sexy brain”. So, “내 여친은 뇌섹녀야” means “My girlfriend has a sexy brain (My girlfriend is so smart that it’s so sexy)”. You can use “뇌섹남” for men.

BTS even sings about a sexy brain:

BTS-I Love your Sexy Brain ♪ ♫ ♬ (feat. JIN) - YouTube