[Korean Culture & Language] Single since birth

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers!


An ‘incel (involuntary celibacy)' is a member of an online subculture who describes themselves as unable to find love or sexual partner despite their desire.

There is a comparable term in Korean, which is ‘모쏠/모솔’. 

‘모쏠/모솔’ is an abbreviation of ‘모태솔로’ or ‘모태쏠로’. ‘모태’means ‘from mother’s womb,’ and ‘쏠로’ or ‘솔로’ means ‘solo/single’. It refers to someone who has never had a girlfriend or boyfriend since birth and seems unable to change their situation as if they were born (or meant) to be single.

While ‘incel’ has a highly negative connotation, ‘모솔/모쏠’ does not. Instead, it is commonly used among friends as a joke. 

Ex) 

A: 넌 여자친구랑 여름에는 어디로 놀러다녀?
Where do you usually go with your girlfriend during the summer?

B: 그걸 왜 나한테 물어봐?
Why would you ask me that?

C: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 얘 모솔이잖아. 몰랐어?
LOL Did you not know that he’s never had a girlfriend since birth?

A: 내가 왜 모르겠어 ㅋㅋ 너 모쏠인거 우리 학교에 모르는 사람이 어딨어?
Why would I not know? The whole school knows that he is 모솔.

B: 너무 하는거 아니야? 나쁜놈들
You’re so mean. What a Jerk.

There are even memes that are read ‘…라고 모태솔로가 말 했습니다( says the 모태솔로)’:

These memes are used when your friend says something as if they know everything about romance and dating. 

Ex)
A: 그건 여자친구가 안 좋아할 것 같은데?
 I don’t think your girlfriend would like that.

B: 라고 모태솔로가 말했습니다.
Says someone who has been single since birth.


Do you know of anyone who is 모태솔로? 

I’ll go over 5 interesting facts about 모태솔로 in the next article


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