English-Korean loanwords

Korean has borrowed a number of words and word elements from English, sometimes giving them different meanings. This includes direct loanwords, and macaronic or hybrid English-Korean words. These words or word blends (portmanteaus) have entered Korean, often with different meanings than the original English. However, Koreans learners may often be unaware of the fact that the Konglish words have different meanings or usages than the original English words, or that the Konglish word is a purely Korean invention and does not exist in English. A famous example is the Korean word 화아팅 'hwaiting', from the English word fighting; in Korean, it is used as a cheer, like "go team" or "be strong" or "good luck" - which are rather different from the original English meaning. An example of a pure lexical invention is the Korean 스킨십 'skinship,' which does not exist in English; this is a word blend of English elements, and refers to affectionate touching (between friends or romantic partners) or what a few psychology and health researchers in the 1970s called "skin hunger" - the need or desire to receive or give friendly physical contact, such as between friends, as well as between romantic partners. However, there is no good, common English term that can serve as a good translation of 스킨십.

On the Internet, these are often referred to as Konglish words or vocabulary, which is not a very suitable term. The term Konglish is a pejorative term that refers to Korean-accented English or English marked by lexical, collocational, and grammatical L2 errors by Korean learners of English, which is not the focus of this article. Thus, the sometimes negative term Konglish for such Korean words is inappropriate; these borrowings show linguistic creativity and innovation, and follow similar patterns as in other languages, e.g., when English borrows words from other languages with altered meanings. For example, the German word Gesundheit for 'health' is used by English speakers, when we say "bless you" or "gesundheit" after someone sneezes.

However, if Koreans speaking English attempt to use these words with their Korean meanings, English speakers will have difficulty if they do not know Korean, leading to misunderstandings or failed communication. Thus, for Koreans learning English, knowing the differences between the original English and Korean meanings is necessary. Below is a list of the more common examples that could be problematic for learners.

1 English words with altered meanings

Korean term	Original English word	Original English meaning	Korean meaning
글래머	glamour	an exciting, romanticized, or idealistic attractiveness (e.g., in entertainment)	an attractive, full-figured woman; a voluptuous woman
다이어트	diet	(1) eating habits, (2) weight loss program	go on a diet, to diet
매니큐어	manicure	nail care	nail polish
미팅	meeting	group assembled for some purpose	group blind date, blind / group dating
비닐	vinyl	a particular type of plastic (chemical name)	plastic wrap / wrapping
사이다	cider	lemon-lime or clear soda	hot, spiced apple drink
사인	sign	(1) to sign or put one's signature on a document, (2) a written notice	a signature, to sign
샤프	sharp	a company name (Sharp, maker of pencils and other products)	mechanical pencil
커닝	cunning	sly, sneaky; clever, but in an evil way (e.g., a cunning fox)	cheating
코팅	coating	covering (in general)	lamination
타임	time	time	wait a moment/second, wait, stop, hold on (colloquial)
토스트	toast	toasted bread	a toasted or grilled breakfast sandwich
팬티	pantie	women's underwear	underwear (men's or women's), cf. boxers, briefs
핫도그	hot dog	hot dog wiener (sausage) on white bread bun with mustard & ketchup	corndog
핸들	handle	graspable part, e.g., door handle, bag handle	steering wheel
헌팅	hunting	hunting animals (with a weapon)	trying to pick up guys / women (e.g., at a bar / club)
호치키스	Hotchkiss	a company (now defunct) that made staplers in the early 20th century*	stapler
화이팅	fighting	a physical or verbal conflict	Go, team! (sports games); Cheer up! Be strong! Good luck! (personal encouragement)
팬시	fancy	nice-looking, elaborate	stationery, esp. nicer or fancy-looking stationery

*The term 'Hotchkiss' for 'stapler' originated in Japan and then came into Korean.

2 Korean words shorted from English words

Korean term	Original English word	English equivalent of Konglish term
밴드	band	bandage, band-aid
리모컨	remote control	remote, remote control
에어컨	air conditioner	AC, air conditioning / conditioner
콘센트	concentric (circles sharing the same center)	electrical plug / plug-in, outlet, wall socket
FM	“[army] field manual” protocol	Ø (FM refers to FM radio); In Korean, this refers to doing things by following strict rules (e.g., at a company), maybe "strictly by the book"*
MT	membership training	Ø (no exact equivalent; maybe company/class retreat or outing)
AS, 에프터 서비스	after service	Ø (closest term is customer service, which works differently than AS)

• In some Korean colleges and companies (maybe more so in Seoul), FM has another meaning. At an MT or company meal, people around the table take turns to introduce themselves and to give loud, enthusiastic cheer for the company or school. No equivalent cultural practice or word exists in English for Korean “FM” introductions

3 Korean word blends from English elements

Korean term	Original English elements	English equivalent of Konglish term
더치 페이	Dutch pay	go Dutch, split the bill
매스컴	mass + communication	mass media, mass communication (especially as an area of study)
멀티탭	multi + tab	power strip
백미러	back + mirror	(car) rearview mirror
비닐하우스	vinyl + house	vinyl greenhouse (greenhouse made of thick vinyl for agriculture)
러닝머신	running + machine	treadmill
레포츠	leisure + sports	leisure sports
사인펜	sign + pen	marker, felt marker
선팅	sun + tint (?)	car window tint or tinting, tinted windows
스킨십	skin + ship	Ø (No English equivalent exists in everyday English; maybe affection touch / touching, physical intimacy, friendly touching, or more technically, haptic communication.)
리조텔	resort + hotel	resort & hotel facility
아이쇼핑	eye + shopping	window shopping
오바이트	over + bite	overeat, puke, barf
오토바이	auto + bike	motorcycle
와이셔츠	Y-shirt	dress shirt, collared / button-up shirt
원피스	one-piece	dress (In English, ‘one-piece’ can be any kind of garment, e.g., a swimsuit, or a type of baby clothing)
오므라이스	omelet + rice	Ø (no equivalent, since this is a purely Korean food item)
원룸	one room	efficiency apartment (for an older, smaller, or cheaper apartment), studio apartment (for a nicer, larger, or more expensive apartment)
원샷	one shot	Bottoms up!
카라티	collar + t-shirt	polo shirt
크레파스	crayon + pastel (oil)?	crayon*
킥보드	kick + board	scooter
포클레인	forklift + crane	digger, excavator, backhoe, hydraulic shovel
셀카	self + camera	selfie
하이틴	high + teen	late teens
핸드 폰	hand + phone	cell phone (US), mobile phone (UK); smart phone (universal)
휘퍼	whip + -er	whisk
하우스코어, 카포어	house poor, car poor	Being "poor" after spending too much money on a nice house or car

* The term 크레파스 may have been coined in Japanese and then introduced to Korea.

4 Blends of Korean and English elements

Korean term	Origin	English equivalent
몰카	몰래 'hidden' + 카 'camera'	hidden camera
커터칼	'cutter' + 칼 'knife'	box cutter

5 Korean words from non-English sources

Korean term	Origin	English equivalent
아르바이트, 알바	German Arbeit, arbeiten	part-time work, temporary work
호프	German Hof	pub, bar (an older or more formal word; less common now)

Note: The Korean term 아르바이트 'arubait' is from the German Arbeit (a noun meaning 'work') or arbeiten (a verb meaning 'to work'), not from English. This is the normal German word for work (as in full-time or permanent work), but in Korean it refers to temporary or part-time work. In modern colloquial German, part-time or temporary work is called ein Job (noun) or jobben (verb) -- an example of where German has borrowed English words with altered meanings.