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 Korean words with altered meanings

Korean term	Original English word	Original English meaning	English meaning of Konglish term
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
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
화이탕	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

2 Korean words shorted from English words

Korean term	Original English word	English equivalent of Konglish term
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 for loud, enthusiastic self-intro at parties or MT	Ø (FM refers to FM radio); no equivalent cultural practice or word exists in English for Korean “FM” introductions
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)

3 Korean word blends from English elements

Korean term	Original English elements	English equivalent of Konglish term
더츠 페이	Dutch pay	go Dutch, split the bill
멀티탭	multi + tab	power strip
비닐하우스	vinyl + house	vinyl greenhouse (greenhouse made of thick vinyl for agriculture)
사인펜	sign + pen	marker, felt marker
스킨십	skin + ship	Ø (no English equivalent; maybe "affection touch / touching")
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)
핸드 폰	hand + phone	cell phone (US), mobile phone (UK); smart phone (universal)
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!
칼라티	collar + t-shirt	polo shirt
킥보드	kick + board	scooter
포클레인	forklift + crane	digger, excavator, backhoe, hydraulic shovel
셀카	self + camera	selfie

4 Korean words from non-English sources

Korean term	Origin	English equivalent
아르바이트, 알바	German Arbeit, arbeiten	part-time work, temporary work

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.