Archive #28

멘붕, 셀카, 달아요 — Korean words explained (#28)

November 1, 2026 · Today covered shock, selfies, sweet taste and "only." You also learned why 국물 sounds different from its spelling.

Want to try it first? The answers are below.Play #28

1Drama talk

After a shock, someone says '나 완전 멘붕이야.' What do they mean?

멘붕 (menbung)

I'm bored
I'm fine
I'm scared / my mind went blank
I'm hungry

Answer: I'm scared / my mind went blank

멘붕 (menbung) comes from 멘탈 붕괴 (mental bunggoe), "mental collapse." 멘탈 is from English "mental," and 붕괴 means collapse. It means your mind goes blank after a shock, and you do not know what to do. Koreans often make short words from the first syllables of longer ones. 멘붕 is casual slang. Use it with friends, not in formal writing. Example: 시험 날짜를 잘못 알아서 멘붕 왔어 (siheom naljjareul jalmot araseo menbung wasseo) — "I got the exam date wrong, and my mind went blank." "Totally fine" is the opposite of 멘붕.

Say it to: Friends and people your age

2K-pop

An idol posts a '셀카'. What is it?

셀카 (selka)

A solo concert
A sale
A selfie
A self-made song

Answer: A selfie

셀카 (selka) means a selfie. It comes from "self camera," a Konglish phrase. Konglish means English words used in a Korean way. Korean often shortens such words to the first syllable of each part: 셀프 (selpeu, self) + 카메라 (kamera, camera) becomes 셀카. Fans love it when idols post 셀카 on social media, because it feels personal. Example: 같이 셀카 찍자! (gachi selka jjikja!) — "Let's take a selfie together!" 찍다 (jjikda) means to take a photo. A sale is a different word: 세일 (seil).

Say it to: Anyone — it's a plain noun; your verb sets the politeness

3Food

You try the dessert and say '달아요'. What does it taste like?

달아요 [다라요] (darayo)

It's sweet
It's bitter
It's salty
It's sour

Answer: It's sweet

달아요 (darayo) means "It's sweet." It comes from 달다 (dalda), "to be sweet." Korean taste words work like verbs: 짜다 (jjada, salty), 시다 (sida, sour), 쓰다 (sseuda, bitter), 맵다 (maepda, spicy). When you add -아요, the ㄹ moves into the next syllable, so 달아요 sounds like 다라요. Many Koreans like desserts that are not too sweet. So 안 달아요 (an darayo), "It's not sweet," is often praise. Example: 이 커피 너무 달아요 (i keopi neomu darayo) — "This coffee is too sweet." Sour is 셔요 (syeoyo), and bitter is 써요 (sseoyo).

Polite (해요체) · Say it to: Anyone — friends, hosts, staff

4Grammar

Fill in the blank: 'Just water, please.'

물___ 주세요. (mul___ juseyo.)

Answer: 만 — 물만 주세요.

물만 주세요 (mulman juseyo) means "Just water, please." 만 (man) means only or just. It attaches right after the noun. In a restaurant, you can say this when you do not want other drinks. Example: 저는 커피만 마셔요 (jeoneun keopiman masyeoyo) — "I only drink coffee." The tempting option 도 (do) means "also." 물도 주세요 (muldo juseyo) means "Water too, please," which is a different request. 의 (ui) means "of," and 에 (e) marks a place or time, so they do not fit. In many Korean restaurants, water is free and sometimes self-service.

5Hangul

How is this actually pronounced?

국물 [궁물]

kungmul
gukmul
gungmul
gugmul

Answer: gungmul

국물 (gungmul) means soup broth, the liquid part of a soup. It is spelled 국물, but Koreans say 궁물. This is a sound rule called nasalization. A nasal sound is a sound made through the nose, like m, n and ng. When ㄱ meets ㄴ or ㅁ, it changes into ㅇ (ng). Revised Romanization follows the sound, so it is gungmul. Example: 국물이 진짜 시원해요 (gungmuri jinjja siwonhaeyo) — "The broth is really refreshing." Here 시원하다 (siwonhada) means a hot soup feels clean and good. The same rule makes 한국말 sound like 한궁말 (hangungmal).