Text Messages & SNS
Understand Korean texting slang, abbreviations, and emoji expressions.
Korean texting is its own dialect. KakaoTalk dominates messaging in Korea, and Koreans of all ages use a rich vocabulary of abbreviations and expressive forms that you won't find in textbooks. The basics: ㅋㅋ (laughter, more ㅋ for louder laugh), ㅎㅎ (softer laugh / smile), ㅠㅠ or ㅜㅜ (crying), ㅇㅇ (yes, casual), ㄴㄴ (no, casual), ㄱㄱ ('go go' / let's do it).
Word abbreviations are common: 멘붕 (from 멘탈 붕괴, 'mental collapse' / overwhelmed), 어케 (어떻게, how), 뭐해 (without -요, casual 'what are you doing'). Korean teens and twenty-somethings have invented an additional layer of internet slang (covered in Lesson 6-9), but the basics in this lesson are used by everyone. Note that the texting style varies dramatically by speech level — using ㅋㅋ with your boss is informal and only acceptable in already-casual relationships.
Korean Text Abbreviations
Koreans shorten words in texts: 감사합니다 → ㄱㅅ, 괜찮아 → ㄱㅊ, 축하해 → ㅊㅋ, 사랑해 → ㅅㄹㅎ. Only consonant initials are typed. Used in very casual texting between close friends.
Emoticon Letters: ㅋ, ㅎ, ㅠ, ㅜ
ㅋ = laugh (more ㅋ's = funnier). ㅎ = soft/shy laugh. ㅠ or ㅜ = tears/sadness (the shape looks like tears). ㅠㅠ = crying. ^^= smiling eyes. These can be combined freely.