When I first started paying attention to the English expressions Koreans use in everyday life, I realized something interesting: we love shortening English words and turning them into expressions of our own.😅
As a Korean, I often use these expressions without thinking twice. But when I speak with foreigners, I sometimes realize that they have no idea what I mean—even though the expressions are made up of English words!
That's one of the interesting things about Konglish. You may recognize the English words, but the meaning or usage can be completely different from what you expect.
Here are some common Konglish abbreviations you are likely to come across in Korea.
SNS — Social Media
Let's start with one of the most common:
SNS
In Korea, SNS generally means social media.
It comes from Social Networking Service, an expression that is not commonly used in everyday English in the same way.
SNS를 자주 해요?
Do you use social media often?
SNS에 사진을 올렸어요.
I posted a photo on social media.
So when a Korean says SNS, they usually mean social media in general rather than one particular platform.
MZ — Millennials + Generation Z
MZ combines:
M = Millennials
Z = Generation Z
MZ세대 is widely used in Korea to refer broadly to younger generations and their lifestyles, preferences, and trends.
You might see it in advertisements, news articles, and social media.
MZ세대의 소비 트렌드
Consumer trends among the MZ generation
Interestingly, MZ is much more commonly used as a combined term in Korea than it is in everyday English-speaking conversation.
TMI — Too Much Information
TMI comes from Too Much Information, but Koreans often use it in a playful way.
For example:
TMI인데요. 😂
That's TMI. 😂
You can also say:
TMI 하나 알려드릴게요.
Let me tell you a little TMI.
A person might use it before sharing a random or unnecessary personal detail.
So in Korean, TMI can actually be something you voluntarily share, not just something someone tells you that you don't want to know.
PT — Personal Training
You may also hear:
PT
In Korea, this usually means personal training, especially at a gym.
요즘 PT 받고 있어요.
I'm getting personal training these days.
You may see advertisements for PT rather than the longer expression “personal training.”
OT — Orientation
OT commonly comes from orientation.
It is often used for an introductory meeting or session at a school, university, company, or organization.
다음 주에 신입생 OT가 있어요.
There's an orientation for new students next week.
For Korean learners, this can be confusing because OT can have several meanings in English, while in Korea it is commonly understood as an orientation session.
MT — Membership Training
This is one of the most distinctly Korean examples.
MT stands for Membership Training.
It usually refers to a group trip or overnight gathering where university students, coworkers, or members of an organization spend time together and build relationships.
이번 주말에 과 MT가 있어요.
Our department has an MT this weekend.
The expression membership training itself is not normally used this way in everyday English-speaking countries.
So if a Korean tells you,
“We're going on an MT,”
you might need to ask what they mean!
CC — Campus Couple
CC stands for Campus Couple.
It refers to two university students who are dating each other.
둘이 CC래요.
I heard they're a campus couple.
Again, this is a good example of Konglish because an English speaker may recognize the individual words but not immediately understand the expression.
A/S — After-Service
You may also see:
A/S
This comes from after service and is commonly used in Korea for repair or customer service after purchasing a product.
For example:
A/S 받으러 갔어요.
I went to get the product repaired.
In English, you would normally say after-sales service, customer service, or repair service, depending on the situation.
So A/S is a useful Korean expression to recognize when shopping or dealing with a product that needs repair.
Why Can Konglish Abbreviations Be Confusing?
The tricky part is that you may already know every English word in the expression.
But that doesn't mean you'll understand how Koreans use the abbreviation.
For example:
MT → Membership Training
CC → Campus Couple
A/S → After-Service
These expressions make sense once you know the Korean usage, but they may not sound natural to an English speaker.
That's why learning Korean isn't only about learning Korean words.
Sometimes you also have to figure out how English has been adapted into Korean.
You may also enjoy : Korean Words That Sound Like English but Don't Mean What You Think
Native Korean's Tip
As a Korean, I sometimes forget that these English abbreviations can sound completely different to foreigners. We use them so naturally that we don't even think twice about them.
So if an abbreviation sounds a little strange, it might just be Konglish.😅
Once you get used to them, you’ll start noticing them everywhere in Korea!
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