Spoken Korean

Korean Grammar 4

Course 4 · Chapter 8 · Spoken Korean: Contractions, Slang and Dialects

💬 Spoken Korean: Contractions, Slang and Dialects — 구어, 신조어, 사투리

Chapter 1 showed how written Korean differs from the spoken kind. This chapter is the other side: how people really talk. Spoken Korean shortens words, drops particles, uses casual endings and slang, and varies by region. You will hear all of it in dramas and everyday life, so it is worth recognising even if you do not use it yourself.

The rule in one box In speech, particles and syllables merge (뭐를 → 뭘, 그것이 → 그게); 반말 (casual speech) is for close friends and younger people; slang is short-lived and belongs to a group or an age; and a 사투리 (regional dialect) has its own endings and vocabulary. Recognise all of these, but use the polite standard form with people you do not know well.

Common contractions

Full form	Spoken form	Example
무엇을 / 뭐를	뭘	뭘 먹을래? What will you eat?
이것이 / 그것이	이게 / 그게	이게 뭐야? What's this?
이것은 / 그것은	이건 / 그건	그건 아니야. That's not it.
이것을 / 그것을	이걸 / 그걸	그걸 샀어. I bought that.
나는 / 너는	난 / 넌	난 괜찮아, 넌? I'm fine, you?
나를 / 너를	날 / 널	날 믿어. Trust me.
그런데	근데	근데 왜? But why?
그러면	그럼	그럼 가자. Then let's go.
가지고	갖고	책을 갖고 왔어. I brought a book.

The noun 것 ("thing") shrinks to 거 and joins the particles in the same way: 할 거야 ("I will"), 먹는 게 ("eating, as subject"), 먹는 건 ("eating, as topic"), 먹는 걸 ("eating, as object").

반말 — casual speech

반말 (the 해체 style from Korean Grammar 2 1) drops 요 and is used among close friends, family and towards younger people. Dramas are full of it, along with a handful of endings.

Ending	Feeling	Example
-아/어	plain statement or question	지금 뭐 해? What are you doing now?
-지	"right?", confirmation	맞지? Right?
-거든	giving a reason	바빠서 못 가. 일이 많거든. I'm busy, you see.
-잖아	"you know", "as I said" (from -지 않아)	내가 말했잖아. I told you.
-네	noticing something	비가 오네. Oh, it's raining.
너 / 야	"you" / "hey"	야, 너 어디 가? Hey, where are you going?

Slang and text-speak — 신조어

Slang changes quickly and is tied to age groups, so any list is a snapshot. These are widely understood examples.

Word	Meaning
대박	wow, amazing (or a huge success)
헐	"oh my god", surprise or dismay
짱	the best, great
꿀잼 / 노잼	very fun / not fun
인싸 / 아싸	popular insider / outsider
ㅋㅋ / ㅎㅎ	laughter in texts
ㅠㅠ	crying face
ㅇㅇ	"yes" (from 응응)

Regional dialects — 사투리

The standard language (표준어) is based on educated speech from Seoul. Other regions keep their own endings and words. These are only the best-known features.

Region	Features	Example
경상도 (Gyeongsang)	question endings -나 (yes/no) and -노 (with a question word)	밥 먹었나? 어디 가노? Have you eaten? Where are you going?
전라도 (Jeolla)	emphatic endings such as -랑께, and the filler 거시기 ("that thing, you know")	그렇당께. It really is so.
제주 (Jeju)	so different that it is often treated as a separate language, 제주어	혼저 옵서예. Welcome, please come.

Watch out: 어떻게 and 어떡해 sound alike 어떻게 means "how" (어떻게 해? "How do you do it?"), while 어떡해 is a contraction of 어떻게 해 meaning "what shall I do?" (어떡해! 지갑을 잃어버렸어. "Oh no! I lost my wallet."). Also, never use 반말 with someone older or a stranger, and do not copy slang you only half understand.

🗣️ In Use — 실제 예문

Three short examples.

① Friends

야, 그걸 어디서 샀어? Hey, where did you buy that?

온라인에서 샀지. 싸거든. Online, of course. It's cheap, you see.

② Surprise

헐, 이게 진짜야? 대박! Wow, is this real? Amazing!

③ Gyeongsang speech

밥 먹었나? Have you eaten?

📋 Quick Reference — 요약표

Full	Spoken
뭐를	뭘
그것이 / 그것은 / 그것을	그게 / 그건 / 그걸
나는 / 너를	난 / 널
그런데 / 그러면	근데 / 그럼
-지 않아	-잖아
어떻게 해	어떡해

✏️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Work out the answer first, then click to check.

1. Contract 뭐를 먹을래? in speech.

Show answer

뭘 먹을래?

2. Contract 그것이 무엇이에요? in speech.

Show answer

그게 뭐예요?

3. Say "I am a student" in contracted casual speech (나는 …).

Show answer

난 학생이야.

4. Which means "What shall I do?": 어떻게 or 어떡해?

Show answer

어떡해?

5. What does -잖아 add to 내가 말했어?

Show answer

내가 말했잖아 means "I told you (as you know)".

6. Whom is it acceptable to address in 반말?

Show answer

Close friends, family and younger people, not strangers or elders.

7. What does 꿀잼 mean?

Show answer

Very fun.

8. Say "Where are you going?" in Gyeongsang speech.

Show answer

어디 가노?

9. Which contraction of 것 means "as object": 게, 건 or 걸?

Show answer

걸 (것을).

Coming up in Chapter 9: Particles in Depth. You will compare 은/는 with 이/가, learn the choice between 에, 에서, 에게, 한테 and 께, meet the focus particles 만, 도, 조차, 마저, 부터 and 까지, and see how particles behave with passives and causatives.