Master 2025 Korean Trends: From ‘Daebak’ to ‘Deul-Chu-Nal-Chu’!
Hello! This is Maeil Hangeul (매일한글), here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever wanted to chat with your Korean friends about the latest K-Pop hits or the hottest new drama, but you didn’t know the right words? Today is your lucky day! We’re going to learn the essential vocabulary to talk about what’s trending in Korea.
Lately in Korea, everyone is buzzing about the animated Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters and its virtual girl group HUNTR/X, who are dominating the Billboard charts! There’s also a new fashion trend called “Tomato-core” taking over social media. By the end of this post, you’ll be able to use the coolest and most current phrases to talk about all of it!
Key Expressions to Sound Like a Local
Here are a few words that will make you sound totally up-to-date.
1. 대박 (Daebak)
- Pronunciation [Romanized]: Dae-bak
- English Meaning: Awesome! / Amazing! / A huge success!
- Detailed Explanation: Daebak is one of the most popular and versatile slang words in Korean. You can use it to express surprise or excitement about almost anything amazing. Did your favorite group win an award? Daebak! Did you find a great sale? Daebak! It’s an informal word, perfect for using with friends.
2. -코어 (-core)
- Pronunciation [Romanized]: -ko-eo
- English Meaning: -core (as in a style or aesthetic)
- Detailed Explanation: This is a suffix borrowed from English words like “normcore.” In Korea, it’s attached to nouns to describe a specific fashion or aesthetic trend. Lately, 토마토 코어 (Tomato-core) is the talk of the town! It describes a style that mixes the simplicity of normcore with the fresh, vibrant red color of a tomato. It’s a fun way to talk about new styles you see on Instagram or TikTok.
3. 들추날추 (Deul-chu-nal-chu)
- Pronunciation [Romanized]: Deul-chu-nal-chu
- English Meaning: “I can only think of/see Choo Young-woo” (A phrase for an obsession with an actor)
- Detailed Explanation: This is a brand-new slang word created by fans of the drama Gyeon-woo and Seon-nyeo! It’s an abbreviation of the phrase “들숨 날숨 사이에도 추영우밖에 안 보임” (deul-ssum nal-ssum sa-i-e-do Choo-Young-woo-bak-ke an bo-im), which means “I can only see Choo Young-woo even between breathing in and breathing out.” It perfectly captures the feeling of being completely captivated by an actor’s performance. You can use it to show you’re a true fan!
Example Conversation
Let’s see how these words work in a real chat!
A: Did you hear that the virtual group HUNTR/X from K-Pop Demon Hunters hit #1 on the global charts?
A: 넷플릭스 ‘케이팝 데몬 헌터스’에 나오는 가상 그룹 헌트릭스가 글로벌 차트 1위 한 거 들었어?
(Net-peul-lik-seu ‘Kei-pap De-mon Heon-teo-seu’-e na-o-neun ga-sang geu-rup Heon-teu-rik-seu-ga geul-lo-beol cha-teu i-rwi han geo deu-reo-sseo?)
B: Really? 대박! Their song “Golden” is my favorite.
B: 진짜? 대박! 노래 ‘Golden’ 완전 내 스타일이야.
(Jin-jja? Dae-bak! No-rae ‘Golden’ wan-jeon nae seu-ta-il-i-ya.)
A: I know, right? And hey, I love your red jacket. Is that the 토마토 코어 look?
A: 내 말이! 어, 근데 너 빨간색 재킷 예쁘다. 그거 토마토 코어 스타일이야?
(Nae mal-i! Eo, geun-de neo ppal-gan-saek jae-kit ye-ppeu-da. Geu-geo To-ma-to Ko-eo seu-ta-il-i-ya?)
B: You got it! And speaking of trends, are you watching Gyeon-woo and Seon-nyeo? I’m so obsessed with the main actor. It’s totally 들추날추 for me.
B: 맞았어! 아, 그리고 트렌드 얘기가 나와서 말인데, 드라마 ‘견우와 선녀’ 봐? 나 남주한테 완전 빠졌잖아. 완전 들추날추야.
(Ma-ja-sseo! A, geu-ri-go teu-ren-deu yae-gi-ga na-wa-seo mal-in-de, deu-ra-ma ‘Gyeon-u-wa Seon-nyeo’ bwa? Na nam-ju-han-te wan-jeon ppa-jyeot-ja-na. Wan-jeon deul-chu-nal-chu-ya.)
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
In Korea, especially among the MZ Generation, creating new slang (신조어 – sin-jo-eo) is a huge part of fan culture and online communication.
들추날추 (Deul-chu-nal-chu) is a perfect example of a 줄임말 (jurimmal), or an abbreviation. Fans took a long, passionate sentence and shortened it into a catchy, four-syllable word. This happens all the time for popular actors, idols, and TV shows. Knowing these words shows you’re not just learning Korean, but you’re also in on the culture!
Similarly, using -코어 (-core) shows you understand how global trends are adopted and adapted in Korea. When you see a new style, you can try coining your own “-core” word with your friends!
Let’s Wrap It Up & Practice!
Great job today! We learned some fantastic words to talk about the latest Korean trends: 대박 (awesome), -코어 (a style), and the super-new fan slang 들추날추.
Now it’s your turn to practice!
- Fill in the blank: The new Korean animated movie King of Kings broke box office records in Hollywood. That’s totally _________!
- Make a short sentence: What is your favorite fashion style right now? Try to describe it using “-코어 (-core)”. (e.g., “I like ballet-core.”)
Leave your answers in the comments below using the expressions you learned today! What’s daebak for you right now? We can’t wait to read your sentences
