Korean memes and slang, explained

Every entry answers the question in the first two sentences, then shows you the Korean spelling, how to say it, when it is safe to use, and the source we verified it against.

This is the English side of a Korean-language archive. Prefer Korean? 한국어판으로 이동.

All 5 entries

• Goguma & Saida

  고구마 · 사이다

  In Korean drama and webtoon talk, 고구마 (goguma, “sweet potato”) is a plot or character so stifling that watching it feels like choking down a dry steamed sweet potato, and 사이다 (saida, “cider”) is the moment that finally washes it down — the satisfying payoff.

  Also spelled: goguma, saida, goguma jeongae, saida jeongae, sweet potato plot, cider moment, godabi

• Malajuda

  말아주다 (말아주는)

  말아주다 literally means to whip something up for someone: it is the everyday verb for rolling noodles into broth or mixing a drink.

  Also spelled: malajuda, marajuda, mal-a-juda, malajuneun, marajuneun, 말아주다, 말아주는

• Malgnungwang

  맑눈광 (맑은 눈의 광인)

  맑눈광 is a four-syllable clip of 맑은 눈의 광인, “the lunatic with clear eyes”: someone whose face is pure and guileless while their behaviour is completely unhinged.

  Also spelled: malgnungwang, mangnungwang, malgeun nunui gwangin, clear-eyed lunatic, clear eyed crazy, 맑눈광

• Neo T ya?

  너 T야?

  「너 T야?」 means “Are you a T?”, where T is the Thinking side of the MBTI personality test, opposite F for Feeling.

  Also spelled: neo T ya, neo tiya, no T ya, are you a T korean meme, 너 T야

• TMI

  티엠아이 (TMI)

  In K-pop fandom, TMI is a small, harmless fact someone volunteers about themselves — what they ate, what song is stuck in their head, how many hours they slept.

  Also spelled: TMI, 티엠아이, tiemai, ti em ai, TMI 뜻, Korean TMI meaning

How these entries are written

• Every origin claim is tagged confirmed, plausible, or disputed, and links to a source we opened ourselves.
• We separate the publication date of a source, the earliest use we could verify, and the date we accessed the page.
• We store no meme images — the explanation is the product.
• AI assists with research and drafting; the review record is printed on every entry.