Korean Dictionary
How to say "Konglish" in Korean
“Konglish” in Korean is 콩글리시 (pronounced "konggeullisi").
콩글리시
konggeullisi
Usage & Context
Konglish refers to Korean words borrowed from English but adapted with Korean pronunciation and usage. Many K-pop terms like 컴백 (comeback) and 아이돌 (idol) are examples of 콩글리시 in pop culture.
Example Sentence
케이팝 문화에는 콩글리시 표현이 자주 등장한다.
Konglish expressions frequently appear in K-pop culture.
How to use 콩글리시 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Konglish” is 콩글리시, romanized as konggeullisi.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 콩글리시.
Pronunciation Guide
To say "콩글리시," pronounce "Kong" to rhyme with 'song'. "Geul" sounds like 'gull' as in 'seagull'. "Li" sounds like 'lee', and "si" sounds like 'see'. Put it together: "Kong-gull-lee-see."
More Example Sentences
Realizing a common misunderstanding about a word's origin.
한국에서는 '핸드폰'이 콩글리시라는 걸 몰랐어.
I didn't know 'hand phone' was Konglish in Korea.
Explaining a common difficulty faced by non-native speakers.
콩글리시 때문에 외국인들이 가끔 혼란스러워해요.
Foreigners sometimes get confused because of Konglish.
Discussing linguistic features found in K-pop music.
케이팝 가사에는 재미있는 콩글리시 표현이 많아.
There are many interesting Konglish expressions in K-pop lyrics.
Cultural Context
"콩글리시" is a portmanteau of 'Korean' and 'English,' referring to English words or phrases adopted into Korean but used in a way that is not standard or understandable to native English speakers. Examples include "fighting!" (화이팅!) for encouragement, "hand phone" (핸드폰) for mobile phone, or "skinship" (스킨십) for physical affection. It's a fascinating linguistic phenomenon reflecting cultural adaptation and is very common in daily Korean life, K-pop, and K-dramas, often leading to humorous misunderstandings for foreigners.
Editorial note
We review entries like 콩글리시 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
콩글리시 표현
Konglish expression
콩글리시 단어
Konglish word
재미있는 콩글리시
Interesting Konglish
Related Expressions
외래어
oeraeeo
Loanword (general term for words from other languages)
신조어
sinjoeo
Neologism (newly coined word)
영어
yeong-eo
English (the source language)
한국어
hanguk-eo
Korean (the target language)
More Korean Pop Culture Words
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