Korean Dictionary
How to say "Selfie" in Korean
“Selfie” in Korean is 셀카 (pronounced "Selka").
셀카
Selka
Usage & Context
Self-taken photographs, a major part of Korean social culture. 셀카봉 (selfie stick) was popularized in Korea before spreading globally. Korean photo culture emphasizes 인생샷 (life shot — the perfect photo). 포토부스 (photo booths like 인생네컷) are extremely popular in Korean cities for taking aesthetic strip photos.
Example Sentence
인생네컷 찍으러 갈까요? 추억 남겨요!
Shall we go take inssagram photo booth pictures? Let's make memories!
How to use 셀카 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Selfie” is 셀카, romanized as Selka.
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 셀카.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounce 'Sel' like the English word 'sell'. 'Ka' sounds like 'car' without the 'r' sound at the end. The stress is evenly distributed between the two syllables.
More Example Sentences
A friend excitedly sharing about their good hair/makeup day.
오늘 화장 잘 돼서 셀카 백만 장 찍었어!
My makeup looks good today, so I took a million selfies!
Asking for tips on taking better selfies.
셀카 찍을 때 어떤 각도가 제일 잘 나와요?
What angle works best when taking a selfie?
Someone sharing memories from their vacation.
여행 가서 멋진 풍경이랑 셀카 많이 남겼어요.
I took many selfies with the beautiful scenery during my trip.
Cultural Context
The term '셀카' (selka) is a portmanteau of 'self-camera' and is deeply ingrained in Korean culture. Taking selfies is a common activity, often aimed at capturing an '인생샷' (insaeng-syat), meaning a 'life shot' or the perfect, once-in-a-lifetime photo. The '셀카봉' (selka-bong), or selfie stick, was popularized in Korea before becoming a global phenomenon. Photo booths like '인생네컷' (insaeng-ne-keot) are also incredibly popular, offering a fun way to take aesthetic strip photos with friends, reflecting the strong emphasis on visual presentation and memory-making in Korean social life.
Editorial note
We review entries like 셀카 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
셀카 찍자!
Let's take a selfie!
셀카 잘 나왔네!
Your selfie turned out well!
셀카 모드
Selfie mode
Related Expressions
셀카봉
Selka-bong
Selfie stick
인생샷
Insaeng-syat
Life shot (perfect photo)
사진
Sajin
Photo
포토부스
Potobuseu
Photo booth
More Culture Words
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