Popular K-Pop Fan Slang Every K-Popper Should Know

In today’s post, we will go through some common K-pop fan slang! While you may have been accustomed to words such as “bias”, “ults”, and “multi” in English, there is a handful of popular Korean terms used among K-pop fans that you can use as well! If you’re a K-pop fan yourself, these Korean fan lingos can be pretty useful when you’re attending fan events in Korea or simply trying to converse with fellow Korean friends. Just like all the English fan terminologies, the Korean versions are not only catchy but easy to remember!

1. 최애. Ultimate bias.

Among all the K-pop fan slang out there, this is perhaps the most important. This particular term is rooted from 최 which means the best/top/most and 애 which means "love". It is actually short for 최고로 애정하다, meaning "to love the most". With that being said, you can use 최애 to refer to your most favorite member, or ultimate bias, of a K-pop group.

Here’s an example of how you can use it in a conversation:

스키즈에서 최애가 누구야? Who is your SKZ (Stray Kids) bias?

내 최애는 현진이야! 너는? My bias is Hyunjin! What about you?

나는 방찬이 좋아해. I like Bang Chan.

Another example:

나의 최애 그룹은 방탄소년단 입니다. My most favorite group is Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS).

2. 차애. Second bias.

차애 can be used to refer to your second favorite member or bias-wrecker. Therefore, if you have another member that you admire after your ultimate bias, you can use this term to refer to them!

You can tell your Korean friends that you have a second favorite member by saying “(Group name)에서 내 차애는 (Member)야/이야.”

For instance:

에이티즈에서 내 차애는 산이야! My second bias / bias-wrecker from ATEEZ is San!

Alternatively, you can say “(Member)은/는 내 차애야.”

Such as:

산이는 내 차애야. San is my second bias.

3. 철새팬. Multi-fan.

A multi-fan refers to someone who is a fan of more than one K-pop group. In Korea, multi-fans are known as 철새팬. Interestingly, 철새 actually means "migratory bird". Since multi-fans constantly join one fandom after another, K-pop fans have combined the word 철새 with 팬, or fan, to refer to multi-fans. Another common term to describe them is 다팬 which literally means “all fan”.

If you love more than one K-pop group, then you are a 철새팬 and can introduce yourself as such!
Here’s an example:

나는 철새팬이야. 나 방탄과 엔시티의 팬이야. I’m a multi-fan. I’m a fan of BTS and NCT.

4. 심쿵. Heartthrob.

This term comes from the word 심장, meaning “heart” and the onomatopoeia 쿵쿵 which refers to the beating sound your heart makes. Basically, it means “heartthrob” or “heart-fluttering”. Therefore, 심쿵 can be used whenever your favorite idol makes your heart flutter or simply whenever you’re fangirling and feel like there are butterflies in your stomach. You may also use it when talking about your major crush or when you see someone super attractive.

Here’s an example of how you can use the word in a conversation with a friend:

할....나 김태형 봤어. OMG... I saw Kim Taehyung.

진짜!? Really!?

응! 그는 너무 잘생겼다. 심쿵했다. Yep! He’s so handsome. My heart fluttered.

아 부러워요 ㅠㅠ Ah, I envy you TT

5. 짱. Best.

Another term that is often used among K-pop fans is 짱 which means "best". However, it is also used to describe someone or something as incredible or super cool. This is the perfect phrase to use when your favorite group has left you speechless but you still want to praise them!

Let’s say you just watched an amazing performance by your favorite group.

와 스트레이키즈의 무대 진짜 대단했다! WOW, Stray Kids’ performance was amazing!

그치!? 스키즈짱! IKR!? SKZ is the best!

You can even use it to compliment your bias.

지민아 니가 짱이야! Jimin, you are so cool!

By catching on to these terms, I hope it will help you to communicate with your Korean friends more naturally. There are tons of other K-pop fan slang to learn but these are the five commonly used slangs to give you a good start to fangirling in Korean!  

Learn more K-pop fan slang!

For more Korean fan terminologies, you can check out this video! Feel free to also check out other videos from the YouTube channel for more Korean lessons.

Other stuff you might be interested in:

• How To Use Text Slang in Korean
• Korean Slang Used Everyday
• BTS Song Titles and Meanings in Korean

Want to further brush up on your Korean language skills? Get yourself all the essential materials like textbooks, stationery, and other learning materials from sooandcarrots.com!