Korea is famous for its vibrant cafe scene, where grabbing a coffee is practically a daily ritual. But if you want to order and vibe like a true local, here are 3 trendy cafe slang terms used everywhere from Seoul university campuses to hip Seongsu-dong cafes!
1. 얼죽아 (Eol-Juk-Ah)
- Meaning: “Even if I freeze to death, iced Americano.” An abbreviation for 얼어 죽어도 아이스 아메리카노.
- Context: Koreans are obsessed with iced Americanos—even during sub-zero winter days. If you order an iced coffee in the middle of a snowstorm, congratulations, you are officially an Eol-Juk-Ah.
- Example:A: “It’s minus 10 degrees outside, why are you drinking cold coffee?”B: “Because I’m a certified Eol-Juk-Ah!”(난 얼죽아니까!)
2. 카공족 (Ka-Gong-Jok)
- Meaning: Cafe study tribe. A combination of 카페 (Cafe) + 공부 (Study) + 족 (族, Tribe/Group).
- When to use: Refers to students, freelancers, and remote workers who set up their laptops and study materials at cafes for hours.
- Example:“This cafe has plenty of power outlets, so it’s a paradise for Kagongjok.”(여기 콘센트 많아서 완전 카공족 성지네.)
3. 당 충전 (Dang-Chung-Jeon)
- Meaning: Sugar recharge / Sugar boost. (당 = Sugar, 충전 = Charging/Refill).
- When to use: When you are feeling physically exhausted or mentally drained in the afternoon and desperately need a sweet dessert, pastry, or milk tea to get your energy back.
- Example:“I’ve been staring at my screen for five hours. I need an urgent Dang-Chung-Jeon with a slice of cake!”(5시간 동안 작업했더니 힘들다. 케이크로 당 충전 좀 해야겠어!)
Next time you hit up a cool cafe in Seoul, try using these phrases when chatting with friends or ordering your drink!
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