💎 What you'll learn in this post
📌 Heads up before you read
If you text the same way you do in your country, your Korean friends might be surprised or even confused! 😲
In English, you might repeat letters like LOLLLL or HAHAHA to show emotion, but in Korea, people usually use punctuation marks instead. For example, ^ is supposed to point up (↑), but in Korean texting, it looks like smiling eyes, so it shows happiness 😊. Cool, right?
In Korea, punctuation marks are like ‘emotion boosters’! Even in short messages, things like ..., ?, !, and ~ can really show feelings. So when you're texting your Korean friends, make sure to use these ‘emotion marks’ to add some fun! Just a few marks can totally change the vibe of your chat.
Now you'll be able to express emotions like a pro in your Korean conversations!
💬 Real Korean Expressions in Conversation
Did you notice how many punctuation marks showed up in that short conversation? That's the real way Koreans chat!
From teens to people in their 40s, especially younger people, punctuation is used a lot more. When you chat with friends in their teens to 30s, you'll often see punctuation flying everywhere. So, there's no need to think it's strange!
You need to understand what kind of nuance and emotion these punctuation marks carry in chat to really catch what the other person is feeling.
...
Ellipsis
In Korean, this is called 말 줄임표[mal ju-lim-pyo], 점점점[jeom-jeom-jeom], or 쩜쩜쩜[jjeom-jjeom-jjeom]! Originally, it's used to shorten sentences, indicate awkward pauses, or leave out parts of a sentence. But between Koreans, especially in chat, it's often used when you're hesitating or when you want to say something but can't quite get it out. Even though it's used for its original meaning, it's more often used for emotional expression!
📌 Here’s how you can use it
✅ Hey, today I’m.......
(hesitating to say something)
야, 나 오늘.......
✅ I have something to tell you today...
(something important but can’t finish the sentence)
나 오늘 너한테 하고 싶은 말이 있어...
✅ Want to grab lunch tomorrow...? Or maybe...
(asking without pressure)
내일 같이 밥 먹을래...? 아니면...
✅ Um... I think that might be a bit difficult...
(softly turning something down)
음... 그건 좀 어려울 것 같은데...
?
Question Mark
In Korean, we call this 물음표 [mu-reum-pyo]. Everyone knows it’s the basic punctuation mark used to ask questions, right? But did you know that Koreans use question marks to show how curious they are? Depending on how deep their curiosity is, they’ll change the number of question marks to show “just how curious” they are. Isn’t that adorable? 😆
Usually, one question mark is for general curiosity, two or more show you're more curious, and when you're super eager to know, you can go all out with a bunch of question marks to give off strong vibes!
📌 Here’s how you can use it
👨🦱: When your friend says, "I'm so happy~", you can respond like this, depending on your level of curiosity:
✅ ? (Hmm, what's up? Just a little curious)
✅ ?? (Wait, what? Something's definitely up, right? A bit more curious)
✅ ??? (Wait, what, what, WHAT? What's going on? Tell me right now!! Super curious)
✅ ???????? (OMG, what’s going on! I’m dying to know!! Curiosity overload)
By sending more question marks, you're telling the other person, “I'm totally focused on what you're saying!” So, the more curious you are, the more question marks you use—makes sense now, right?
!
Exclamation Point
The exclamation point 느낌표[neu-kkim-pyo] is one of the most commonly used punctuation marks in Korean conversations. This tiny mark can completely change the tone and emotion of a chat, so you need to be careful when using it. Even with just one exclamation point, you can come across much stronger.
Here are three common situations where exclamation points are often used when chatting with Koreans. There are way more, but let’s start with the most important ones. Just like with question marks, using multiple exclamation points can make your emotions feel much more intense.
📌 Here’s how you can use it
1) Emphasizing words with strong emotions
👨🦱: When your friend asks, "Who do you like????", you can respond like this,
✅ BTS! BTS!! BTS!!!!!!
✅ SEVENTEEN! SEVENTEEN!! SEVENTEEN!!!!!!
2) Emphasizing emotions in statements, commands, or requests
✅ Stop! < Stop!! < Stop!!!!!
(The last one is like, “I said stop!!” for a stronger message)
그만해! → 그만해!! → 그만해!!!!!
✅ I got told today I look like Stray Kids' Hyunjin!!!!!
나 스트레이키즈 현진 닮았다는 소리 들었어!!!
✅ I'm so excited! < I'm so excited!! < I'm so excited!!!!!
정말 신나! → 정말 신나!! → 정말 신나!!!!!
✅ Answer me quickly! < Answer me quickly!! < Answer me quickly!!!!!
빨리 대답해! → 빨리 대답해!! → 빨리 대답해!!!!!
3) Responding or calling someone with emotion
✅ Yes! Professor!
(Showing respect and strength in response)
네! 교수님!
✅ Yes! Teacher!
(Even more serious and strong response)
네! 선생님!
Just one exclamation point can totally change the intensity and mood of a conversation—pretty cool, right?
;
Semicolon
In Korean chats, the semicolon (;) isn’t usually used for its typical grammatical role. Instead, it’s often used in awkward or tense situations. Why? Because the semicolon reminds people of the 😅 ← emoji, as if someone’s sweating out of embarrassment! The two dots in the semicolon are seen as sweat drops. So, the more semicolons you use, the more awkward or embarrassed you feel.
📌 Here’s how you can use it
✅ Sorry to Stray Kids' fans;;;;;
(When you’ve made a joke or said something ridiculous, and now I'm super embarrassed)
스트레이키즈 팬들에게 미안하네 ;;;;;
✅ Is that really true;;;
(When even you feel awkward about a fact)
그게 사실이야;;;
✅ ;;;;;
(When you’re so embarrassed by what someone said that you can’t even respond)
~
Tilde
In English, the tilde (~) is often used to mean 'about' or 'approximately', but in Korea, it’s used completely differently! So, be careful!! 😆
In Korea, the tilde is used between numbers (such as 9~10 a.m., 30~40 minutes, 100~200 won), but in everyday conversation, it’s mostly used to soften a serious tone or express positive emotions. It's used far more often for emotional expression than for its original purpose! And the number of tildes you use can change the intensity of the emotion. One ~ shows simple positivity, while more ~~~~ means the feeling is really intense!
📌 Here’s how you can use it
✅ I feel good~
(When you’re feeling good in a normal way)
✅ I have someone I like~~~
(When you’re feeling more excited and happy)
나 좋아하는 사람이 생겼어~~~
✅ I’m going to BLACKPINK's concert on Saturday, and I’m so excited~~~~~~~
(Super pumped about going to the concert)
나 토요일에 블랙핑크 콘서트 가서 너무 좋아~~~~~~~
✅ Wow, I’m so jealous~~~~~~~~
(When you're extremely jealous and want to express it to the max)
우와, 좋겠다~~~~~~~~
Now you can see how this tiny mark can totally change the vibe of your sentence!
--;
Double Dash with Semicolon. This is a non-standard punctuation mark that’s often used in Korea. It’s commonly used to express awkwardness, embarrassment, or when something goes wrong. The (--) represents the eyes, and the (;) represents a drop of sweat next to the eyes.
The more embarrassing or awkward the situation, the more semicolons you'll see, representing more drops of sweat. In Korean conversation, this combination is often used to show embarrassment or awkwardness!
📌 Here’s how you can use it
✅ Stop it --;;;
(When you’re super embarrassed or awkward)
그만하라고 --;;;
✅ What’s going on --;;;
(When something strange or embarrassing happens)
무슨 일이야 --;;;
✅ Really? --;;
(When you’re surprised and left speechless)
진짜로? --;;
Now you know how to use this unique punctuation combo to express awkward moments like a pro!
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