💎 What you'll learn in this post
📌 Heads up before you read
Overnight Sensation Words Expressions that are particularly common in conversations during cold winters like now
⚡ Frequency of use by K-pop fans
★★★☆☆
⚡ Frequency of use in general
★★★★★★★★★★
아아[a-a]
Iced Americano
[a-a] is short for 아이스 아메리카노[a-i-seu a-me-ri-ka-no],
✅ 아이스[a-i-seu]: Ice
✅ 아메리카노[a-me-ri-ka-no]: Americano
The graph below shows the usage of 아아[a-a] (red graph) and 아이스 아메리카노[a-i-seu a-me-ri-ka-no] (green graph) among Koreans in their teens and 20s. As of recently, there’s almost no significant difference in the usage rates of the two. This means you should be familiar with both expressions.
Below is the graph for people in their 30s and older. Although 아이스 아메리카노[a-i-seu a-me-ri-ka-no] is used more than 아아 [a-a], you can still see that both expressions are used fairly evenly! This means you should know both of these terms.
Here are two videos
showing the use of [a-a] on YouTube
⬇ Check it out on YouTube ⬇
(English subtitles available)
It seems that Boo Seungkwan, a popular member of the K-pop group SEVENTEEN, is a well-known coffee lover. Let's learn more about coffee and check out some examples of how [a-a] is used.
In a popular Korean variety show, celebrities travel to Europe and order coffee. You can see a scene where they naturally shout [a-a].
뜨아[tteu-a]
Hot Americano
[tte-a] is short for 뜨거운 아메리카노[tteu-geo-un a-me-ri-ka-no],
✅ 뜨겁다[tteu-geup-tta]: Hot
→ The adjective 뜨겁다 changes to 뜨거운[tteu-geo-un] when it modifies the noun 아메리카노.
The red graph below represents 뜨아[tte-a], and the green graph represents 뜨거운 아메리카노[tteu-geo-un a-me-ri-ka-no]. As you can see, [tte-a] is overwhelmingly more popular. For those in their teens and 20s, [tte-a] is the go-to term, while people in their 30s and older still use [tte-a] more but also use both expressions fairly evenly. So, you should know both terms as well! 😀
얼죽아[eol-ju-ga]
An enthusiastic iced Americano drinker, someone who will have an iced Americano even if it’s freezing!
[eol-ju-ga] is short for 얼어 죽어도 아이스아메리카노[eol-eo ju-geo-do a-i-seu-a-me-ri-ca-no],
✅ 얼다[eol-da]: Freeze
✅ 죽다[juk-tta]: Die
→ [eol-eo ju-geo-do] means'even if I freeze to death''.
Most Used Word and Expression
This Season☃️❄️
Meaning of the Graph(↓) by Color
Purple: 얼죽아[eol-ju-ga]
Green: 아아[a-a]
Red: 뜨아[tte-a]
In Korea, from November to January, it's a cold winter. Do you see how the graph for 얼죽아[eol-ju-ga] suddenly spikes during this time? It shows the pattern of Koreans who will drink iced Americano even if they freeze! 😀😍
One thing that foreigners living in or having lived in Korea always find surprising is that Koreans drink iced Americanos even in the cold winter. Below is a real shot from the news showing a Korean holding an iced Americano with ice, even in heavy snowfall. 😮😀
🔎 Why do you drink [eol-ju-ga]?
Hot drinks can burn your palate, so you have to sip them slowly, right? Personally, I love gulping down ice-cold drinks – they’re just so refreshing! And iced drinks last longer because they stay cold, but hot drinks cool down fast after you order. I’m not really a fan of that.
🔎 Do people actually use the expressions we learned today when ordering at a café?
Yes, they do! It’s not just customers who use them – staff taking orders and even baristas use these expressions too.
💬 Real Korean Expressions in Conversation
👧: [a-a] vs. [tteu-a], so what are you?
아아 vs 뜨아, 너는 뭐가 좋아?
🧒: I’m definitely Team [a-a]!
나는 무조건 아아!!
I’ve been sipping on [a-a] all winter, so I guess I’m an [eol-ju-ga] for sure.
겨울에도 아아를 마시는 나는 얼죽아
👧: I can't drink [a-a] because it's too cold.
아아는 너무 차가워서 못 먹겠어
I'll take a warm [tte-a] in winter any day.
겨울에는 따뜻한 뜨아가 좋아
You can start using it right away!
✨ LINE Chat stickers with phrases
Koreans use every day are now available ✨
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