Korean Social Media & Internet VocabularySNS와 인터넷

internet

인터넷이 너무 느려요.The internet is too slow.

💡 Memory tip: Loanword from English "internet." Koreanized as 인터넷 -- sounds almost identical! Korea has the fastest internet in the world, so you'll rarely need to complain about speed.

Pronunciation: Pronounced [인터넫]. The final ㅅ batchim is unreleased, sounding like [t].

to search

네이버에서 검색해 보세요.Try searching on Naver.

💡 Memory tip: 검색 (search/retrieval) + 하다 (to do) = to do a search. Think "geom" like examining + "saek" like seeking -- you're examining and seeking information!

Pronunciation: 검색 is pronounced [검색]. The ㅁ batchim in 검 is nasal. The ㅅ in 색 is a plain "s" sound.

comment (online)

댓글을 많이 달았어요.I left a lot of comments.

💡 Memory tip: 댓 (response/reply) + 글 (writing) = a written reply. Korean internet culture is famous for its passionate comment sections -- 댓글 culture is serious business!

Pronunciation: 댓글 is pronounced [댇끌]. The ㅅ batchim becomes [t] and causes the ㄱ in 글 to tense into [ㄲ].

like (social media)

이 게시물에 좋아요를 눌러 주세요.Please press like on this post.

💡 Memory tip: 좋아요 literally means "it's good" or "I like it" -- the same phrase Koreans use in daily life! On social media, it became the word for a "like" button, just like in English.

Pronunciation: 좋아요 is pronounced [조아요]. The ㅎ batchim in 좋 is silent before the vowel ㅏ.

follow (social media)

팔로우 해 주세요!Please follow me!

💡 Memory tip: Loanword from English "follow." Koreanized as 팔로우 -- you'll hear Korean YouTubers and influencers say "팔로우 해 주세요!" (Please follow!) all the time.

Pronunciation: Pronounced [팔로우]. The ㄹ in 팔 connects smoothly to the ㄹ in 로 as a lateral [l-l] sound.

post (social media)

새로운 게시물을 올렸어요.I uploaded a new post.

💡 Memory tip: 게시 (display/post) + 물 (thing/object) = a thing that is posted/displayed. Think of 물 as a "material" -- the material you display online.

Pronunciation: Pronounced [게시물]. Each syllable is clearly articulated. The ㄹ batchim in 물 is a light lateral [l].

to share

이 링크를 친구에게 공유했어요.I shared this link with my friend.

💡 Memory tip: 공유 (sharing/common use) + 하다 (to do) = to share. 공 (public/common) + 유 (have) = having something in common. Sharing makes things public!

Pronunciation: 공유 is pronounced [공유]. The ㅇ batchim in 공 is the nasal [ng] sound before the vowel ㅠ.

password

비밀번호를 잊어버렸어요.I forgot my password.

💡 Memory tip: 비밀 (secret) + 번호 (number) = secret number. A password is literally your "secret number" in Korean -- even when it includes letters!

Pronunciation: 비밀번호 is pronounced [비밀번호]. The ㄹ batchim in 밀 connects to ㅂ in 번. All syllables are clearly pronounced.

Wi-Fi

여기 와이파이 비밀번호가 뭐예요?What's the Wi-Fi password here?

💡 Memory tip: Loanword from English "Wi-Fi." Koreanized as 와이파이 -- almost identical pronunciation! Korea has free Wi-Fi practically everywhere, from subways to mountain trails.

Pronunciation: Pronounced [와이파이]. Four clear syllables matching the English "Wi-Fi" pronunciation closely.

download

앱을 다운로드 받으세요.Please download the app.

💡 Memory tip: Loanword from English "download." Koreanized as 다운로드. Often paired with 받다 (to receive): 다운로드 받다 = to download (literally "receive a download").

Pronunciation: Pronounced [다운로드]. The ㄹ in 로 is a flapped [r] sound between vowels. Final ㄷ batchim is unreleased.

upload

사진을 업로드하고 있어요.I'm uploading a photo.

💡 Memory tip: Loanword from English "upload." Koreanized as 업로드. The opposite of 다운로드! 업 (up) + 로드 (load) -- same logic as English.

Pronunciation: 업로드 is pronounced [엄노드]. The ㅂ batchim in 업 nasalizes to [m] before the ㄹ in 로, and ㄹ becomes [n].

notification

알림이 너무 많아요.There are too many notifications.

💡 Memory tip: 알리다 (to inform/notify) → 알림 (notification). The -ㅁ ending turns a verb into a noun. 알림 = the act of letting you know. Think "alarm" -- both 알림 and "alarm" are about alerting you!

Pronunciation: 알림 is pronounced [알림]. The ㄹ in 알 is lateral [l], and the ㄹ in 림 is also lateral, creating a smooth [l-l] connection.

account

새 계정을 만들었어요.I created a new account.

💡 Memory tip: 계 (system/account) + 정 (set/establish) = an established account. Think of 계정 as your "registered identity" on a platform. Used for all online accounts -- SNS, email, games, everything.

Pronunciation: 계정 is pronounced [계정] or often [게정] in casual speech. The ㅖ vowel sometimes simplifies to [ㅔ].