Why fans spell Korean differently
You'll see "oppa", "unnie" and "fighting" in fan posts, but the official Revised Romanization writes 언니 as eonni and 화이팅 as hwaiting. Fan spellings grew up online before the official system was common, and they stuck. Both are fine for chatting; the Hangul is what Koreans read. This page shows the official romanization first and the fan spelling next to it.
Honorifics in K-pop
Korean changes words depending on who is older. That's why idols call each other 형, 오빠, 누나 and 언니 instead of names, why the 막내 gets teased, and why a group bows to its 선배 at music shows. When you write to an idol, use the polite -요 forms in the list above. Casual speech (반말) like 사랑해 or 보고 싶어 is what idols use with close friends, and fans use it playfully, but the polite form is never wrong. Learn more on the how to say it in Korean pages, which show the polite, formal and casual form of every phrase.
From fan to reader
Many people start learning Korean because of K-pop. The fastest path is the same for everyone: learn the 24 letters with the Hangul chart, practice with the reading quiz, then read the group names and fan words on this page without the romanization. Within a week you can read song titles and member names on your own.
Frequently asked questions
What does oppa mean in K-pop?
오빠 (oppa) is what a woman calls an older man she is close to, like an older brother or boyfriend. Female fans call older male idols oppa. Men say 형 (hyung) instead.
How do you say "bias" in Korean?
Fans say 최애 (choeae), short for 최고 애정, "the most love". Your second favourite member is 차애 (chaae).
What does maknae mean?
막내 (maknae) is the youngest member of a group. A youngest member who is good at everything is called the 황금막내, "golden maknae".
What does hwaiting mean?
화이팅 (hwaiting) comes from the English word "fighting" and means "you can do it" or "good luck". Fans shout it to cheer their idols on.
How do I sing along to K-pop songs in Korean?
Paste the lyrics into the K-pop lyrics romanizer on this site. Each line appears with its romanization underneath, written the way it is sung.