남친
namchin[na̠mt͡ɕʰin]
The English abbreviation "bf" can be translated into Korean as 남친 (namchin).
남친 is an abbreviation used to refer to a boyfriend or a male partner in a romantic relationship.
Which one should you use?
While 남친 refers specifically to a boyfriend, its counterpart 여친 is the contraction used to refer to a girlfriend. For a more general term meaning 'lover' or 'significant other' that can apply to any gender, you can use 애인. Additionally, younger Korean speakers often use the phonetic transliteration of the English word, 보이프렌드, in social media or text messages.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
남친 is a colloquial abbreviation used primarily in casual conversation or texting. In more standard or complete speech, the full form is 남자친구.
How do you pronounce it?
namchin
Did you know?
- To avoid confusion, Koreans use the specific term 남사친 to describe a male friend who is strictly platonic, whereas 남친 is reserved exclusively for romantic partners.
- Because the word 친구 (chingu) is part of the full term 남자친구, it carries a specific social weight. In Korea, calling someone a 'friend' often implies that you are the exact same age, which dictates the level of politeness used in conversation.
- In fast-paced digital texting, the word 남친 is often reduced to just its first consonants, ㄴㅊ.
Examples in context
- 저의 남자친구는 매우 재치있어요.My boyfriend is very witty.
- 오늘은 애인과 데이트 예정이에요.I have a date with my boyfriend today.
- 제 남친은 정말 다정해요.je namchin-eun jeongmal dajeong-haeyo.My boyfriend is very sweet.
- 남친이랑 같이 영화 봤어요.namchin-irang gachi yeonghwa bwasseoyo.I watched a movie with my boyfriend.
Example conversation
Subin is showing a photo of her partner to Minjun.
- 민준 Min-jun이 사람이 누구예요?i sarami nuguyeyo?Who is this person?
- 수빈 Su-bin제 남친이에요.je namchin-ieyo.This is my boyfriend.
- 민준 Min-jun와, 정말 멋있으시네요!wa, jeongmal meoshisseusineyo!Wow, he is really handsome!
- 수빈 Su-bin감사합니다, 민준 씨.gamsahamnida, Minjun ssi.Thank you, Minjun.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 남친, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
