절친
jeolchin[t͡ɕʌ̹ʎt͡ɕʰin]
To say close friend in Korean, use 절친 (jeolchin).
절친 is used for a friend you share a very strong bond with, and it is common in daily conversation and texting.
What does it mean word for word?
절친 is a shortened form of a longer phrase meaning a very close friend, built on the adjective 절친한, very close.
Which one should you use?
베프 is an informal term that comes from a shortened form of the English best friend.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
절친 is a casual abbreviation. The full phrase is a little more formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe a noun as close, use the full adjective form 절친한.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as jeolchin.
Did you know?
- The concept of a 'close friend' in Korea is often tied to the term 'Chingu' (친구), but in many social settings, you can only call someone your 'Chingu' if you are the exact same age.
- True 절친 in Korea often share a level of intimacy where they can use 'banmal', the informal way of speaking. Switching to this casual speech is often the definitive marker that a person has officially become a close friend.
- The term 절친 is a Sino-Korean word constructed from the Hanja characters 切 meaning 'close' and 親 meaning 'intimacy' or 'relation'.
Examples in context
- 저는 친한 친구가 없어요.I don't have any close friends.
- 우리는 정말 절친이에요.ureun jeongmal jeolchinieyo.We are truly close friends.
- 그는 제 가장 오래된 절친입니다.geuneun je gajang oraedoen jeolchinimnida.He is my oldest close friend.
- 민준은 제 절친이에요.minjuneun je jeolchinieyo.Minjun is my close friend.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Min-jun are talking about people they know.
- 지은 Ji-eun민준 씨, 이분은 누구세요?Minjun ssi, ibuneun nuguseyo?Min-jun, who is this person?
- 민준 Min-jun제 고향 절친이에요.je gohyang jeolchinieyo.This is my close friend from my hometown.
- 지은 Ji-eun정말 반가워요!jeongmal bangawoyo!It is very nice to meet you!
- 민준 Min-jun소개해 줘서 고마워요, 지은 씨.sogaehae jwoseo gomawoyo, Jieun ssi.Thank you for the introduction, Ji-eun.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 절친, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 절친, CC BY-SA 4.0.
