문화 충격
munhwa chunggyeok
Culture shock in Korean is 문화 충격 (munhwa chunggyeok).
The term refers to a state of anxious confusion. In Korean, 문화 충격 is most naturally used with the verb 느끼다 (to feel) to express experiencing it, as in 문화 충격을 느끼다 (to feel culture shock).
Meaning: state of anxious confusion (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a compound of 문화 (culture) and 충격 (shock).
How do you pronounce it?
munhwa chunggyeok
Did you know?
- In casual online slang, Koreans might use the word 멘붕 (short for 'mental collapse') to describe the acute, sudden disorientation often associated with 문화 충격.
- The word for 'culture' 문화 is a borrowing from the Japanese word bunka. This shows how modern concepts of sociology and anthropology were imported into Korean via Japan during the early 20th century.
- The word 문화 originally referred to the act of 'transforming' or 'civilizing' people through writing and education before it came to mean 'culture' as a general concept.
Examples in context
- 한국에 처음 왔을 때, 저는 문화 충격을 받았어요.When I first came to Korea, I experienced culture shock.
- 새로운 환경 때문에 문화 충격을 받았어요.saeroun hwangyeong ttaemune munhwa chunggyeogeul badasseoyo.I experienced culture shock because of the new environment.
- 처음에는 문화 충격이 컸지만 이제 괜찮아요.cheoeumeneun munhwa chunggyeogi keotjiman ije gwaenchanayo.The culture shock was big at first, but I am fine now.
- 외국에 가면 문화 충격을 겪을 수 있어요.oeguge gamyeon munhwa chunggyeogeul gyeokgeul su isseoyo.You can experience culture shock when you go abroad.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Seoyeon are talking about their travels.
- 지훈 Ji-hun서연 씨도 외국에서 문화 충격을 받았나요?Seoyeon ssido oegugeseo munhwa chunggyeogeul badannayo?Did you also experience culture shock abroad, Seoyeon?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 음식 문화 때문에 정말 놀랐어요.ne, eumsik munhwa ttaemune jeongmal norasseoyo.Yes, I was really surprised by the food culture.
- 지훈 Ji-hun어떤 점이 가장 충격적이었어요?eotteon jeomi gajang chunggyeokjeogieosseoyo?What part was the most shocking?
- 서연 Seo-yeon식사 예절이 생각보다 너무 달랐어요.siksa yejeori saenggakboda neomu dallasseoyo.The dining etiquette was much different than I thought.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “culture shock” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 문화, 충격, CC BY-SA 4.0.
