걸그룹
geolgeurup[kʌ̹ɭɡɯɾup̚]
The English phrase "girl group" is translated into Korean as 걸그룹 (geolgeurup).
The term refers to a pop group made up of young women. You may also encounter the informal term 여돌 when referring to girl groups.
Meaning: pop group made up of young women (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
걸그룹 is a loanword from English, combining the transliterated word for "girl" (걸) and the word for "group" (그룹).
Which one should you use?
여돌 is an informal way to refer to a 'girl group' in Korean.
How do you pronounce it?
geolgeurup
Did you know?
- The term 걸그룹 is frequently paired with 센터 meaning 'center' to identify the member who stands in the middle of the group during choreography and photos.
- If you use the term 걸그룹 to describe an older group, it might sound slightly odd because the word 'girl' is baked into the loanword. Fans often prefer calling groups 'idols' (아이돌) to avoid the age-related connotations of the English word.
- While 걸그룹 is the standard term, you will see the abbreviation 여돌 used constantly on social media and in fan communities. It is a contraction of '여성 아이돌' (female idol), which is the more descriptive way Koreans conceptualize these groups.
Examples in context
- 독보적인 컨셉으로 MZ세대의 아이콘이 된 IVE는 해외에서도 상당히 유명한 걸그룹이다.IVE, who has become an icon of the Zillennial with their unrivaled concept, is a girl group that is also significantly famous abroad.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 걸그룹 when discussing a famous musical group.
- 저는 요즘 인기 있는 걸그룹 음악을 즐겨 들어요.jeoneun yojeum ingi issneun geol-geurub eumageul jeulgyeodeureoyo.I enjoy listening to popular girl group music lately.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about music at a cafe.
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈 씨, 좋아하는 걸그룹 있어요?ji-hun ssi, jo-a-ha-neun geol-geu-rup it-seo-yo?Jihoon, do you have a favorite girl group?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 저는 뉴진스를 정말 좋아해요.ne, jeo-neun nyu-jin-seu-reul jeong-mal jo-a-hae-yo.Yes, I really like NewJeans.
- 서연 Seo-yeon맞아요, 요즘 정말 핫한 그룹이죠.ma-ja-yo, yo-jeum jeong-mal hat-han geu-rup-i-jyo.Right, they are a very hot group lately.
- 지훈 Ji-hun노래가 다 좋아서 계속 듣게 돼요.no-rae-ga da jo-a-seo gye-sok deut-ge dwae-yo.All their songs are good, so I keep listening to them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl group” translations and entries 걸그룹, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
