Korean-Mexican Slang

For the past couple of years, as I’ve slowly been studying Korean, my sneaky little brain has been noticing correspondences with my own dialect of Mexican Spanish … which have led to my making mash-ups between the two languages. I call this hybrid Hanmegsiko Kaló or Korean-Mexican Slang.

Here are some examples I first shared on Twitter.

I say we take Korean slang word 콜 (kol, “okay, cool”) and mash it up with the synonymous Mexican slang word “órale” to make 콜아래 (kórale).

Then we take 아이씨 (aish, “darn/damn it”) and blend it with synonymous “ay, chihuahua” to make 아이씨와와 (aishiwawa). A racier version would use “ay, chingado” and become 아이싼가도 (aishingado). This is fun!

A mash-up of the South Korean and Mexican flags. Posted to Reddit by u/random1za

Got another! We smash together 헐 (heol, “whoa/WTF”) and “no manches” (“you gotta be freaking kidding”) to make 헐만젯 or “heolmanchet”! Racier version with “no mames” — 헐마멧 or “heolmamet.” This shit’s finding its way into a sci-fi story, I swear.

I also like the sound of this hybrid insult: 빈재미친놈 (pinjae michinnom or “damn crazy-ass”). It blends Mexican “pinche” with Korean “michinnom.” (The “j” is an unaspirated “ch” sound, btw.)

Ooh! How about taking 개새끼 (gaesaekki, “son of a b*tch”) and mashing it up with “hijo de la chingada” to make 진가다새끼 (chingada-saekki)? Man, if someone called me chingada-saekki, I’d gasp…