Essential Korean Dating Slang — 썸 (Sseom) Meaning, Examples & Practice
- Lee Serene
- Jul 8, 2025
- 2 min read
💖 썸 (Sseom)
🔤 Meaning
썸 (Sseom) is popular Korean slang describing the sweet, ambiguous stage before officially dating when two people clearly have mutual interest but haven’t started a relationship yet.
🗣️ Example Sentence
“나 걔랑 요즘 썸 타고 있어.”
(I’m in a ‘sseom’ with that person these days.)
“우리는 아직 썸 단계야.”
(We’re still in the ‘sseom’ stage.)
“나랑 걔랑 썸 타는 거 같아.”
(I think that person and I both have feelings for each others.)
“썸인지 친구인지 애매해.”
(It’s unclear whether we’re in a ‘sseom’ or just friends.)
“썸 타는 기간이 너무 길면 피곤하지 않아?” (Won’t it be tiring if the ‘sseom’ phase lasts too long?)
💬 Short Dialogue
A: “너 걔랑 사귀는 거야?”
(Are you dating her?)
B: “아니, 아직 그냥 썸 단계야.”
(No, we’re still in the ‘sseom’ stage.)
🎤 Free Talking Questions
Practice speaking using ‘썸’ with these questions:
썸 타다가 마음이 식으면 어떻게 해야 할까요?
(What should you do if feelings fade during the ‘sseom’ stage?)
썸 타는 기간이 얼마나 되는 게 적당하다고 생각해요?
(How long do you think the ‘sseom’ phase should ideally last?)
썸 단계에서 가장 힘든 점은 뭐라고 생각해요?
(What’s the hardest part of the ‘sseom’ stage?)
썸 타는 상대방의 마음을 어떻게 확인할 수 있나요?
(How can you confirm the other person’s feelings during a ‘sseom’?)
썸 탈 때 절대 하지 말아야 할 행동이 있나요?
(Is there any behavior you should avoid during the ‘sseom’ stage?)
🎧 Want to Practice More Naturally?
This expression is part of my e-book:
“40 Essential Korean Slang for Dating & Relationships”
— your shortcut to sounding natural and confident in Korean conversations!
📲 What’s inside the e-book?
✅ 40 must-know Korean slang expressions for dating
✅ Easy explanations & real-life examples
✅ Short dialogues for natural conversations
✅ Free audio files with native-like pronunciation — just scan the QR codes inside!
🛒 Where to get it?
👉 Click to buy the e-book (PDF or Kindle)
👩🏻🏫 Want to practice with me directly?
If you'd like to practice these expressions in real conversations,
Book a 1:1 online lesson with me!
Together, we can:
✔ Practice Korean slang naturally
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💡 Korean isn’t just grammar — it’s real-life expressions!
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