Korean Variety Shows Vocabulary: 30 Words with Romanization and Audio

Korean Variety Shows Vocabulary at a Glance

Variety shows are one of the most fun ways to learn spoken Korean, because the language is casual, fast and full of reactions. This list has 30 words in five groups of six. It belongs to Movies and TV. The first group names the kinds of programme. The second covers what appears on the screen, because captions are a signature of the format. The third names the people, the fourth the games they play and the last the reactions you hear and read.

A variety show is a loose format. A single programme might mix a talk segment, a travel trip, a cooking task and a team game. The Korean word 예능 does not mean one genre, so it covers all of those. The shows are also often built on a group of regular members (멤버) plus guests (게스트), which is why the third group matters. For the wider set of screen words, including genres and cinema, return to Movies and TV. For webtoons, see Korean Webtoon Vocabulary.

Which Variety Show Words Should You Learn First?

Learn 예능, 자막, 게스트, 벌칙 and 재미있다 first. With those five you can name what you watch, say whether it was fun and talk about the games: 이 예능은 정말 재미있어요 (This variety show is really fun). Then add 헐 and 대박, because they appear in captions and in friends' reactions. Keep in mind that 헐 and 대박 are casual slang, so use them with friends and not with elders.

• Words to say. 예능, 자막, 게스트, 벌칙, 재미있다. They work in everyday talk about a programme.
• Words to recognise. 편집, 효과음, 미션, 복불복, 출연자. You read these in captions and on show pages.
• Words to understand when spoken. 헐, 대박, 꼴찌, 웃기다. Friends say them quickly, and they are casual.

The scene below shows a studio with a screen, a host and guests, with twelve numbered objects that match words in the tables.

Word · 12

1. 1

   예능

   Play

   yeneung

   variety show; entertainment programme

2. 2

   방송

   Play

   bangsong

   broadcast; programme

3. 3

   프로그램

   Play

   peurogeuraem

   programme; show

4. 4

   자막

   Play

   jamak

   caption; subtitle

5. 5

   효과음

   Play

   hyogwaeum

   sound effect

6. 6

   촬영

   Play

   chwaryeong

   filming; shooting

7. 7

   출연자

   Play

   churyeonja

   cast member; performer

8. 8

   게스트

   Play

   geseuteu

   guest

9. 9

   진행자

   Play

   jinhaengja

   host; presenter

10. 10

    벌칙

    Play

    beolchik

    penalty; forfeit

11. 11

    미션

    Play

    misyeon

    mission

12. 12

    꼴찌

    Play

    kkoljji

    last place

Show Types

Show types give the label for what you are watching. The umbrella word is 예능, short for 예능 프로그램. Below it sit more precise labels: a talk show (토크쇼), a reality programme (리얼리티) and a rerun (재방송). The word 방송 means both the act of broadcasting and the programme itself.

The question 어떤 프로그램을 좋아해요? uses the question word 어떤 (what kind of), so the voice does not climb sharply at the end. A friendly answer names the type: 토크쇼를 좋아해요 (I like talk shows). If you want to compare screen types, 드라마 is a scripted TV series, and 예능 is not scripted in the same way.

Example Sentences

The examples use three frames. The first is noun + 을/를 + verb, as in 예능을 봐요. The second is noun + 이/가 + descriptive verb, as in 편집이 빨라요. The third is noun + 은/는 + noun + 이에요/예요, as in 오늘 게스트는 가수예요. Particles follow the last sound of the noun: 예능을 (consonant, so 을), 퀴즈를 (vowel, so 를), 자막이 (consonant, so 이) and 진행자가 (vowel, so 가). Say each sentence aloud after the audio and replace the noun with another from the table.

How Do You Say on-Screen Captions in Korean?

Captions are one of the most recognisable parts of a Korean variety show. Large coloured Hangul often adds jokes, reactions and sound effects over the picture. For a learner this is useful: the written words repeat what the people say, so you see the Hangul while you hear the sound. The group also has words for what happens behind the camera.

Learners often turn on Korean captions and try to read them aloud. A good habit is to pause on one caption, say it, then play the audio again. Two words in the table pair well: 자막 (what you read) and 효과음 (what you hear), because many captions describe a sound as well as a word.

Cast and Guests

Cast words name who appears. Most shows have a host (진행자), regular members (멤버) and a guest (게스트) each week. The general word for a performer is 출연자, and a famous person from the entertainment industry is a 연예인. Fans are 팬. Many of these nouns take 하다-type verbs: 출연하다 (to appear on a programme).

Three of these words end in 자 or 인, which mean "person". The ending 자 appears in many job and role words, such as 진행자 (host), 출연자 (performer) and 시청자 (viewer), and 인 is the same idea in 연예인 (entertainer). When you meet a new noun with 자 or 인, you can often guess it names a person.

How Do You Say Games and Punishments in Korean?

Games are the heart of many shows. The cast competes, scores points, takes a quiz, and the loser might get a light penalty such as a silly task or a smaller meal. The words are Sino-Korean nouns and loanwords, plus one informal native word: 꼴찌 (last place).

Look at the order of the words in the example 지면 벌칙을 받아요. The conditional ending -(으)면 (if) attaches to the verb 지다 to make 지면 (if you lose). The same ending makes 맞히면 (if you answer correctly). Learning a handful of these small endings is the quickest way to follow game rules in Korean.

Reactions

Reaction words are what you hear most. Cast members shout them, captions print them and friends repeat them. The first two, 헐 and 대박, are casual slang. The other four are standard words for being amused or moved: 웃음, 웃기다, 재미있다 and 감동.

The pair 웃다 and 웃기다 is a trap, so notice it now. 웃다 is what a person does (저는 웃어요, I laugh) and 웃기다 is what something is (웃겨요, it is funny). Saying 저는 웃겨요 means "I am funny". Written laughter also has its own letters: typed ㅋㅋ (read keukeu) means laughter, and typed ㅠㅠ is a crying face. They appear in captions and chat, and they belong to casual writing.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Variety show words have several sound changes, mostly in the reaction and game groups. The Hangul shows the written form, while the spoken form shifts where one sound meets another. Standard pronunciation follows the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) rules, and the romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which writes double-letter tense consonants but does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound.

Check the vowel in 헐 (heol). The ㅓ is unrounded: the lips stay relaxed and open, not pushed into a circle, and the syllable is short and sharp. Press the audio before you copy it.

Audio and Slow Playback

Every headword and every example sentence has its own audio. The five clips below replay the hardest words slowly. Play one, repeat it aloud, then play it again and compare.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Variety Show Words?

Five mistakes appear often.

1. Calling every show a 예능. 예능 is for entertainment programmes. A scripted series is a 드라마, and the news is 뉴스.
2. Mixing 웃다 and 웃기다. 웃다 is what a person does (저는 웃어요, I laugh). 웃기다 is what something is (웃겨요, it is funny). 저는 웃겨요 means "I am funny".
3. Using 헐 and 대박 with elders. Both are casual slang. With a teacher or an older person, say 정말요? (really?) or 멋있어요 (it is great).
4. Reading 방송 as only "broadcast". 방송 is also the programme, as in 이 방송 (this programme). A TV station is a 방송국.
5. Using 꼴찌 politely. 꼴찌 is informal. In a formal situation, the word for last place is 최하위.

If you only fix one, fix the 웃다 and 웃기다 pair, because the wrong choice changes the meaning of the whole sentence.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Study in three steps. First, run the flashcard deck in recognition mode until you recognise all 30 words. Second, switch to listening mode and answer from the audio alone. Third, take the quiz. The deck covers all 30 words with audio, and your progress stays in your browser. The vocabulary flashcard decks page lists the other decks.

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, write three sentences about a programme you like: its type, one guest or member and one reaction word.

Where to Go Next

After this page, go on to Korean Webtoon Vocabulary. For casual words you hear in captions and chat, open Korean slang. To move up a level, return to Movies and TV.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say Variety Programme in Korean?

Variety programme is 예능 (yeneung), short for 예능 프로그램. Watch one with 보다: 예능을 봐요 (yeneungeul bwayo) means "I watch a variety show". The RR is yeneung, not yeoneung, because the first syllable is 예 (ye). Press the audio button to hear it.

How Do You Pronounce 방송 (bangsong)?

Say bang-song in two beats. Both syllables end in the ng sound, as at the end of "song", so close the back of your tongue each time and do not add a g sound. The ㅗ in 송 is round and short. Use the audio to hear the rhythm.

How Many Variety Show Words Should I Learn First?

Five first: 예능, 자막, 게스트, 벌칙 and 재미있다. At five new words a day, the 30-word list takes six days plus review. Add the reaction words 헐 and 대박 only after you know the polite alternatives.

Where Can I Practise Variety Show Words with Flashcards?

Use the vocabulary flashcard decks. The deck for this page holds all 30 words with Hangul, romanization and audio, and it offers recognition and listening modes. Your progress stays in your browser, so return daily and review the cards you missed.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which South Korea adopted on 7 July 2000 and whose rules the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) publishes. It is a learning aid and does not show every sound change, so rely on the Hangul and the audio.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Variety Show Words?

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, copy the tables on this page by hand or use the flashcard deck, which carries the same 30 words.

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