Key Facts
- 셀카 (selka) means a selfie, a photo you take of yourself.
- Part of speech: noun; origin: loanword.
- Register: neutral; a Konglish compound from English self plus camera.
- Level: A1.
Selfie in Korean: What Does 셀카 Mean?
셀카 is a Konglish compound: a word built in Korea from English self and camera. It means a selfie. 셀피, closer to the English word, is also used, but 셀카 is the common choice.
How Do You Pronounce 셀카?
Say sel-ka, the Revised Romanization selka. The ㄹ of 셀 is a clear l, and the ㅋ is a sharp k with a puff of air. Particles attach directly: 셀카를 is selkareul.
How Do You Use 셀카 in a Sentence?
저는 셀카를 자주 찍어요.
I often take selfies.
jeoneun selkareul jaju jjigeoyo. 자주 means often, and 찍어요 is the verb for taking a photo. The sentence says the speaker takes selfies regularly.
친구와 셀카를 찍었어요.
I took a selfie with a friend.
chinguwa selkareul jjigeosseoyo. 친구와 means with a friend. 찍었어요 is the past tense of taking, so the photo has already been taken.
이 셀카 어때요?
How is this selfie?
i selka eottaeyo? 이 is this, and 어때요 asks how it is. People say this when they send a photo and want an opinion.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 셀카를 찍다 | take a selfie |
| 셀카봉 | selfie stick |
| 셀카 앱 | selfie app |
셀카를 찍다 is take a selfie. 셀카봉 is a selfie stick, and 셀카 앱 is a selfie app.
Common Mistake
Wrong: assuming 셀피 is the everyday word because it matches English.
Correct: 셀카 is what most Koreans say. 셀피 is understood and also used, just less often.
How Does 셀카 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 셀카 |
|---|---|---|
| 셀피 | selfie | 셀피 is the English loan, also used but less common. |
| 사진 | photo | 사진 is a photo of any kind, and 셀카 is a photo of yourself. |
Taking a Selfie at a Viewpoint
Two visitors have reached a viewpoint together. One suggests a selfie, then asks for the picture afterward.
Yuna
여기서 같이 셀카 찍을까요?
Yeogiseo gachi selka jjigeulkkayo?
Shall we take a selfie together here?
Chris
좋아요. 제 휴대폰으로 찍어요.
Joayo. Je hyudaeponeuro jjigeoyo.
Sure. Let’s use my phone.
Yuna
이 셀카 어때요?
I selka eottaeyo?
How is this selfie?
Chris
잘 나왔어요. 저한테도 보내 주세요.
Jal nawasseoyo. Jeohantedo bonae juseyo.
It came out well. Please send it to me too.
같이 means “together”, so a 셀카 can include more than one person. 휴대폰으로 identifies the device used to take it. The first line drops 를 after 셀카, a natural omission in conversation; the full object phrase is 셀카를.
What Counts as a 셀카?
셀카 describes who takes the picture, rather than how many people appear in it. Holding the phone yourself while a friend stands next to you still gives you a 셀카. Asking a passerby to photograph the group gives you a 사진, but that photo is not normally called a 셀카: someone outside the group took it.
A mirror selfie is 거울 셀카. 거울 means “mirror”, and the phrase names the method: you photograph your reflection. 셀카봉 adds 봉, “pole” or “stick”, to name a selfie stick. These are literal combinations that extend the basic word, so you do not need to look for a hidden idiomatic meaning.
Where Will You Hear or See 셀카?
셀카 appears in photo captions, messages between friends and conversations about phone cameras. In a caption, the word may stand alone as a label. In conversation, 셀카 찍을까요? suggests taking one together. The ending makes the suggestion polite; 셀카 itself is not a rude word or a form reserved for close friends.
A phone app may use 셀피 in a feature name or menu. Recognizing both words helps you connect the app label with what someone says aloud. You can keep using 셀카 in everyday conversation without correcting a person who uses 셀피.
When you want another person to operate the camera for you, ask for a 사진 rather than a 셀카. The distinction matters at a tourist spot: a request to take a selfie suggests that you will be in the picture together, while a request for a photo can ask the other person simply to hold the phone.
Useful Phrases after the Picture Is Taken
잘 나오다 literally means “come out well”. For a photograph, it means the image turned out well or the person looks good in it. In the dialogue, 잘 나왔어요 evaluates the finished photo. It does not say that the person has physically come outside.
셀카를 보내다 means to send a selfie, while 셀카를 올리다 means to upload or post one. Sending can be a private message; posting can put it on a profile or feed. If someone asks you to send a photo, that request alone does not ask you to post it publicly.
다시 찍다 means to take the picture again. 다시 changes the action, not the kind of photo. A blurred 셀카 is still a 셀카, and a second attempt is another photo rather than an edit of the first one.
Related Camera Words
| Korean | Meaning | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| 사진 | photo | The general word when the picture is not necessarily a selfie. |
| 휴대폰 | mobile phone | Name the device you want to use. |
| 카메라 | camera | A camera itself, including a phone’s camera feature. |
| 거울 | mirror | Recognize the setup in 거울 셀카. |
| 셀카봉 | selfie stick | Name the accessory rather than the photo. |
The texting and emoticon lesson supplies expressions you may see in messages accompanying photos. For the broader picture word, compare 사진.
Quick Self-Test
- Can a selfie include a friend?
- What does 잘 나왔어요 mean when someone views a selfie?
- Which phrase means posting a selfie: 셀카를 보내다 or 셀카를 올리다?
Show answers
- Yes. The person taking it can be in the picture with other people.
- It came out well; the speaker is commenting on the photo.
- 셀카를 올리다. 보내다 means to send it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 셀카 English?
It is Konglish, a compound made in Korea from English self and camera.
Which Word Is More Common, 셀카 or 셀피?
셀카 is the common Korean word; 셀피 is also used.
How Do I Say 'Take a Selfie'?
Say 셀카를 찍다.
What Is 셀카봉?
It is a selfie stick.
Where to Go Next
셀카 is in the texting slang vocabulary list. Compare it with photo in Korean, then read so tasty in Korean. The index is Korean words A to Z.