Episode transcript
Welcome to Korean Slang School: Starter Pack!
This is a podcast for Korean learners, especially beginners who have just finished learning Hangul. We learn useful everyday expressions and explore the Korean culture behind them.
If you’d like to hear content entirely in Korean, check out the original Korean Slang School podcast for intermediate and advanced learners. You’ll find the link in the episode description.
When you meet someone for the first time, what do you ask them?
Maybe you ask their name, where they’re from, or where they live.
Here are a few of those questions in Korean.
이름이 뭐예요?
What’s your name?
어느 나라 사람이에요?
What country are you from?
어디 살아요?
Where do you live?
몇 살이에요?
How old are you?
But in Korea, especially among younger people, you might hear a different question when you first meet:
MBTI가 뭐예요?
It means, “What’s your MBTI?”
뭐예요? means “What is it?”
In the right conversation, MBTI가 뭐예요? means “What’s your MBTI?” But there’s a small catch. It can also mean, “What is MBTI?”
Context tells you which meaning the speaker wants.
For example, if I say, “저는 ENFJ예요. MBTI가 뭐예요?” I’m telling you my type first, so I’m clearly asking for yours.
If someone has never heard of MBTI, they might use the exact same words to ask:
MBTI가 뭐예요?
What’s MBTI?
MBTI is a personality test that sorts people into sixteen types. Each type has four letters.
First, there’s E for Extraversion and I for Introversion.
In Korean, 외향적 means “extroverted” or “outgoing,” and 내향적 means “introverted.”
Then there’s S for Sensing and N for Intuition. S types are said to focus more on concrete information and what they can observe. N types are said to focus more on patterns and possibilities.
In Korean, 직관적 means “intuitive.”
Next, there’s T for Thinking and F for Feeling. T types are described as more logical and analytical, while F types are described as paying more attention to feelings and personal values.
Finally, there’s J for Judging and P for Perceiving. J types are said to prefer plans and structure. P types are said to be more flexible and open to change.
I’m an ENFJ.
That means I’m described as extroverted, intuitive, feeling-oriented, and organized.
What’s yours?
MBTI가 뭐예요?
So why do people in Korea ask about MBTI when they’ve only just met?
One reason is that four letters can give you a quick idea of how someone sees themselves. You don’t know the whole person, of course. But it gives you an easy place to start.
Meeting someone new can feel awkward. As you learn a little more about them, that tension starts to disappear. MBTI gives both people something familiar to talk about.
It also works as an icebreaker.
Questions like 어디 살아요? (“Where do you live?”) or 무슨 일 해요? (“What do you do for work?”) can feel a bit personal. Talking about a personality test can feel lighter.
I guess people see MBTI as a casual way to understand and describe themselves.
But did you know that before MBTI became popular, Koreans asked about something else?
Before MBTI, people often talked about 혈액형.
혈액형 means “blood type.” 혈액 means “blood,” and 형 means “type” or “form.”
You can ask:
혈액형이 뭐예요?
What’s your blood type?
The main blood types are A형, B형, AB형, and O형.
For years, people in Korea connected each blood type with a certain personality. These were stereotypes, not scientific facts, but they showed up everywhere, from comics to conversations about dating.
A형 was said to be shy, careful, and a little timid.
B형 was said to be lively, talkative, and independent.
AB형 was often described as unusual or hard to predict. You might hear the Korean expression 4차원.
The literal meaning of 4차원 is “four-dimensional.” But when Koreans call someone 4차원, they mean that person is unpredictable and living in their own little world.
You could say:
그 사람은 좀 4차원이에요.
That person is a little quirky.
It can sound playful, but it can also sound like you’re calling someone strange.
And O형 was said to be friendly, easy to get along with, and a natural leader.
Again, these are old personality stereotypes. Your blood type does not decide your personality.
Still, people had a lot of fun with the idea. There were cartoons about blood types, and there were even charts about blood type compatibility.
The Korean word for compatibility is 궁합.
궁합 is often used when talking about whether two people would make a good couple. People might say that A형 and O형 have good 궁합, while two B형 people may not be a great match.
No scientific evidence, of course. It was more like a game people used to talk about relationships.
I find it interesting that people in different places have different ways of trying to understand someone’s personality.
I live in Prague, in the Czech Republic, and here people often ask about zodiac signs.
The Korean word for a zodiac sign is 별자리.
별 means “star,” and 자리 means “place” or “position.” Together, 별자리 can mean a constellation or a zodiac sign.
To ask someone’s sign, you can say:
별자리가 뭐예요?
What’s your zodiac sign?
I was born on December 31, so I’m a Capricorn.
저는 염소자리예요.
I’m a Capricorn.
염소 means “goat,” so 염소자리 is the goat sign, Capricorn.
People say Capricorns are hardworking and have good leadership skills.
Hmm. Maybe that sounds like me. Maybe it doesn’t.
In Korea, people also use zodiac signs to check their 운세.
운세 means “fortune.” It tells you how lucky you might be that day.
Most people read it for fun. Around the New Year, some people look up their 별자리 운세, or zodiac horoscope, to see whether the year ahead will be lucky.
I think it’s kind of cute. And I understand why people want a little clue about the future, especially when the world is changing so quickly.
So today we talked about MBTI, blood types, and zodiac signs. How do you get to know someone?
Do you ask about their MBTI, their blood type, or their zodiac sign? Or do you have your own method?
I once heard that if you want to know what someone is really like, you should go hiking with them.
When you do something tiring or difficult together, you see how that person handles it.
That may be why I enjoy going hiking, camping, or traveling with people I want to know better.
Before we finish, let me ask you one thing.
MBTI가 뭐예요?
Now you’ve got one more Korean question packed and ready to use. Keep learning, keep speaking, and I’ll see you next time. 다음에 만나요!
