Korean slang profile
안습
anseup
A pitiful situation
A situation that feels so unfortunate or pathetic it could bring tears to your eyes.
- Expanded form
- 안구에 습기A pitiful situation
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Dec 8, 2007
- Documented trend period
- Before 2007~
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
내 통장 상태 안습이다.
My bank balance is a pretty sad sight.
- Quoted from a source
‘안습’(안구에 습기 찬다=슬프다)[1]
‘안습’ (Moisture in the eyes = sad)
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- December 2007Dong-A Ilbo conducted DC Inside's survey of popular Internet terms, explaining the meaning of '안습' as 'Moisture in the eyes = sad' and introduced that 'It is 안습' is used in comments on photos with strange expressions.[1]
- August 2010The Dong-A Ilbo covered new youth words and cited ‘안습’ (a situation that brings tears to your eyes) as an example of a ‘coined word that lasts for over 10 years.’[2]
- 2011A report from the National Institute of the Korean Language presented ‘안습 (Tears so much that my eyes feel wet)’ as an example of slang.[3]
03Origin & word formation
A National Institute of Korean Language report expands it as 안구에 습기, moisture in the eyes, for a situation that could bring tears. A 2010 Dong-A Ilbo article says the coined expression had already been used for over a decade. Who first used it and when have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationHigh
Both an article and a government agency report explicitly explain the term. The previous source could not be verified and was replaced.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 우왕ㅋ굳ㅋ… 지못미… 알쏭달쏭 ??? (동아일보)Published Dec 8, 2007Original source checked Nov 5, 2026
- [욕설에 빠진 아이들]“쌤이 갑툭튀…” 선생님도 모르는 몰래문자 (동아일보)Published Aug 14, 2010Original source checked Nov 5, 2026
- 청소년 언어실태·언어의식 전국 조사 (국립국어원·한양대학교 산학협력단)Published 2011Original source checked Nov 5, 2026