Korean slang profile
백년 학생
baeknyeon haksaeng
A lifelong learner
A metaphor for someone who continues learning over many years.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- 2010
- Documented trend period
- Not verified
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
새로운 것을 배우는 즐거움 덕분에 백년 학생으로 살고 싶다.
The pleasure of learning makes me want to live as a 백년 학생.
02Documented history
- 2010The National Institute of Korean Language’s 2009 new-word collection lists the headword “백년 학생” and its definition.[1]
03Origin & word formation
This expression was checked in the National Institute of Korean Language’s 2009 new-word collection. The collection explains a figurative name for someone learning something over a long period. Who first used it and when have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The headword and definition in the 2010 collection were checked. The original re-quoted articles were not directly opened, so their dates were not used as firstSeen. The original coinage and path of spread remain unverified.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 2009년 신어 자료집 (국립국어원·전주대학교 한국어문화원)Published 2010Original source checked Nov 14, 2026