Korean slang profile
최애
choeae
Your absolute favorite
The thing or person you like most, often an idol, character, or food.
- Expanded form
- 최(最) + 애(愛)Your absolute favorite
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Aug 7, 2014
- Documented trend period
- Around 2014~
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
내 최애 멤버는 따로 있어.
My favorite member is someone else.
- Quoted from a source
가장 ‘최(最)’와 사랑 ‘애(愛)’가 합쳐진 단어로 말 그대로 가장 좋아하는 멤버를 뜻한다.[1]
It is a word that combines the words ‘choi (最)’ and ‘ae’ (愛), which literally means the member you like the most.
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- August 2014TenAsia explains 최애 as a person's most cherished member, combining 최(最), most, with 애(愛), love. It adds that the next-favorite member is called 차애.[1]
03Origin & word formation
Combines 최(最), most, with 애(愛), love. A 2014 TenAsia article explicitly gives this structure. Who first used it has not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationHigh
The article explicitly explains the compound's structure. Who first used it is unknown.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 덕후 용어 사전 들어는 보셨나요 (텐아시아)Published Aug 7, 2014Original source checked Nov 5, 2026