Korean slang profile
갑분싸
gapbunssa
Suddenly awkward
An expression for a moment when the mood suddenly turns awkward or chilly.
- Expanded form
- 갑자기 분위기 싸해짐Suddenly awkward
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Apr 17, 2018
- Documented trend period
- Around 2018~
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
내가 농담했는데 아무도 안 웃어서 갑분싸였어.
I made a joke, nobody laughed, and things suddenly got awkward.
- Quoted from a source
“아… 갑분싸”[1]
Oh… that got awkward.
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- among youthThe Dong-A Ilbo explained that it is a word used among teenagers and has a similar meaning to ‘sleep’ that appeared in the 1990s.[1]
- April 2018Internet broadcast hosts often mentioned it, spreading it widely online and on social media, and it was reported that even adults often use it in their daily conversations.[1]
03Origin & word formation
Short for 갑자기 분위기 싸해진다, meaning that the mood suddenly turns chilly. Dong-A Ilbo says it was used among teenagers before spreading through internet broadcasts. Who first used it and the exact start date have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationHigh
The article explicitly expands it as 갑자기 분위기 싸해진다, meaning that the mood suddenly turns chilly.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- [급식체를 아시나요]<2> 갑분싸… 재미없는 이야기를 끊으려면 (동아일보)Published Apr 17, 2018Original source checked Nov 5, 2026