Korean slang profile
귀요미
gwiyomi
A cutie
A person or thing with an endearing, adorable appearance, manner of speaking, or behavior.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Feb 22, 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
우리 집 강아지는 완전 귀요미야.
Our dog is such a cutie.
- Quoted from a source
귀엽고, 앙증맞고, 사랑스러운[2]
Cute, adorable, lovely
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- February 2010Dong-A Ilbo: “He is a male athlete who has won two gold medals, but he is given this nickname because he has a small and white face and speaks and acts cute like a young boy.”[1]
- December 2012Maeil Newspaper: “It is a new word that refers to a person or object with a cute, adorable, and lovely speech, behavior, and appearance.”[2]
- November 2014Yonhap News: “With the popularity of rubber ducks, cute small dolls and office supplies are also enjoying popularity.”[3]
03Origin & word formation
Where the expression originated has not been verified. The 2012 source from Maeil Shinmun only explains the meaning.
Evidence for the origin explanationLow
The meaning is supported, but the sources do not explain how the expression was formed.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 귀요미-모터범-금벅지, 올림픽 스타 별명도 화제 (동아일보)Published Feb 22, 2010Original source checked Nov 5, 2026
- 귀여움의 파워 '귀요미' 신드롬…원초적 보호본능을 흔들어라 (매일신문)Published Dec 1, 2012Original source checked Nov 5, 2026
- '러버덕 효과' 오픈마켓 '귀요미 아이템' 인기 상승 (연합뉴스)Published Nov 20, 2014Original source checked Nov 5, 2026