Korean slang profile
찐친
jjinchin
A truly close friend
A friend you are genuinely close to, rather than someone you only seem close to.
- Expanded form
- 찐(진짜) + 친구A truly close friend
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Mar 12, 2020
- Documented trend period
- Around 2020~
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
쟤는 내 찐친이야.
That's a really close friend of mine.
- Quoted from a source
본방사수 부르는 화기애애 ‘찐친 케미’ 투 샷[1]
A warm photo of the pair showing true-friend chemistry that makes you want to watch the broadcast live
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- March 2020Sports Kyunghyang introduced photos of the actors who appeared in the drama ‘Hospital Playlist’ and used the expression ‘찐친 케미’ in the title.[1]
03Origin & word formation
The supporting article only gives the phrase 찐친 케미 without explaining the meaning or origin. An abbreviation of 진짜 친구 seems possible but has not been verified in the source.
Evidence for the origin explanationLow
Usage examples are supported, but no source here explains the origin. Further checking is needed.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- ‘슬기로운 의사생활’ 유연석×정경호, 본방사수 부르는 화기애애 ‘찐친 케미’ 투 샷 (스포츠경향)Published Mar 12, 2020Original source checked Nov 5, 2026