Korean slang profile

남사친

namsachin

A male friend, distinguished from a romantic partner.

Expanded form: 남자 사람 친구male platonic friend
Other spellings: —
Earliest source found: Feb 26, 2025
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
그 사람은 학교 때부터 알고 지낸 남사친이야.
He is a 남사친 I have known since school.

02Documented history

February 2025bnt뉴스 gave the full expression 남자 사람 친구 while introducing a film character.[1]

03Origin & word formation

Short for ‘남자 사람 친구’ (male platonic friend). A 2025 source from bnt뉴스 confirms this formation or explanation. Who first used it and when could not be established.

Evidence for the origin explanationMedium

The formation and usage were checked in the source. Who first coined it and when it was first used need further comparison.

04Sources

Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.

‘괜찮아 괜찮아 괜찮아!’ 이정하, 스윗 남사친 활약 기대 (bnt뉴스)Published Feb 26, 2025Original source checked Nov 13, 2026