Korean slang profile
레알
real
Really
An emphatic expression meaning “really.” The cited article explains it as a pronunciation based on the spelling of the English word “real.”
- Expanded form
- 리얼(real)Really
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Oct 9, 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
이 노래 레알 좋다.
This song is really good.
- Quoted from a source
레알은 ‘정말’을 뜻하는 영어 ‘리얼(real)’을 철자 표기대로 한 발음이다.[2]
레알 is the spelling pronunciation of the English word ‘real,’ which means ‘really.’
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
03Origin & word formation
Short for “리얼(real).” The 2010 source from Kyunghyang Shinmun explicitly gives this explanation. Who first used it and when have not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
One source explicitly explains the term. When it was first used is unknown.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 신조어 '레알' 대신 순 우리말 '짜장' 어때? (뉴데일리)Published Oct 9, 2010Original source checked Nov 5, 2026
- 올해 최다검색 신조어…3위 루저, 2위 잉여, 1위는? (경향신문)Published Dec 2, 2010Original source checked Nov 5, 2026