Korean slang profile
생얼
saengeol
A face without makeup
A shortened expression for a face without makeup.
- Expanded form
- 생얼굴생얼굴 (a bare face)
- Other spellings
- 쌩얼
- Earliest source found
- 2009
- 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
쉬는 날에는 생얼로 편하게 집에 있었다.
On my day off, I stayed comfortably at home with 생얼.
02Documented history
- 2009The National Institute of Korean Language’s 『2008년 신어 자료집』 lists the spelling and meaning of “생얼” and gives contemporary media examples.[1]
03Origin & word formation
The meaning and usage context of “생얼” were checked in the National Institute of Korean Language’s 『2008년 신어 자료집』. The source gives its expanded form as “생얼굴 (a bare face)”. This verifies the examples included in the collection, not the original creator or actual first use.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The spelling and definition were compared in one official collection. The older article dates re-quoted there were not used as the earliest verified date; only 2009, the collection’s publication year, was used.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- 2008년 신어 자료집 (국립국어원)Published 2009Original source checked Nov 14, 2026