Korean slang profile
생웃음
saenguteum
A forced smile or laugh
A forced smile or laugh rather than one arising naturally.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- 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
어색한 자리에서 생웃음만 지으며 고개를 끄덕였다.
At the awkward gathering, I only nodded with a forced smile.
02Documented history
- 2009The National Institute of Korean Language’s 『2008년 신어 자료집』 lists the spelling and meaning of “생웃음” and gives contemporary media examples.[1]
03Origin & word formation
The meaning and usage context of “생웃음” were checked in the National Institute of Korean Language’s 『2008년 신어 자료집』. 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