Korean slang profile

썸

sseom

Mutual interest before dating

A relationship or stage in which two people are attracted to each other and getting close before becoming a couple.

This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.

01Examples, with English translations

Example by Julimmal
우리 아직 썸 타는 중이야.
We're still getting close—we're not officially dating yet.
Quoted from a source
‘썸'이라는 말은 영어 썸씽(something)에서 파생된 말이다.[1]
썸 is derived from the English word “something.”
English translation by Julimmal.

April 2014In an article written by a university professor, ‘The term ‘썸 is riding’ is widely used among the younger generation these days,’ and also introduced the tvN comedy program corner ‘썸 & Ssam’.[1]

A contributed article explains it as derived from 썸씽, the English “something.” Who first used it and when have not been verified.

Evidence for the origin explanationMedium

The “something” origin comes from one professor's contributed article. It needs comparison with other sources.

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