Korean slang profile
썸남
sseomnam
A guy you're in the pre-dating stage with
A man someone is getting close to romantically before they officially date.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- —
- Earliest source found
- Jan 11, 2013
- 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
썸남한테서 연락이 왔어.
The guy I'm getting close to romantically messaged me.
- Quoted from a source
썸남은 썸씽(Something)과 남(男)이 합쳐진 신조어로 사귀기 전단계의 남성을 의미하는 말이다.[2]
썸남 combines “something” with 남, man, referring to a man in the stage before officially dating.
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- January 2013Asia Today: “‘썸남’ or ‘썸 woman’ means ‘a man or woman with a 썸 thing.’”[1]
- November 2013썸남 combines “something” with 남, man, referring to a man in the stage before officially dating.[2]
- February 2016Sunday Newspaper: “썸남·썸Woman is not a romantic relationship, but refers to a partner with a strong possibility of developing a relationship, and 썸 is an abbreviation for a man and a woman with something.”[3]
03Origin & word formation
Where the expression originated has not been verified. The 2013 source from Korea Economic TV only explains the meaning.
Evidence for the origin explanationLow
The meaning is supported, but the sources do not explain how the expression was formed.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- [희망 100세 시대] 인터넷 은어 범람에 세대간 불통의 장벽 높아진다 (아시아투데이)Published Jan 11, 2013Original source checked Nov 5, 2026
- 주원 신조어 '썸남' 뜻 몰라 당황..."선남선녀?" (한국경제TV)Published Nov 30, 2013Original source checked Nov 5, 2026
- 당신의 스마트폰은 몇 살입니까 (일요신문)Published Feb 5, 2016Original source checked Nov 5, 2026