Korean · Soju Rules
원샷!
wonsyat
wuhn-SHAHT · /wʌn.ɕjat̚/
Bottoms up! — empty the glass in one go.
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"one shot (Konglish)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Konglish at its finest: "one shot!" means drain the whole glass, now, while the table chants. It's the engine of Korean drinking culture's darker physics — refusing outright can read as standoffish at a work dinner, which is how salarymen end up face-down at the third round (2차, 3차: the venue-hopping system where the night has sequels). Your escape hatches: "반샷" (half shot) said with a grin, a hand over the glass, or the respected "저 내일 출근해요" (I work tomorrow). Severity 1 for the phrase; the hangover is a 5.
Heard in the wild
신입 왔으니까 다 같이 원샷!
The new guy's here — everyone, bottoms up!
Where it lands
South Korea (universal); the engine of work-dinner drinking
Quick answers
- What does "원샷!" mean?
- In Korean, "원샷!" means "Bottoms up! — empty the glass in one go.". Literally it's "one shot (Konglish)". Konglish at its finest: "one shot!" means drain the whole glass, now, while the table chants. It's the engine of Korean drinking culture's darker physics — refusing outright can read as standoffish at a work dinner, which is how salarymen end up face-down at the third round (2차, 3차: the venue-hopping system where the night has sequels). Your escape hatches: "반샷" (half shot) said with a grin, a hand over the glass, or the respected "저 내일 출근해요" (I work tomorrow). Severity 1 for the phrase; the hangover is a 5.
- Is "원샷!" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "원샷!"?
- Say it "wuhn-SHAHT" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: wʌn.ɕjat̚.
Related in Korean
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "A rude toast".
- French Cul sec ! Bottoms up! / Down it in one!
- German Prost! Cheers!
- Greek γεια μας Cheers! — the standard toast.
- Italian Cin cin! Cheers!
- Japanese 一気 Chug! Chug! / down it in one!
- Polish na zdrowie! Cheers! — the standard toast (and also 'bless you' after a sneeze).
- Portuguese Cachaça Cachaça — Brazilian sugarcane liquor; slang for booze/a drinking habit
- Russian На посошок! One for the road!
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