Korean · Reactions & Noises
소름
soreum
soh-REUM · /so.ɾɯm/
Chills! / that gave me goosebumps — for the uncanny and the incredible.
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"goosebumps"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
You say the symptom instead of the sentence: 소름 ("goosebumps") announces that something just gave you chills — the high note, the plot twist, the coincidence too neat to be chance, the genuinely creepy. "소름 돋았어" is the full version; "소름 쫙" adds the shiver running down your spine. Grandma-safe, current, and everywhere in variety shows and YouTube comments. It's admiration and horror sharing one word, which tells you something about how Koreans consume both music and ghost stories.
Heard in the wild
그 가수 라이브 진짜 소름 돋았어.
That singer's live performance gave me actual chills.
Where it lands
South Korea (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "소름" mean?
- In Korean, "소름" means "Chills! / that gave me goosebumps — for the uncanny and the incredible.". Literally it's "goosebumps". You say the symptom instead of the sentence: 소름 ("goosebumps") announces that something just gave you chills — the high note, the plot twist, the coincidence too neat to be chance, the genuinely creepy. "소름 돋았어" is the full version; "소름 쫙" adds the shiver running down your spine. Grandma-safe, current, and everywhere in variety shows and YouTube comments. It's admiration and horror sharing one word, which tells you something about how Koreans consume both music and ghost stories.
- Is "소름" 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 "소름"?
- Say it "soh-REUM" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: so.ɾɯm.
Related in Korean
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