티키타카 (Tikitaka) & 케미 (Kemi) — Building Chemistry in Korean Dating
💝 Tikitaka (티키타카) & Kemi (케미) — How Koreans Describe Conversation Flow
When Koreans talk about an ideal type, they often say: “티키타카가 잘 되는 사람 (tikitaka-ga jal doeneun saram)” — someone I can truly vibe with. ^^
안녕하세요~ I’m Hangeulia ^-^
Welcome to Part 4 of our Korean Dating Styles series!
In Part 3, we explored ideal types and first impressions — from 외모 (oe-mo, looks) to 첫 느낌 (cheot-neukkim, first vibe).
Now, let’s go one step further. After that first spark, what keeps a relationship alive is the flow of conversation and the chemistry. That’s where two widely used expressions come in: ✨ 티키타카 (tikitaka) and ✨ 케미 (kemi). We’ll also learn what happens when things don’t flow — words like 고구마, 답답하다, 뚝딱거리다, and 기빨리다 ^^
💜 Tikitaka (티키타카) — A Perfect Back‑and‑Forth ⚡
Borrowed from soccer ⚽ (quick, precise passing), 티키타카 in dating means the natural rhythm of conversation — when talking feels easy, fun, and effortless.
Korean expressions you’ll hear:
- 대화가 잘 통한다 (daehwaga jal tonghanda) — We really click when we talk.
- 대화의 결이 맞다 (daehwa-ui gyeori matda) — We’re on the same conversational wavelength.
- 티키타카가 잘 된다 (tikitaka-ga jal doenda) — We have great back-and-forth.
💛 Mini Examples
대화가 잘 통한다
💬 처음 만났는데도 대화가 진짜 잘 통하더라.
cheo-eum man-nat-neun-de-do dae-hwa-ga jinjja jal tong-ha-deo-ra
= We’d just met, but conversation clicked right away.
대화의 결이 맞다
💬 우리는 뭔가 대화의 결이 진짜 잘 맞는 거 같아.
u-ri-neun mwon-ga dae-hwa-ui gyeo-ri jinjja jal mat-neun geo gat-a
= It feels like we’re really on the same wavelength when we talk.
티키타카가 잘 된다
💬 티키타카가 잘 돼서 대화가 너무 재미있었어.
ti-ki-ta-ka-ga jal dwae-seo dae-hwa-ga neo-mu jae-mi-is-eos-seo
= We had so much fun talking — our tikitaka was perfect.
📺 In Better Late Than Single, Jeong-mok seemed to feel that he clicked better with Ji-yeon than with Yi-do, as they shared their interests in music and stories about their childhood.
💬 정목이와 지연이 대화가 진짜 잘 통하더라.
Jeong-mok-iwa Ji-yeon-i dae-hwa-ga jinjja jal tong-ha-deo-ra
= The conversation between Jeong-mok and Ji-yeon really clicked.
💜 Kemi (케미) — Chemistry That Sparks
케미 (kemi) comes from English chemistry. It’s the invisible spark ⚡ that makes two people instantly “get” each other.
Common lines:
- 케미가 좋다 (kemi-ga jota) — They have good chemistry.
- 케미가 좋을 것 같다 (kemi-ga joeul geot gatda) — I think they’d vibe well together.
- 케미가 장난 아니다 (kemi-ga jangnan anida) — The chemistry is no joke or off the charts !
- 케미 대박! (kemi daebak!) — The chemistry is amazing!
- 케미 폭발 (kemi pokpal) — Chemistry is exploding.
- 케미가 안 맞다 (kemi-ga an matda) — We don’t vibe well.
📺 In the later episodes of Better Late Than Single, Jeong-mok and Ji-yeon's chemistry was absolutely off the charts!
💬 정목이와 지연이 케미가 진짜 장난 아니었어.
Jeong-mok-iwa Ji-yeon-i kemi-ga jinjja jangnan anieosseo
= The chemistry between Jeong-mok and Ji-yeon was off the charts.
💜 When Conversations Don’t Flow — 고구마 · 답답하다 · 뚝딱거리다 · 기빨리다
- 고구마 (goguma) — literally “sweet potato.” A scene or convo feels frustratingly heavy, like eating a dry sweet potato with no water. 😂
- 답답하다 (dapdaphada) — to feel stifled/suffocated by the convo.
- 뚝딱거리다 (ttukttak‑georida) — to talk/act clumsily; words don’t come out smoothly.
- 기빨리다 (gi‑ppal‑rida) — to feel drained by the convo.
💬 아, 진짜 고구마야. (a, jinjja go-gu-ma-ya) = Ugh, this is so frustrating.
💬 대화가 너무 답답해. (dae-hwa-ga neo-mu dap-dap-hae) = This conversation feels so suffocating.
💬 그냥 너무 뚝딱거려. (geu-nyang neo-mu ttuk-ttak-geo-ryeo) = He’s just too awkward/clumsy.
💬 그 사람이랑 얘기하면 너무 기빨려. (geu sa-ram-i-rang yae-gi-ha-myeon neo-mu gi-ppal-lyeo) = Talking with him is so draining.
📺 In Better Late Than Single, Ji-su seemed really drained from listening to Hyun-kyu's endless talking. 😂
💬 지수는 현규랑 너무 오래 얘기하고 와서 완전 기빨린 거 같아.
Ji-su-neun Hyun-gyu-rang neo-mu o-rae yae-gi-ha-go wa-seo wanjeon gi-ppal-lin geo gat-a
= Jisu talked with Hyun-kyu for so long, she seems totally drained.
⚠ Heads‑up: These are fun to say when watching dating shows, but saying them to someone’s face can feel rude. Keep the viewing-party banter fun, and keep real‑life convos kind. 😊
💜 Bolmae (볼매) — Beauty That Grows on You
볼매 (bolmae) is short for 볼수록 매력 있다 (bolsurok maeryeok itda) — “The more you see them, the more attractive they become.”
📺 In Better Late Than Single, Jae‑yun at first felt like a 고구마남 — awkward (뚝딱거리다), making convos feel 답답하다. But behind that clumsiness was a soft, considerate heart (여린 마음). As his playful humor surfaced, he turned out to be a classic 볼매.
💬 재윤이는 처음에 좀 답답해 보였는데, 볼수록 매력 있더라.
Jae-yun-i-neun cheo-eum-e jom dap-dap-hae-bo-yeot-neun-de, bol-su-rok mae-ryeok it-deo-ra
= At first Jae-yun seemed a bit frustrating, but the more I saw him, the more attractive he became.
💬 처음에는 좀 평범해 보였는데, 얘기하면 할수록 완전 볼매더라.
cheo-eum-e-neun jom pyeong-beom-hae-bo-yeot-neun-de, yae-gi-ha-myeon hal su-rok wanjeon bol-mae-deo-ra
= At first he seemed a bit ordinary, but the more we talked, the more he turned out to be a total
볼매 (bolmae) — the kind of person who grows on you.
💜 Why Conversation Flow Matters in Korean Romance
In Korean dating, it’s not just looks — it’s the flow. That’s why people say:
- 티키타카가 잘 되는 사람이 좋아 (tikitaka‑ga jal doeneun saram‑i joa)
= I like someone with great back‑and‑forth. - 이 두 사람 참 잘 통한다! (i du saram cham jal tonghanda!)
= These two really click — they’re on the same wavelength! - 대화의 결이 딱 맞네 (daehwa‑ui gyeori ttak matne)
= Their conversational wavelength matches perfectly.
For many Koreans, strong 티키타카 is considered the ultimate 이상형 trait — comfort, laughter, and mutual understanding all in one. ^^
💜 Quick Recap
- 티키타카 (tikitaka) — natural back-and-forth flow
- 케미 (kemi) — chemistry, that instant spark
- 볼매 (bolmae) — someone who grows on you
- 고구마 (goguma) — frustratingly heavy vibe
- 답답하다 (dapdaphada) — to feel stifled
- 뚝딱거리다 (ttukttak-georida) — clumsy, awkward talk
- 기빨리다 (gi-ppal-rida) — energy-draining conversation
💜 Hangeulia's Tip
Next time you watch a K-drama couple, ask yourself:
Do they really click with sparkling tikitaka ⚡
— or do they give you that 고구마 vibe, feeling 답답하다 and even 기빨리다? 😂
With love,
Hangeulia 😊
