10 Konglish Words You’ll Hear at Home — From Hand Phone (핸드폰) to Remote Control (리모컨)

💝 Lost in Translation? Korean English Words – Part 2: Everyday Items at Home


Everyday Korean English words at home: aircon, hand phone, notebook, concent, tissue, tumbler, range, gas range, driver, remote control

안녕하세요. I'm Hangeulia ^-^

Welcome back to my Konglish series! In this post, we’ll look at everyday items you’ll hear about all the time — at home, in cafés, and in daily conversations with Korean friends.

Some of these words look like English, but in Korea they’ve taken on completely different meanings. Each section comes with a short dialogue, natural English translations, and a quick cultural tip — so you’ll know exactly what people mean in real life ^^



💜 Aircon (에어컨)


Situation
Friends at a café on a hot day.

Dialogue
A: 아~~ 에어컨 빵빵하다!
(a~~ e-eo-keon ppang-ppang-ha-da!)
B: 응, 시원해. 이제야 좀 살 것 같아.
(eung, si-won-hae. i-je-ya jom sal-geot gat-a)

Natural English
A: Ahh, the air conditioning is blasting!
B: Yeah, it’s so cool — I finally feel alive again.


💛 Story Note
In English, people usually say AC or air conditioning. In Korea, however, the everyday word is almost always 에어컨 (e-eo-keon). So when someone says “에어컨 틀자,” they simply mean “Let’s turn on the AC.”

  • Aircon (에어컨) = air conditioning / AC
  • Used everywhere in daily Korean conversations


💜 Hand Phone (핸드폰)


Situation
Two friends chatting at a café.

Dialogue
A: 핸드폰 충전기 있어?
(haen-deu-pon chung-jeon-gi it-seo?)
B: 응, 여기 있어.
(eung, yeo-gi it-seo)

Natural English
A: Do you have a phone charger?
B: Yeah, here you go.


💛 Story Note
Nobody says “hand phone” in natural English. But in Korea, 핸드폰 (haen-deu-pon) is the everyday word for a mobile phone. People also shorten it to 폰 (pon) in casual conversation.

  • Hand phone (핸드폰) = mobile phone / cell phone
  • Often shortened to 폰 in casual speech


💜 Notebook (노트북)


Situation
One friend brought a device to the café.

Dialogue
A: 노트북 가져왔어.
(no-teu-buk ga-jyeo-wat-seo)
B: 오, 과제해?
(o, gwa-je-hae?)

Natural English
A: I brought my laptop.
B: Oh, are you working on homework?


💛 Story Note
In English, a notebook is something you write in. In Korea, however, 노트북 (no-teu-buk) almost always means a laptop computer. So “노트북 샀어” means someone bought a new laptop — not a paper notebook ㅎㅎ

  • Notebook (노트북) = laptop computer


💜 Concent (콘센트)


Situation
Looking for a place to charge a laptop.

Dialogue
A: 여기 콘센트 있어?
(yeo-gi kon-sen-teu it-seo?)
B: 응, 저기 구석에 있어.
(eung, jeo-gi gu-seok-e it-seo)

Natural English
A: Is there an outlet here?
B: Yeah, over in the corner.


💛 Story Note
There is no English word “concent.” In English, people say outlet (US) or socket (UK). In Korea, however, 콘센트 is the standard word for a power outlet.

  • Concent (콘센트) = outlet / socket


💜 Tissue (티슈)


Situation
Someone spills a drink.

Dialogue
A: 아, 쏟았다! 티슈 좀 줄래?
(a, ssot-at-da! ti-syu jom jul-lae?)
B: 여기 있어.
(yeo-gi it-seo)

Natural English
A: Oh no, I spilled! Can you pass me a napkin?
B: Here you go.


💛 Story Note
In English, tissue usually means something for your nose. In Korea, however, 티슈 often refers to napkins or paper towels used to clean up spills.

  • Tissue (티슈) = napkin / wipes


💜 Tumbler (텀블러)


Situation
Browsing cups near the café exit.

Dialogue
A: 이 텀블러 진짜 예쁘다.
(i teom-beul-leo jin-jja ye-ppeu-da)
B: 응, 한정판이래.
(eung, han-jeong-pan-i-rae)

Natural English
A: This reusable cup is so pretty.
B: Yeah, it’s a limited edition.


💛 Story Note
In English, a tumbler often means a short glass. In Korea, 텀블러 means a reusable insulated cup or bottle for drinks on the go.

  • Tumbler (텀블러) = reusable insulated cup

💛 Cultural Note
Many people in Korea enjoy collecting limited-edition café tumblers, especially seasonal releases. For some, it’s a small but fun hobby rather than just owning a cup ^^



💜 Range (레인지)


Situation
Heating food at a convenience store.

Dialogue
A: 저기 전자레인지 있다.
(jeo-gi jeon-ja-rein-ji it-da)
B: 내 것도 레인지에 돌려줘.
(nae geot-do rein-ji-e dol-lyeo-jwo)

Natural English
A: There’s a microwave over there.
B: Can you heat mine up in the microwave too?


💛 Story Note
In English, a range refers to a stove or oven. In Korea, however, 레인지 usually means a microwave oven.

  • Range (레인지) = microwave


💜 Gas Range (가스레인지)


Situation
Cooking ramyeon together.

Dialogue
A: 난 가스레인지밖에 안 써봤어.
(nan ga-seu-rein-ji bak-kke an sseo-bwat-seo)
B: 불 조절은 가스레인지가 편해.
(bul jo-jeol-eun ga-seu-rein-ji-ga pyeon-hae)

Natural English
A: I’ve only ever used a gas stove.
B: Controlling the flame is easier on a gas stove.


💛 Story Note
In Korea, 가스레인지 means a gas stove with open flames. Many homes now use induction cooktops, but gas is still popular for cooking.

  • Gas range (가스레인지) = gas stove


💜 Driver (드라이버)


Situation
Fixing furniture.

Dialogue
A: 드라이버 있어?
(deu-ra-i-beo it-seo?)
B: 응. 십자야, 일자야?
(eung. sip-ja-ya, il-ja-ya?)

Natural English
A: Do you have a screwdriver?
B: Yeah — Phillips-head or flathead?


💛 Story Note
In English, a driver is a person who drives. In Korea, 드라이버 almost always means a screwdriver.

  • Driver (드라이버) = screwdriver


💜 Remote Control (리모컨)


Situation
Watching TV together.

Dialogue
A: 리모컨 어디 있어?
(ri-mo-kon eo-di it-seo?)
B: 소파 밑에 있어.
(so-pa mit-e it-seo)

Natural English
A: Where’s the remote?
B: Under the sofa.


💛 Story Note
In Korea, people always say 리모컨, short for remote control. So “리모컨 좀 줘” simply means “Pass me the remote” ^^

  • Remote control (리모컨) = TV remote


💜 Quick Recap


So, here’s a quick recap:

  • 에어컨 = air conditioning / AC
  • 핸드폰 = mobile phone
  • 노트북 = laptop
  • 콘센트 = outlet / socket
  • 티슈 = napkin / wipes
  • 텀블러 = reusable insulated cup
  • 레인지 = microwave
  • 가스레인지 = gas stove
  • 드라이버 = screwdriver
  • 리모컨 = remote control


💜 FAQ: Everyday Konglish Words (Quick Answers)


1) Can I actually say “hand phone” or “aircon” in English?

Not really. These words are perfectly natural in Korea, but they sound unusual in English. In English, it’s better to say phone / mobile phone and AC / air conditioning.

2) Why do Koreans use English-looking words that don’t exist in English?

Many Konglish words entered Korean through marketing, technology, or shortened loanwords. Over time, they became part of everyday Korean — even if the original English meaning changed.

3) What’s the most confusing Konglish word for foreigners?

Words like 콘센트 (concent) and 레인지 (range) are especially confusing, because they don’t match their English meanings at all. That’s why learning Konglish helps you understand real conversations, not just textbook Korean.

4) Should I correct Koreans when they use Konglish?

Usually, no. Konglish is a natural part of Korean. If you’re speaking English together, you can gently rephrase using natural English — but correcting directly can feel awkward.

5) Is it okay for foreigners to use Konglish when speaking Korean?

Yes! Using Konglish words like 에어컨, 리모컨, or 핸드폰 often sounds more natural than forcing pure English. It shows you understand how Korean is actually spoken in daily life ^^



💜 Final Thoughts


That’s our second Konglish set — everyday items you’ll hear about at home or in cafés. These words may look like English, but in Korea they’ve taken on their own meanings. Now you’ll know exactly what people mean when they ask for the “리모컨” or “콘센트.” ^-^

👉 Next time, in Part 3: Beauty & Skincare (스킨, 에센스, 썬크림…), we’ll explore Konglish you’ll hear in the world of K-beauty.


With love,
한글리아 ^-^



Part 2 of the Konglish series — ← Part 1: Everyday Housing | Next → Part 3: K-Beauty & Skincare

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