What does 혼술 (honsul) mean?
- 혼술honsul
Drinking alone
Casual: friends and people younger than you
혼술 (honsul) means drinking alcohol by yourself, at home or at a bar. It is a newer, casual word that became common alongside 혼밥 (eating alone).
Where it comes from
It is short for 혼자 ("alone") + 술 ("alcohol").
How to use 혼술
In Korea, drinking is traditionally a group activity with lots of pouring for each other. 혼술 describes the opposite: a quiet drink on your own, often a can of beer from the convenience store after work.
The word sounds relaxed and modern rather than worrying. Many bars now welcome solo drinkers.
It is casual but widely understood.
Examples
Tap a word to see what it means and save it to your flashcards.
Texting a friend on a Friday night
Getting to know someone
Telling a friend about your evening
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 혼술하다 | To drink alone | Verb form. |
| 혼밥 | Eating alone | The word it is modeled on. |
| 혼술족 | People who drink alone | 족 means a group or "tribe". |
Questions learners ask
Is honsul a bad thing in Korea?
No. It is a neutral, everyday word for having a drink on your own, often to relax after work.
How do you say drinking alone in Korean?
혼술 (honsul) is the casual way. A longer way is 혼자 술 마시다.