What does 남친 (namchin) mean?
- 남친namchin
Boyfriend
Casual: friends and people younger than you
남친 (namchin) means "boyfriend." It is a casual short form of 남자 친구, which literally means "male friend."
Where it comes from
남친 takes the first syllable of 남자 (man) and the first syllable of 친구 (friend).
How to use 남친
남친 is used constantly in speech and texts by people of all ages. In more careful or formal situations, people say the full 남자 친구.
Even though the full form literally means "male friend," 남자 친구 almost always means a romantic boyfriend. A guy who is just a friend is a 남사친.
전 남친 or 전남친 means an ex-boyfriend.
Examples
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Sharing big news with a friend
Telling a friend about your weekend
A coworker asking a personal question
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 남자 친구 | boyfriend | Full form, fine in any situation. |
| 전 남친 | ex-boyfriend | 전 means former. |
| 남사친 | guy friend | Platonic male friend, short for 남자 사람 친구. |
Questions learners ask
Is namchin slang?
It is a casual shortening, but it is so common that everyone uses it. In formal writing, use 남자 친구.
Does namja chingu just mean a male friend?
Usually not. 남자 친구 normally means boyfriend. For a male friend with no romance, Koreans say 남사친 or simply 친구.