Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
갑분싸 gap-bun-ssa
The instant, heavy silence that blankets a room when someone's forced or tone-deaf joke utterly tanks.
What does 갑분싸 mean?
갑분싸 (gap-bun-ssa) means: The instant, heavy silence that blankets a room when someone's forced or tone-deaf joke utterly tanks.
Textbooks love to teach formal vocabulary, but Koreans live in the split-second social dynamics of *gap-bun-ssa* (an acronym for '갑자기 분위기 싸해짐'). It doesn't just mean a room is quiet; it marks the exact millisecond a well-intentioned attempt to lift the mood backfires so hard that everyone collectively cringes. Learners often use it when people are just bored, but natives deploy it as a playful yet sharp weapon to roast whoever just murdered the vibe with a terrible pun or inappropriate comment.
🎙️ 갑분싸는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [갑뿐싸]로 소리나요 (경음화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 아재개그 하나 했더니 진짜 갑분싸 됐잖아.
a-jae-gae-geu ha-na haess-deon-ni jin-jja gap-bun-ssa dwaess-jan-a.
I told one dad joke and it instantly killed the whole vibe.
💡 Reveals how easily an old-school pun can flatline a modern group setting. - 너 방금 그 말 때문에 갑분싸된 거 알아?
neo bang-geum geu mal ttae-mun-e gap-bun-ssa-doen geo a-ra?
Do you realize the room went dead silent because of what you just said?
💡 Shows how natives use the term to directly call out someone's social blunder. - 아저씨 개그를 치는 순간 갑분싸가 되면서 다들 스마트폰만 봤어.
ajeossigaegeureul chineun sungan gapbunsaga doemyeonseo dadeul sumateuponman bwasseo.
The moment he made a dad joke, the room went instantly dead silent and everyone just looked at their phones.
💡 Describes a sudden, awkward freeze in social atmosphere.
Related words in Social Situations
겉돌다 geot-dol-da그럽시다 geu-reop-si-da금상첨화 geum-sang-cheom-hwa그럼요 Geureomyo그림의 떡 Geurimeui tteok