Nuance Dictionary / Slang & Internet Culture
라떼는 rat-tae-neun
A satirical slang phrase used by younger generations to mock older bosses who endlessly begin sentences with 'Back in my day...'
What does 라떼는 mean?
라떼는 (rat-tae-neun) means: A satirical slang phrase used by younger generations to mock older bosses who endlessly begin sentences with 'Back in my day...'.
Speakers use this phrase as a playful imitation of senior colleagues recounting past hardships. It turns up primarily in casual workplace settings when younger employees mimic the repetitive storytelling habits of management. The phrase operates as a fixed opening formula rather than a description of actual coffee, typically appearing at the start of lengthy recollections about working conditions in earlier decades.
Among younger workplace populations, this often reads as affectionate or biting satire, depending on whether the target is present to hear the impression.
Among younger workplace populations, this often reads as affectionate or biting satire, depending on whether the target is present to hear the impression.
Other sides of 라떼는
◆ Self-Mocking Millennial Irony — Speakers use this expression to playfully exaggerate their own age or authority by deliberately imitating older generations who lecture about the past. It turns up in casual settings among peers recounting trivial personal history or minor past events. It often combines with light self-deprecation about small achievements or everyday experiences.
Among younger speakers this can create a warm, self-deprecating humor, often reading as a lighthearted way to poke fun at generational lecturing styles.
Among younger speakers this can create a warm, self-deprecating humor, often reading as a lighthearted way to poke fun at generational lecturing styles.
How it's actually used
- 라떼는 말이야, 내가 신입사원 때는 야근이 일상이었어.
rat-tae-neun mal-i-ya, nae-ga sin-ip-sa-won ttae-neun ya-geun-i il-sang-i-eot-seo.
Back in my day, when I was a new hire, working overtime was just normal.
💡 A typical opening to a workplace reminiscence about past hardships. - 라떼는 커피 마실 시간도 없이 일만 했다고 하시더라고요.
rat-tae-neun keo-pi ma-sil si-gan-do eops-i il-man haet-da-go ha-si-deor-a-yo.
They always say back in their day they worked without even time to drink coffee.
💡 A recounting of a superior's habitual phrase used to dismiss modern concerns. - 또 라떼는 이야기 시작하시네.
tto rat-tae-neun i-ya-gi si-jak-ha-si-ne.
There they go starting the 'back in my day' stories again.
💡 A private remark among coworkers about a repeating anecdote.
Related words in Slang & Internet Culture
럭키비키 reok-ki-bi-ki사이다 sa-i-da스불재 seub-ul-jae싱글 sing-geul솔까 sol-kka