💎 What you'll learn in this post
📌 Heads up before you read
Overnight Sensation Words
Most people in Korea know their MBTI and often talk about it when introducing themselves. Don't know about MBTI yet? Let's check out this trending topic post together.
⚡ Frequency of use by K-pop fans
★★★★★
⚡ Frequency of use in general
★★★★★
🎁 Essential insights into Korean culture
The MBTI Craze in Korea 😍
엠비티아이[em-bi-ti-a-i] → MBTI
MBTI stands for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality test used in psychology. It sorts people into 16 personality types based on their preferences and tendencies(↓). It's great for boosting self-awareness and understanding others.
In Korea, many young people, from teenagers to those in their thirties, love talking about MBTI to understand each other's personalities. You'll see MBTI pop up in Korean dramas and entertainment shows, so it's helpful to know about it.
❔ Koreans in their 10s to 30s are really into using the MBTI like this!
When they meet someone for the first time, they ask for the MBTI to get a sense of their personality
They look to MBTI compatibility to gauge potential connections with someone they're interested in.
MBTI questions may even appear in job interviews or on resumes
❔ How do I talk using MBTI?
"What's your MBTI?"
" I'm an ㅇㅇㅇㅇ."
" I'm an ㅇㅇㅇㅇ."
There are two ways to say it!
1️⃣ Say the full English version of the 16 types
For example, if you're an ISTJ, you can say "ISTJ 에요." using the English pronunciation.
※ ISTJ pronunciation: I [a-i: 아이], S [e-seu: 에스], T [ti: 티], J [je-i: 제이].
2️⃣ Convert the English version of the 16 types into Korean
Saying ISTJ as 아이에스티제이[a-i-e-seu-ti-je-i] is too long, right?
So, let's shorten it and call it 잇티제[it-ti-te].
Using the cool feature of Hangeul (the Korean alphabet), where each syllable has a beginning, middle, and end sound, people have started pronouncing things in a shorter and simpler way.
✔ So then, how do you pronounce ENTJ?
E[e: 에] + N (final consonant ㄴ) + T[ti: 티] + J[je: 제]
= 엔티제 [en-ti-je]
✔ How do you pronounce ISFP?
I[i: 이] + S (final consonant ㅅ) + F[peu: 프] + P[pi:피]
= 잇프피 [it-peu-pi]
Now, try reading your MBTI !
💋 Wait, Quizzes
How do Koreans pronounce NCT DREAM's song ISTJ? ① 엔티제 ② 잇티제 ③ 인프피 ④ 엔티제
Answer: ②잇티제
🔥 Boosting Korean Knowledge
"Are you T?"
= Why don't you have any empathy?
BLACKPINK's Jisoo is known as T. The phrase "너 T야?" became famous because BLACKPINK members would often ask Jisoo this question!
"Are you a T?" refers to someone who speaks only in facts without considering the feelings or understanding of the other person. It's often used to describe people who have a 'thinking' type personality based on truth and logic.
For example, if someone says, "I was sad, so I went out and bought some bread.
An F type person might say, "Why, what made you sad?" while a T type person would say, "Why buy bread if you're sad?" or "What kind of bread?" They focus on factual information! 😂
🖐 Let's understand MBTI better
Introverts (I) typically enjoy being alone or staying at home, while Extroverts (E) like engaging in activities outside. The distinction between I and E is based on how one replenishes their depleted energy or relieves stress.
Intuitives (N) tend to have a lot of thoughts and a vivid imagination, while Sensors (S) think in a more realistic way.
For example, the reaction of N and S when passing by an apple tree:
N: "What if an apple falls from that tree?"
S: "I don't think about it. It just falls... gravity...
Thinkers (T) are intuitive, while Feelers (F) are emotional.
For example, if someone says, "I dyed my hair because I felt sad today," here's how T and F might respond
F: "Why are you sad? What happened?"
T: "Why dye your hair when you’re sad? What color did you dye it?"
🤣 In Korea, saying "너 T야? [neo-ti-ya]"(→ Are you T? = Are you some kind of robot?) to someone who communicates bluntly and may not empathize with emotions has become a trend. Hahaha..
Thinkers focus on solving problems logically and judging situations rationally, while Feelers first empathize and try to understand emotions. This has led to the popularity of various fun questions in Korea to determine T and F tendencies. 😱😜
Judgers (J) are considered more planned, while Perceivers (P) are seen as more flexible and adaptable.
For example, in a situation where J and P are planning a trip together:
J, looking at P: "Why aren't you preparing at all?"
P, looking at J: "Why are you preparing so much? Just go and see how it goes!"
Before the trend of MBTI, people often couldn't understand why someone behaved a certain way.
Now, understanding a person's actions as "Oh, that person is T, so that makes sense" or "Ah, that person is J, that's why" has become a positive phenomenon!
💋 Wait, Quizzes
What does "너 T야?" mean?
① Are you some kind of fruit?
② Are you some kind of robot?
③ Are you some kind of animal?
Answer: ② Are you some kind of robot?
Korean celebrities often talk about their MBTI types on TV, and friends and coworkers frequently discuss MBTI. So, knowing about MBTI culture and related Korean terms can be really useful!
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