The Korean language is notorious for making abbreviations out of the first syllables from the words in a phrase, but these can at times leave learners a bit confused without proper context. A couple of phrases that are often heard are “남사친” and “여사친”, and they sound awfully familiar to the other abbreviations “남친” and “여친” – but what’s the difference?
Actually, it’s a solution to a similar problem in spoken English! 남친/여친 are abbreviations for the words 남자 친구 (boyfriend) and 여자 친구 (girlfriend), while 남사친 / 여사친 add the syllable 사, which stands for the word 사람 – person! Literally, the words translate to man/woman-person-friend, changing the meaning entirely!
In short, 남사친 and 여사친 are used to specify that the person you're speaking about is just a friend! It can come in handy to save you from awkward explanations~
가: 그 잘 생긴 남자는 누구예요?
A: Who was that handsome man?
나: 그 사람은 그냥 남사친이에요!
B: That person is just a male friend!
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