급번개 (geupbeongae) — A last-minute meet-up.
Lesson 39 in our Korean Slang series, adapted from Korean Your Teacher Doesn’t Teach You by Injin Hwang.
What 급번개 means
Suggest a spontaneous gathering with little advance planning. 번개 모임 is a sudden get-together. 급번개 adds a sense of extra immediacy, as if the invitation and meeting are happening almost at once.
A short conversation
A: 지금 근처에 있어?
B: 응. 급번개 할까?
A: Are you nearby?
B: Yes. Fancy a spontaneous meet-up?
Use it with care
급 adds urgency to 번개 모임. Give people an easy way to decline. The expression is most natural with friends or in an informal setting unless the context suggests otherwise.
A neutral or polite alternative: 지금 시간 되시면 잠깐 만날까요?
If you have time now, shall we meet briefly?
Try it yourself
Does 급번개 mean a gathering planned weeks ahead?
Answer: No. It is spontaneous. Read the Korean conversation aloud and try changing one detail to fit your own day.
Based on the author’s slang collection, with additional learning notes. AI-generated illustration created for this lesson. Browse the Korean Slang series.
Keep exploring Korean expressions in the Korean slang book on Amazon.
