· Slangdunk Editors
What does 삼귀다 (samgwida) mean? Korean slang for “almost dating,” by the numbers
삼귀다 (samgwida) means being close and into each other without officially dating, the Korean “some” stage. It's a pun that reads the 사 in 사귀다 (“to date”) as the number 4 and drops it to 3.
At a glance
- Meaning
- Not officially dating yet, but clearly into each other and spending time together. Almost the same as 썸 탄다, “having a thing.”
- Origin
- A pun: read 사 in 사귀다 (“to date”) as the number 4 (sa), then drop it to 3 (sam) because you're not quite there (Busan Ilbo). Who coined it is unconfirmed.
- Who says it
- Covered as new slang in Korean media in February 2019, described as used mostly by teens and people in their 20s (Sports Nears).
- In English
- “Talking stage” or “almost dating” come close.
Emily, an exchange student three years into learning Korean, slides her phone across a café table. Someone in her group chat wrote “걔네 요즘 삼귀는 중” and it isn't in her dictionary. The characters are invented, but every fact in their conversation has a source.
What does 삼귀다 (samgwida) mean? A Korean friend explains
- Emily (24)What's 삼귀다? I know 사귀다, “to date.”
- Jimin (24)It's a number game. You read the 사 in 사귀다 as the number 4.
- Emily (24)4-gwida? So what's 3?
- Jimin (24)One short of 4, so 3. You're not dating yet, but it's obvious you like each other. That's how the Busan Ilbo explained it in 2019.
- Emily (24)Oh, so it's the same as 썸?
- Jimin (24)Pretty much. Sports Nears said it overlaps a lot with 썸탄다, and that it's mostly teens and twentysomethings who use it.
- Emily (24)Who made it up?
- Jimin (24)No idea. It definitely made the news as new slang in early 2019, but nobody's named who said it first.
- Emily (24)So is there a 2-gwida, a 1-gwida?
- Jimin (24)People tack those on as jokes, but what's on record is 삼귀다. That's the one in the dictionary too.
- Emily (24)Got it. By the way, I've been texting a senior from my club every day.
- Jimin (24)Every day? Isn't that 삼귀다? Unless you're just being 금사빠 (geumsappa, “falling in love too fast”) on your own.
삼귀다
A number pun on 사귀다 (“to date”): read 사 as 4 and drop it one step to 3. It means being close and into each other without officially dating yet, the stage Koreans call 썸.
In Korean: '사귀다'의 '사'를 숫자 4로 읽고 한 단계 낮춘 말. 아직 사귀지는 않지만 서로 호감을 갖고 가깝게 지내는 사이, 곧 '썸'을 뜻한다.
- 둘이 사귀는 거야? 아니, 아직 삼귀는 중이래Are those two dating? No, apparently they're still at 삼귀다.Classmates gossiping
- 삼귄 지 두 달째인데 언제 사귀자고 해야 할까We've been 삼귀다 for two months. When should I ask them out properly?A dating-advice board
- 우리 삼귀는 사이 아니고 그냥 친구야, 진짜로We're not 삼귀다, we're just friends. Seriously.A denial nobody believes
- 주말 약속을 캘박해 두는 걸 보니 삼귀는 단계는 넘은 것 같은데If they're locking weekend plans into the calendar (캘박, kaelbak), they're past 삼귀다.A friend's cold analysis
Why did 삼귀다 catch on?
Korean already had 썸, so 삼귀다 survives thanks to its number. “Three, one short of four” sticks after a single hearing, and it captures exactly how not-yet-official the relationship is. Because it's a verb, it bends easily: 삼귀는 중 (“in the 삼귀다 stage”), 삼귄 지 한 달 (“a month of 삼귀다”). And since everyone goes through that stage before someone says “let's date,” the word doesn't get much chance to age.
삼귀다 (samgwida): frequently asked questions
Q. What does 삼귀다 mean?
Being close and into each other without officially dating. It means almost the same as 썸 탄다, “having a thing.”
Q. Where does 삼귀다 come from?
It's a pun: the 사 in 사귀다 (“to date”) is read as the number 4, then lowered to 3 because you're not there yet. It was covered as new slang in February 2019, but who coined it is unconfirmed.
Q. How is 삼귀다 different from 썸?
The meaning is nearly the same. 썸 is a noun from the English “something,” while 삼귀다 is a verb twisted from 사귀다, so it drops straight into a sentence.
Q. What's 삼귀다 in English?
No exact match, but “talking stage,” “almost dating” or “a situationship in the making” come close.
Q. Is 삼귀다 standard Korean?
No. It's slang for the internet and casual talk. Skip it in formal writing.
So: 삼귀다 marks the step just before dating with the number 3. Emily texted the senior first that night. No word yet on whether 3 became 4. If you have a sharper definition, add it to the 삼귀다 entry in the dictionary.
Sources
See ‘삼귀다’ in the dictionary — more definitions, examples, and your own take.
Open the dictionary