Guide
Guide
Glossary
The terms you'll run into most often in the fandom. Type a word to filter the list.
Fandom basics
- ARMY
- The name of BTS's fandom. Like an army, the fans are always by the band's side.
- fandom
- The community of fans around an artist.
- bias
- Your favorite member of the group.
- bias wrecker
- A member who "wrecks" your bias, threatening to become your new favorite.
- bias line
- The group of members who are your favorites.
- ult / ultimate bias
- Your absolute favorite, above everyone else.
- bias sort / bias ranking
- Ranking the members from most to least favorite.
- OT7
- "One True 7," all seven members together. A sign you love the whole group equally.
- ot7 stan
- Someone who loves all seven members equally.
- stan
- Being a big fan of someone. The word comes from "stalker fan," but is used neutrally today.
- solo stan
- Someone who follows only one member, not the whole group. Sometimes used with a negative connotation.
- visual
- The member considered the group's "face" in terms of looks.
- fanart
- Art created by fans.
- fanfic / ff
- Stories fans write about the members.
- ship / shipping
- Imagining, for fun, two members as a pair. This is playful fandom context, not a claim about real relationships.
- fansite / master
- Fans who professionally photograph the members and share the photos.
- sasaeng
- An obsessive fan who violates the members' privacy. A term with a strongly negative connotation.
- akgae
- A "toxic" solo fan who turns against the rest of the group. A term with a negative connotation.
- delulu
- Playfully "delusional," e.g. for fantasizing about your bias. Used as a joke.
- wrecked
- When a member "wrecks" you with their charm (related to bias wrecker).
Members & seniority
- maknae막내
- The youngest member of a group. In BTS, that's Jungkook.
- maknae line
- The younger members: Jimin, V, and Jungkook.
- maknae on top
- When the youngest member teases or jokingly "bosses around" the older ones.
- hyung line
- The older members: RM, Jin, Suga, and j-hope (hyung = "older brother" in Korean).
- hyung형
- How a younger man addresses an older man, a term of respect and closeness.
- noona누나
- How a younger man addresses an older woman.
- oppa오빠
- How a younger woman addresses an older man.
- sunbae / hoobae
- A senior, or junior, colleague by industry standing (seniority, not age).
- skinship
- Physical closeness between members, touches, hugs, and the like.
- position
- A member's role in the group (vocalist, rapper, dancer, visual, maknae, etc.).
- center
- The member at the center of formations and promotion.
- line distribution
- How much each member sings in a given song.
Industry & status
- idol
- A Korean pop performer trained and formed through the agency system.
- trainee
- A trainee who spends years preparing to debut.
- debut
- A group's first official performance or release.
- rookie
- A new act that's just debuted.
- hiatus
- A group's break, but not a disbandment.
- disbandment
- A group breaking up.
- lineup
- A group's makeup, meaning who the members are.
- comeback
- A return with a new album or single, usually accompanied by performances.
- comeback szn
- "Comeback season," the period when a group is about to release something new.
- Big 3 / Big 4
- The name for the biggest Korean music agencies.
Music & releases
- era
- The period around one album, with its own sound, style, and concept.
- title track
- An album's main song, the one that carries the promotion.
- B-side
- The other songs on an album that aren't the single.
- mixtape
- An individual member's solo release, often free.
- repackage
- An expanded re-release of an album with extra songs.
- OST
- A song recorded for a drama or film's soundtrack.
- unreleased
- A song that was never officially released.
- teaser
- A short preview of a release, in the form of a photo or video.
- concept
- The theme and aesthetic of an album or performance.
- concept photo
- Official photos matching the theme and concept of a new album.
- comeback trailer
- An intro video announcing a new era.
- lyric video
- A video with the song's lyrics displayed on screen.
- spoiler
- A hint at something before the official announcement.
- D-day / D-1
- A countdown to a release (D-1 means one day before it drops).
Performances, dance & content
- Run BTS
- Their well-known variety entertainment show.
- Bangtan Bomb
- Short behind-the-scenes clips.
- vlog
- A video diary from an individual member.
- Weverse
- The official fandom platform and app (posts, livestreams, shop).
- Weverse Live / VLive
- Livestreams where the members check in with fans.
- music show
- Weekly Korean music shows where groups perform.
- comeback stage
- A new song's first performance on a music show.
- fansign
- An event where fans meet the members while getting albums signed.
- fanmeeting
- An official meetup between the group and fans.
- showcase
- A special event tied to a new album's release.
- fanchant
- Fans' rehearsed chanting during a song.
- lightstick / ARMY Bomb
- The official light-up prop fans use at concerts.
- purple ocean
- The sea of purple light at a concert, created by the crowd's lightsticks.
- soundcheck
- A sound rehearsal before a concert, sometimes open to some fans.
- encore
- An extra performance at the end of a concert.
- choreo
- Choreography.
- dance practice
- A recording of the dance in a practice room, without stage effects.
- dance break
- A dance-only section of a song, with no singing.
- adlib
- Improvised vocal ad-libs, usually high, powerful notes.
Charts & awards
- all-kill
- When a song tops every Korean chart at once.
- PAK (perfect all-kill)
- When a song sits at number one on every chart simultaneously.
- daesang
- A major Korean award (Album, Song, or Artist of the Year).
- bonsang
- A "regular" award given to multiple artists.
- rookie award
- An award for the best newcomers.
Photocards & collecting
- photocard / pc
- A small card of a member that comes with an album. Fans collect and trade them.
- pull
- When you pull exactly the photocard you wanted from an album.
- selca
- Selfie (from the Korean "self-camera").
- selca day
- A day when the members share their selfies.
Korean words & exclamations
- daebak대박
- An exclamation of delight, "amazing" or "awesome."
- aegyo애교
- Deliberately cute, endearing behavior.
- Borahae보라해
- A coined word created by V, blending the Korean words for the color purple and "I love you." It's translated as "I purple you," meaning roughly: let's love each other for a long time, since purple is the last color of the rainbow.
- hwaiting / fighting화이팅
- An expression of support and encouragement, roughly "you've got this."
- annyeong안녕
- "Hi," "hello."
- gamsahamnida감사합니다
- "Thank you" (polite form).
- saranghae사랑해
- "I love you" (sarang = love).
- jinjja진짜
- "Really?", "seriously?"
- jjang짱
- "The best," "top-tier."
- kkab깝
- When someone acts up and gets overly hyper.
- ssen센
- "Strong," "fierce."
BTS-specific
- Bangtan
- Short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, the group's Korean name.
- Bangtan Sonyeondan방탄소년단
- The group's full Korean name, roughly "bulletproof scouts."
- Beyond the Scene
- The official expanded meaning of the acronym BTS, introduced in 2017.
- BU (BTS Universe)
- A fictional, interconnected story running through their music videos and albums.
- HYYH (Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa)
- "The most beautiful moment in life," one of their best-known eras and storylines.
- FESTA
- The annual celebration of their debut anniversary, every June.
- BT21
- The characters the members designed themselves in partnership with LINE Friends.
- TinyTAN
- The members' official animated characters.
- purple
- In the BTS world, purple is "their" color, a symbol of love and connection with the fandom (see: Borahae).
Missing a term? Let us know and we'll add it.