안습

Anseup (안습)

ahn-seup (similar to 'ahn' in 'father' and 'seup' like 'soup' but with a short 'u' sound)

'Anseup' began to gain significant popularity around 2008 and was widely used on the internet until the early 2010s. Its frequency of use decreased from the mid-to-late 2010s, but it can still be found in posts and articles in the 2020s. Notably, Enha-style wikis continued to use it frequently from the mid-2010s, despite it being an outdated slang term.

'Anseup' is an abbreviation of 'angu-e seupgi chada' (안구에 습기 차다) or 'anguga seup-hada' (안구가 습하다), meaning 'moisture in the eyeballs' or 'eyeballs are moist,' which implies shedding tears. It is primarily used to describe pitiful or pathetic situations, similar in meaning to 'ansseureopda' (to feel sorry for someone). The expression originated from comedian Ji Sang-ryeol, who said 'angu-e seupgi chane' (My eyeballs are getting moist) on a broadcast. Initially, it was used humorously to describe situations where tears welled up due to anger or hurt pride. However, as netizens began using the abbreviation 'Anseup,' its usage expanded to encompass all generally pitiful or unfortunate situations.

It was widely used primarily among internet users in their late teens to early twenties during the late 2000s and early 2010s. At the time, it was actively used in internet communities like Cyworld and DC Inside, as well as in gaming culture.

• "Ah, that's really 'anseup' (pitiful/pathetic)."
• "His fashion sense was truly 'anseup' (terrible/pathetic)."
• "The game results are 'anseup' (disappointing/pitiful)."
• When the degree of 'anseup' was severe, it was sometimes expressed as 'kae-anseup' (extremely pitiful).
• It was also used in Episode 2 (Nov. 25, 2008) of Naver's Best Challenge Webtoon 'Jigu-ui Saenghwal' (Life on Earth).

• On Enha-style wikis, it was sometimes used in phrases like 'anseup haengbo' (pitiful performance/track record) when summarizing poor records or activities.

Currently, it tends to be perceived as a somewhat outdated slang term. Its frequency of use has significantly decreased compared to the early 2010s, and it might sound old-fashioned to younger generations, so caution is advised when using it.