하지마

Meme Name: Hajima

This meme began to gain popularity with the release of "Hajima," a track from the collaborative album 'TOYSTORY3' by Leellamarz and Toil, on May 20, 2022. It gained significant traction, especially on TikTok, where it was ranked as the 7th most popular song in 2022 and was used in approximately 42,000 TikTok videos. Later, in September 2025, it experienced another surge in popularity as K-pop idols participated in challenges using the song.

The Korean word '하지마' (Hajima) is pronounced as "Hah-jee-mah."

• "Ha" sounds like the "ha" in "haha."
• "ji" sounds like the "jee" in "jeep."
• "ma" sounds like the "ma" in "mama."

The "Hajima" meme originates from the song of the same name by Leellamarz and Toil. The song's lyrics repeatedly tell the other person not to do certain things, such as "Don't wear makeup because you're pretty no matter what you do," "Don't go anywhere else because I've cleared my schedule," and "Don't say anything else to me." This is used to humorously express a somewhat possessive or controlling double-edged attitude, which on the surface appears to be caring or protective of the other person.

It was primarily popular among teenagers and young adults in their 10s and 20s who actively use TikTok, and was also widely consumed in the form of challenges within K-pop idol fandoms.

• "Don't wear makeup because you're pretty no matter what you do."
• "Don't go anywhere else because I've cleared my schedule."
• "Don't say anything else to me."
• (In daily life) "Don't work overtime because you're tired."
• (In daily life) "Don't act cute because you're already cute."

'Hajima' is an expression that does not follow proper spacing rules in Korean. The correct spelling is 'haji ma', where 'ma' should generally be spaced from the preceding word when used as an auxiliary verb. Furthermore, since the meme's original meaning carries a somewhat possessive undertone, it's important to consider the situation and context when using it in real conversations to avoid offending the other person.