🎵 K-Culture B2

잠수

jamsu

Going radio silent / Ghosting

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What it means

Literally means "diving" (underwater). In everyday Korean, 잠수를 타다 or 잠수 치다 means to go completely silent, disappear from contact, or ghost someone — not responding to messages or calls.

Nuance & when to use

잠수 타다 = to go silent on someone (deliberate). Can be used for someone who temporarily disappears from social media. Less harsh than the English "ghosting" — sometimes it just means being offline or unavailable.

⚠ Common mistake

Thinking 잠수 only means ghosting in a romantic context. It is widely used for friends, colleagues, or anyone who suddenly becomes unreachable.

Example sentences

연락도 없이 잠수를 타 버렸어요. Yeollakdo eopsi jamsu-reul ta beoryeosseoyo. They just went radio silent without any contact.
요즘 왜 잠수예요? Yojeum wae jamsuyeyo? Why have you been so off the radar lately?
잠수 치지 말고 연락해요. Jamsu chiji malgo yeollakaeyo. Don't go ghost — keep in touch.

See also

연락 두절 사라지다
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FAQ

When is this used?

잠수 타다 = to go silent on someone (deliberate). Can be used for someone who temporarily disappears from social media. Less harsh than the English "ghosting" — sometimes it just means being offline or unavailable.

What's a common mistake?

Thinking 잠수 only means ghosting in a romantic context. It is widely used for friends, colleagues, or anyone who suddenly becomes unreachable.

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