Hanryu
/ˈhɑːn.rjuː/noun
A romanized Korean term referring to the international popularity of South Korean popular culture, also commonly spelled Hallyu.
Did you know?Hanryu is a homograph of a Korean term meaning “cold current,” while the cultural sense uses different Chinese characters meaning “Korean flow.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Sino-Korean
韓
“A historical name associated with Korea and the Korean peoples”
Ancient Chinese
Classical Chinese
流
“To flow, stream, or circulate”
Pre-modern Korean
Korean
한류
“A cold ocean current; literally, a cold flow”
1990s
Korean
한류
“The Korean cultural wave, referring to the spread of South Korean entertainment abroad”
21st Century
English
hanryu / hallyu
“An English loanword for the global popularity of Korean music, television, film, beauty, and other cultural exports”