POV: Beginner’s Guide to K-Pop Fandom Lingo—From Stan Slang to Delulu 101

Hey K-pop & K-drama Stans!

Before we dive in, let’s get one thing straight—I was today years old when I realized what "stan" actually meant.

Yep, I’m a total newbie to the wild world of K-pop and K-drama fandoms. So, like any good internet dweller, I took a deep dive into the chaotic realm of Reddit threads and Twitter discourse (send help).

And now, I present to you: a no-nonsense, slightly chaotic, A-to-Z glossary of the most relevant and widely used stan terms. If you’re a fellow rookie, consider me your fandom guide. If you’re a seasoned pro, fact-check me so I don’t embarrass myself. Deal? Let’s go!

1. Stan – Turns out, this one’s legit in the Oxford Dictionary (fancy). It means an "extremely enthusiastic and devoted fan." In short, us.

2. Nugu – Literally means "who?" Used to describe rookie groups or artists who haven’t quite made a name for themselves yet. The music’s great, but their mom is still their biggest fan.

3. Akgae – A toxic solo stan who only likes one member of a group and thinks the rest are background dancers. Stay away.

4. Bias Wrecker – The member who keeps ruining your loyalty to your main fave. You were loyal… and then they did that one thing, and now you’re questioning everything.

5. Maknae Line – The youngest members of a group. They’re cute, they’re chaotic, and they somehow never run out of energy.

6. Ult – Your #1, ride-or-die, the artist/group you’d leave your actual wedding for.

7. Sajaegi – A spicy industry term for chart manipulation. Some songs blow up because they’re amazing, others… well, let’s just say numbers can be bought.

8. Ending Fairy – The member who gets a close-up at the very end of a performance, striking a final pose.

The term originated from Produce 101 when Chaeyeon was caught on camera holding a dramatic pose at the end of a stage, cementing her status as the OG ending fairy.

Since then, it has become a staple of K-pop performances, ensuring that at least one member gets a shining moment before the screen fades to black.

Initially reserved for visuals or the center, it has now become more inclusive to all members, leading to some iconic (and occasionally hilarious) poses.

9. Real-Time All-Kill (RAK) & Perfect All-Kill (PAK) – A Real-Time All-Kill happens when a song reaches #1 on all major real-time music charts (updated hourly).

A Perfect All-Kill, however, is the ultimate flex—achieved when a song simultaneously holds the #1 spot on the real-time, daily, and weekly charts.

10. Delulu – Ah yes, the backbone of stan culture. Short for "delusional," it’s used to describe fans who are a little too convinced their idol is their soulmate. It can be used seriously ("He’s definitely dropping hints about our wedding") or jokingly ("This selfie is making me so delulu").

There you have it—your crash course in K-pop and K-drama stan lingo. Now go forth, tweet with confidence, and remember: we’re all just one comeback away from spiraling into bias-wrecked chaos.

Did I miss any terms? Let me know so I can pretend I knew them all along!