What 땡 means
A quiz-style wrong-answer signal. It imitates a sharp bell or metal strike; quizzes and game shows use 땡 for a miss, while 딩동댕 is the sound of a correct answer.
A 2020 note from the National Institute of Korean Language describes 땡 as the sound of striking a small bell or metal vessel, sharper than 댕. The note also discusses money words such as 땡돈 and 땡전; a 1941 quotation is for the related word 땅돈, not standalone 땡.
When someone sends 땡, are they saying I’m wrong?
If it answers your guess, yes—it marks it wrong.
On its own, the verdict is clipped and can read as teasing or dismissive. In 땡큐, the whole word is a casual Korean spelling of English “thank you.”
What does 땡 mean in card games?
A pair of cards with the same month or value. Korean card-game terminology uses 땡 for this kind of matching pair. The idiom 땡 잡다 carries that value into “getting an unexpectedly good break.”
As of 2026, comparative research connects 장땡 with 투전 and 화투, two Korean card games. This card-game usage is a separate branch from the quiz reply.
Informal and punchy: it fits game banter or a quick correction, not a careful or formal explanation.
Sent alone, it can sound like a flat “wrong.”
What it means when someone sends it to you
3 readingsDon't confuse it with
2Combination ideas
3Questions people ask
2Is 땡 rude in a formal message?
It can sound abrupt. With a supervisor, client, or older person, use a full polite correction.
What does 땡 잡다 mean?
To get unexpectedly lucky. The phrase draws on the value of a matching card pair.
How to type 땡
땡\B561Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.