Slangora

selca

A selfie, from the Korean portmanteau of self-camera.

ˈsɛlkəDocumented since 2000s2000sGen Ztrending281 viewsLast reviewed Jun 12, 2026+ Add a definition
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Etymology timeline

Born ~2002 · no dated citations yet
2002BornToday, 2026
Late-Millennial / Web 2.0 eraSee decade cohort →

Seen in the wild

Definitions

Global
#1·May 8, 2026Globalcasual

A selfie, from the Korean portmanteau of self-camera. Idols post selcas on Weverse or Bubble; fans post selcas with concert outfits or photocard hauls.

He posted a post-concert selca looking exhausted and fans immediately trended his name worldwide.
Origin: Borrowed from Korean 셀카(selka), from English self \+ camera.[\[1\]](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/selca#citenote-1)
For parents

"selca" means a selfie, from the korean portmanteau of self-camera. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.

For ESL learners

"selca" is informal English meaning a selfie, from the korean portmanteau of self-camera. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a selfie" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "selca" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.

Cluster: online_activity
Heard in the wild
  • “Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Selca,_Bra%C4%8D "Special:EditPage/Selca, Brač") by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners "Help:Referencing for beginners").”

  • “You can help Wikipedia by [expanding it](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Selca,_%C5%BDelezniki&action=edit). |”

  • “The city occupied an area of 30,000m2. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Selca_e_Poshtme_Village.jpg/500px-Selca_e_Poshtme_Village.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Selca_e_Poshtme_Village.jpg) Selcë e Poshtme In the 4th and 3rd centuries BC Selca was an important trading centre and was the administrative centre of the Illyrian region of the Dassaretae.”

Source: Slangora editorial
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For specific readers

"selca" means a selfie, from the korean portmanteau of self-camera. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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