Here’s What “Apt” Means in Rosé & Bruno Mars’ Song

Plus All About Korean Drinking Game APT

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer Bailey Bujnosek, B.S. Bailey Bujnosek is a writer from California. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, San Diego. Her essays, articles and interviews have appeared in Nylon, Highsnobiety, V, Teen Vogue and elsewhere. She also published creative works in various literary magazines. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of all quoted facts and confirming the authority of its sources. Find out more…

In October 2024, Rosé and Bruno Mars literally broke the internet with their infectious collaboration single “Apt.” While you’re probably hearing the chant-like refrain of “apateu” in your head right now, you may not know what it actually means in Korean. Continue reading for an analysis of Korean song expressions, the meaning behind “Apt.” song lyrics and how to play the Korean drinking game Apateu/Apartment.

“Apt” means “apartment” in Korean. It is a romanized abbreviation of the Korean term “아파트”, which is pronounced “apateu”. The phrase was popularized by Rosé and Bruno Mars’ song “APT”. released in October 2024. Apt is also the name of the Korean drinking game that inspired the song.

1. Have all the players sit in a circle. It is up to you whether you sit in the chairs or sit on the floor. There is no strict limit to how many people can play – the more the merrier.[9]

2. Sing the phrase before saying, “Game on!” Since it’s Rosé’s favorite drinking game, she sings, “Rose’s favorite drinking game.” It can be more of a chant than a song – and one person can say it or everyone can join in. Everyone should say, “Game on!”[10]

   • This is how the song “APT” is. also begins.[11]

3. Sing “Apatea, apatea” and move your hands to the rhythm. Everyone should chant “apatea” in unison about six times in total. As you sing, move your hands over each other in a rhythmic, repetitive motion.[12]

   • Start by holding both arms at chest level with elbows bent and palms down. Move them towards each other so that the right hand hovers above the left, then reverse their position so that the left hand is above the right. Repeat the movements until the singing is over.
   • Sing along to the chorus of the song so everyone can stay in tune.

4. While someone calls out the number, everyone puts their hands together. After singing, the person who started or leads the game calls out a number at random. As soon as they say that, everyone should rush to put their hands on top of each other in a random line in the middle of the circle of people.[13]

   • The number should be equal to or less than the total number of hands. Before you call a number, try to consider how many people are playing and multiply that by two in your head to get the number of hands. For example, if there are five players, call 10 or less.
   • It’s fine if some players’ hands are on top of each other in a row, but try to space the rows to make the game more unpredictable. In other words, try to have someone else’s hand or hands among your hands in the stack.

5. Count from one while moving your hands from the bottom to the top. Whoever has his hand at the bottom of the pile moves it to the top and says, “One.” The next person whose hand is on the bottom does the same, saying, “Two,” and so on. The game ends when the random number called out at the start of the game is reached.

6. When a random number is reached, that person shoots. Let’s say the random number is six. The sixth person to move their hand from the bottom to the top of the pile while saying “Six” must drink the glass, as everyone throws their remaining hands in the pile into the air.[14]

   • You can play as many rounds as you like, calling different numbers and trying different starting songs.

7. 

   Try variations of the game once you get the hang of it. You can put a few twists on the APT, or Stan, drinking game to make it more fun. Some variants make the game faster or more complicated for players, while others add fun singing elements. If you are playing with a large number of people, try a variation to allow more people to drink during the game.[15]

   • APT fast circuit: Challenge players to move their hand to the top of the stack in just one or two seconds. If they are too slow, they have to have a drink.
   • You can also speed up the game by singing “Apatea, apatea” just once instead of three times.
   • Tabu number: Make the players drink a drink if in later rounds of the game they shout out a random number that was already said in the previous round. Or, have them drink if they say the wrong number when it’s their turn to move their hand to the top of the pile.
     • If the players are learning Korean, count in Korean instead of English for an extra challenge.
   • Additional moves: Add a new move that players must make when moving their hand from the bottom to the top of the pile. For example, clap, wave, give a thumbs up or wiggle your fingers. Feel free to joke about it. If someone forgets to do this movement, he drinks.
   • Upside down: While playing rounds of APT, reverse the rules. After the random number is called, the player whose hand is on top must move it to the bottom. Keep the count the same, but make sure everyone follows the new order or they have to take a drink.

Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education