skinship?

[keannu]

In korea, we have a weird expression "skinship" meaning any kind of touch such as caressing, kissing, hugging between two loving ones, especially a boyfriend and a girlfriend, I know it's wrong English. Do you have any expression to substitute it? It may not be physical contact.

[tedtmc]

not a teacher

The term 'petting' includes the above acts. Or 'acts of intimacy'

[keannu]

not a teacher

The term 'petting' includes the above acts. Or 'acts of intimacy'

Are you sure it is a general term? Where did you get it?

[5jj]

Dictionary - Yahoo! Education

[JMurray]

... making out, necking, canoodling, fooling around .. and a bit of slap and tickle.

[emsr2d2]

In korea, we have a weird expression "skinship" meaning any kind of touch such as caressing, kissing, hugging between two loving ones, especially a boyfriend and a girlfriend, I know it's wrong English. Do you have any expression to substitute it? It may not be physical contact.

I agree with all the other suggestions. However, I'm a little confused by your final sentence. All the things you included - "any kind of touch, caressing, kissing, hugging" involve physical contact. Indeed "touch" cannot happen without physical contact.

[keannu]

I agree with all the other suggestions. However, I'm a little confused by your final sentence. All the things you included - "any kind of touch, caressing, kissing, hugging" involve physical contact. Indeed "touch" cannot happen without physical contact.

I'm sorry I said "It(The term) may not be "physical contact". anyway, I concluded it's petting.

[emsr2d2]

I'm sorry I said "It(The term) may not be "physical contact". anyway, I concluded it's petting.

OK, now I understand what you meant by "physical contact"! In BrE, "petting" is a rather old-fashioned word. One of the few places it's seen (at least I think it's still seen) is on the sign by a swimming pool. There used to be a list of things you were not allowed to do near/in public swimming pools - "No diving, no bombing, no running, no petting".

I don't think I've ever used it in my life. When I was a teenager, it was known as "snogging" which, while it technically means "kissing passionately", was used for all the physical contact likely to happen between teenagers (with the exception of sex which definitely does not come under the term "snogging"!)

I don't know any teenagers to ask here now. It's quite likely that "necking" or "making out" might have been adopted from AmE and be in common use now.

[keannu]

OK, now I understand what you meant by "physical contact"! In BrE, "petting" is a rather old-fashioned word. One of the few places it's seen (at least I think it's still seen) is on the sign by a swimming pool. There used to be a list of things you were not allowed to do near/in public swimming pools - "No diving, no bombing, no running, no petting".

I don't think I've ever used it in my life. When I was a teenager, it was known as "snogging" which, while it technically means "kissing passionately", was used for all the physical contact likely to happen between teenagers (with the exception of sex which definitely does not come under the term "snogging"!)

I don't know any teenagers to ask here now. It's quite likely that "necking" or "making out" might have been adopted from AmE and be in common use now.

I think "skinship" is a Korean culture-specific term meant for all kinds of physical contact such as kissing, hugging, caressing, etc. It's konglish(Korean style English).
And later I came to know English has only "necking", "snogging" limited to certain specific actions, so English doesn't seem to have its exactly matching word for "skinship", I just wanted to find the closest one, and petting was the most likely candidate, but you made me abandon it. If you say "physical contact" for it, it will be too dull and awakard, right? I feel there's no matching one as different cultures don't always have the same words.

[emsr2d2]

I think "skinship" is a Korean culture-specific term meant for all kinds of physical contact such as kissing, hugging, caressing, etc. It's konglish(Korean style English).
And later I came to know English has only "necking", "snogging" limited to certain specific actions, so English doesn't seem to have its exactly matching word for "skinship", I just wanted to find the closest one, and petting was the most likely candidate, but you made me abandon it. If you say "physical contact" for it, it will be too dull and awakard, right? I feel there's no matching one as different cultures don't always have the same words.

Don't necessarily abandon it, just be aware that it's probably not used in teenage parlance these days and I imagine that's the group of people most likely to use such a term.
I would venture to suggest that no-one above the age of about 25 in the UK would use a word like "snogging/petting/necking/making out" etc anyway (to refer to their own actions, at least. They might say that their children had been snogging!)
If two adults get together and have their first physical contact, they'd probably just say "We kissed" or "He kissed me in the car" or something.
I don't think there's an adult collective term for the physical contact and actually saying "physical contact" doesn't work because it means any kind of contact, not necessarily romantic.