Vocabulary
시집가다
verb
Beginner
to get married (used for women; literally 'to go to one's husband's family')
community
요즘은 늦게 시집가는 사람들이 많잖아요.
These days a lot of people get married late, you know.
밑반찬
noun
Beginner
basic side dishes prepared in advance; banchan staples
community
어머니가 해 온 밑반찬 덕분에 밥을 잘 먹었어요.
Thanks to the side dishes Mom brought, I ate well.
예약하다
verb
Beginner
to make a reservation; to book an appointment
medical work
내일 치과 예약하셨어요?
Did you make a dental appointment for tomorrow?
조심히
adverb
Beginner
carefully; safely (used when saying goodbye, 'take care')
community
비 오니까 조심히 들어가세요.
It's raining, so please get home safely.
충분히
adverb
Beginner
sufficiently; more than enough
work
시간이 충분히 있으니까 천천히 해요.
We have plenty of time, so let's take it slow.
다급하다
adjective
Intermediate
to be urgent; frantic; pressed for time
community
목소리가 너무 다급해서 무슨 일인가 싶었어.
The voice sounded so frantic that I wondered what was going on.
권유하다
verb
Intermediate
to recommend; to advise; to suggest (often in a professional context)
medical work
의사 선생님이 수술을 권유했는데 아직 결정을 못 했어.
The doctor recommended surgery but I haven't decided yet.
소극적이다
adjective
Intermediate
to be passive; timid; not assertive (in approach or attitude)
work
좀 더 적극적으로 나서야지, 왜 이렇게 소극적이야?
You need to be more proactive — why are you so passive?
예방
noun
Intermediate
prevention; precaution (especially in a medical context)
medical
예방 차원에서 정기 검진을 받는 게 좋아.
It's good to get regular check-ups as a preventive measure.
고유 권한
noun
Intermediate
exclusive authority; inherent right; prerogative
work medical
그 결정은 팀장의 고유 권한이에요.
That decision is the team leader's exclusive prerogative.
존중하다
verb
Intermediate
to respect; to honor someone's decision or opinion
work
서로의 의견을 존중해야 좋은 팀이 되는 거야.
Respecting each other's opinions is what makes a good team.
직구
noun
Intermediate
direct overseas purchase (buying from foreign online stores directly)
work
요즘 직구로 사면 훨씬 싸게 살 수 있어.
These days you can buy things much cheaper through direct overseas purchase.
효녀
noun
Intermediate
a devoted/filial daughter; a daughter who takes good care of her parents
community
부모님 병원비까지 내 주다니, 정말 효녀네.
Paying for her parents' hospital bills too — she's truly a devoted daughter.
전략을 짜다
expression
Advanced
to devise a strategy; to map out a plan (often with calculated intent)
work
이번 프로젝트는 처음부터 전략을 잘 짜야 성공할 수 있어.
For this project to succeed, we need to devise a solid strategy from the start.
하도
adverb
Advanced
so much; to such a degree (colloquial intensifier expressing exasperation or extent)
community medical
하도 오래 기다려서 그냥 집에 갔어.
I waited so long that I just went home.
공격이 최고의 수비
expression
Advanced
the best defense is a good offense (proverb used to justify aggressive preemptive action)
work
협상에서도 공격이 최고의 수비라는 말이 맞더라고.
Even in negotiations, the saying that offense is the best defense proved true.
Key Expressions
Politely deflecting or brushing off questions
아, 저는 그냥 회사 다녀요
"Ah, I just go to work at a company"
A vague, deflecting answer used to avoid giving personal details to strangers; '그냥' softens and generalizes the response intentionally.
어떤 일 하냐고요? 저는 그냥 회사 다녀요.
What work do I do? I just work at a company.
Asserting professional authority
치료 계획을 세우는 건 의사의 고유 권한입니다
"Setting a treatment plan is the doctor's exclusive authority"
A firm, formal assertion used to draw a boundary and claim one's professional prerogative; the formal -입니다 ending signals seriousness.
보도 방향을 결정하는 건 기자의 고유 권한입니다.
Deciding the direction of a report is the reporter's exclusive authority.
Expressing surprise at an unexpected encounter
어떻게 여기서 또 뵙네요
"How do we meet here again like this"
Expresses pleasant surprise at running into someone unexpectedly a second time; '어떻게' implies coincidence, and '또' marks repetition.
세상 좁다더니, 어떻게 여기서 또 뵙네요.
They say it's a small world — how do we end up meeting here again?
회사 다니신다고 하더니 의사 선생님이셨네
"You said you worked at a company but turns out you were a doctor"
Uses -다고 하더니 to contrast what was previously said with the newly discovered reality; conveys mild surprise and amusement at a revelation.
바쁘다고 하더니 여기 다 왔네.
You said you were busy, but here you are after all.
Making treatment and care recommendations
일단 엑스레이부터 찍으실까요?
"Shall we start by taking an X-ray first?"
A soft, patient-directed suggestion common in medical settings; '일단 -부터' signals a logical first step, and the -ㄹ까요 ending invites cooperative agreement.
일단 증상부터 말씀해 주실까요?
Could you start by telling me your symptoms?
최대한 기존 치아 살리는 방향으로
"In the direction of preserving existing teeth as much as possible"
'-는 방향으로' frames a plan or decision in terms of a guiding direction rather than a fixed outcome; commonly used in professional and bureaucratic Korean to sound measured and principled.
비용을 최대한 줄이는 방향으로 계획을 세워 봐요.
Let's set up a plan in the direction of cutting costs as much as possible.
Grammar Patterns
-나 보다 / -나 보네
Inferential observation
Attaches to a verb or adjective stem to express a conjecture or inference the speaker is making based on observable evidence. It conveys 'it seems like ~' or 'I guess ~' and signals that the conclusion is indirect — the speaker did not directly experience the fact. The -네 ending adds a nuance of in-the-moment realization.
Practice sentences
오늘 많이 피곤한가 보네, 계속 하품을 하잖아.
You must be really tired today — you keep yawning.
연락이 없는 걸 보면 아직 도착 안 했나 봐.
Judging from the lack of contact, it seems they haven't arrived yet.
💡 Don't confuse -나 보다 (speaker's inference from evidence) with -겠다 (speaker's conjecture or intention); -나 보다 always implies the speaker is reading visible or contextual clues.
-(으)ㄹ 텐데
Presumptive background condition
Combines a presumptive or expectation meaning (-(으)ㄹ 터) with the background-contrast marker -ㄴ데 to express 'it should/would be ~, but...' or to gently introduce a presumed condition before an offer, suggestion, or regret. It often implies the speaker has an opinion about what would be better for the listener.
Practice sentences
지금쯤 많이 힘들 텐데 괜찮아?
You must be really struggling right now — are you okay?
이 정도면 충분할 텐데 왜 더 시키는 거야?
This should be enough — why are you ordering more?
💡 The -ㄴ데 at the end creates an implicit contrast or sets up what follows; don't drop it or the sentence loses its connective nuance.
-다면서 (요)?
Quoting and questioning hearsay
Used to quote or echo something the speaker has heard from another source, while simultaneously seeking confirmation or expressing mild surprise. It corresponds to 'I heard that ~' or 'Didn't you say ~?' in English. In this scene it also carries a slightly challenging or checking tone when used by the boss.
Practice sentences
오늘 일찍 퇴근한다면서? 진짜야?
I heard you're leaving work early today — is that true?
그 사람이 의사라면서요? 처음 알았어요.
I heard that person is a doctor — I didn't know that.
💡 Be careful not to confuse -다면서 (reporting/echoing hearsay) with -다면 (hypothetical 'if'); the -서 at the end is key and should not be omitted.
Cultural Notes
Personal questions from elders as social bonding
In Korean social culture, older adults — especially in communal settings like apartment buildings — often ask younger people direct questions about marital status, job, and age as a form of friendly connection, not as intrusion. This reflects a Confucian-influenced community norm where such information helps establish relational hierarchy (존댓말 usage, how to address each other). Younger Koreans, especially in urban settings, increasingly find this uncomfortable, and Hye-jin's awkward deflection captures this generational tension.
시집가다 — gendered marriage language
시집가다 literally means 'to go to the husband's family home' and is used exclusively for women getting married. The male equivalent is 장가가다. These terms reflect traditional patrilocal marriage structures where a bride moved into her husband's family. While still commonly used in everyday speech by older speakers, younger Koreans often prefer the gender-neutral 결혼하다 (to get married).
밑반찬 sharing as neighborly care
Offering 밑반찬 (homemade side dishes) to neighbors is a traditional Korean expression of warmth and community belonging. It is especially common among older women visiting or living near family. Accepting or politely declining the offer is a delicate social act — refusing too bluntly can be rude, which is why Hye-jin uses 말씀만이라도 감사합니다 to soften her refusal.
Dental over-treatment as medical ethics issue
The scene alludes to a real concern in South Korea's private healthcare system where clinics, operating on a fee-for-service model, sometimes recommend more procedures than necessary to increase revenue. Min-yeong's pressure on Hye-jin to add unnecessary implants — framed euphemistically as 'proactive care' — directly references this ethical tension. Hye-jin's resistance establishes her as a moral anchor in the story.