Vocabulary
경매
noun
Beginner
auction
community
오늘 아침에 생선 경매가 있었어요.
There was a fish auction this morning.
낙찰
noun
Beginner
winning bid; being awarded an item at auction
community
제가 입찰한 물건이 낙찰됐어요.
The item I bid on was awarded to me.
감사하다
adjective
Beginner
to be grateful, thankful
emotions community
도와주셔서 정말 감사해요.
I'm really grateful that you helped me.
아물다
verb
Beginner
to heal over, to close up (of a wound)
medical
상처가 잘 아물고 있어요.
The wound is healing up well.
흔들리다
verb
Beginner
to become loose, to shake (of a tooth)
medical
이가 흔들리면 빨리 치과에 가 봐요.
If your tooth is loose, go to the dentist quickly.
야매
noun
Intermediate
doing something without proper qualifications or by unofficial means; shady/informal (colloquial)
community
자격증도 없이 하면 야매예요.
Doing it without a license is unofficial/shady.
눈곱
noun
Intermediate
sleep (crust in the eye after sleeping); eye discharge
community
아침에 일어나면 눈곱부터 닦아요.
When you wake up in the morning, wipe the sleep from your eyes first.
덤터기
noun
Intermediate
being unfairly burdened with a cost or blame; getting ripped off
medical community
잘 모르면 덤터기 쓸 수도 있어요.
If you don't know much, you might end up getting ripped off.
염치
noun
Intermediate
sense of shame; conscience about imposing on others
emotions community
염치도 없이 또 부탁드려서 죄송해요.
I'm sorry to impose on you again without any shame.
실하다
adjective
Intermediate
to be solid, plump, substantial (often about food or produce)
community
오늘 생선이 정말 실하네요.
Today's fish are really nice and plump.
통
adverb
Intermediate
not at all (used in negative sentences for emphasis)
community
요즘 친구를 통 못 만났어요.
I haven't been able to meet my friend at all lately.
둔하다
adjective
Intermediate
to be slow-witted, dull, oblivious
emotions
그 사람은 분위기 파악을 못 할 정도로 둔해요.
That person is so oblivious they can't even read the mood.
각골난망
expression
Advanced
deep, undying gratitude (Sino-Korean four-character idiom: 'carved into the bones, not forgotten')
emotions community
이렇게까지 도와주시다니, 각골난망이에요.
For you to help me to this extent — I'm eternally grateful.
결초보은
expression
Advanced
to repay a kindness even after death (Sino-Korean four-character idiom: 'tying grass to repay a debt of gratitude')
emotions community
언젠가는 꼭 결초보은할 기회가 생길 거예요.
Someday there will surely be a chance to repay this kindness.
시비
noun
Advanced
quarrel, picking a fight; making trouble (colloquial)
emotions
왜 저한테 시비예요? 저 아무 말도 안 했어요.
Why are you picking a fight with me? I didn't say anything.
Key Expressions
Expressing gratitude and indebtedness
감사 인사 드리고 싶어서요
"thanks greeting give-[humbly] wanted-because"
Used to explain the purpose of contacting someone — you wanted to express gratitude. The humble form 드리다 shows respect toward the listener.
바쁘신 줄 알면서도 감사 인사 드리고 싶어서 연락드렸어요.
I contacted you because I wanted to express my gratitude, even though I knew you were busy.
Giving gentle instructions or advice
꼭 [동사] 가야 돼요
"definitely [verb] go-must"
Used to give firm but caring advice — 꼭 stresses that the action is important and non-negotiable, common in medical or parental contexts.
열이 내려가지 않으면 꼭 병원에 가야 돼요.
If your fever doesn't go down, you definitely have to go to the hospital.
아프지 말고 건강하게 커
"don't-be-sick and healthily grow-up"
A warm, parting blessing said to children or younger people; the -지 말고 construction contrasts what to avoid with what to do instead.
감기 걸리지 말고 건강하게 지내요.
Don't catch a cold — stay healthy.
Excusing yourself or explaining absence
바쁘신데 너무 시간 뺏었죠?
"busy-[honorific]-while too-much time took-right?"
A considerate phrase used to apologize for taking up someone's time; commonly used at the end of a phone call or meeting to show awareness of the other person's schedule.
바쁘신데 너무 시간 뺏은 건 아닌지 걱정이에요.
I'm worried I've taken up too much of your time when you're busy.
Casual challenge or irritation
왜 괜히 시비야?
"why for-no-reason picking-a-fight-is-it?"
An informal, frustrated expression used when someone feels they're being needlessly provoked; 괜히 ('for no reason') underlines that the provocation seems unjustified.
왜 괜히 시비예요? 제가 뭘 잘못했어요?
Why are you picking a fight for no reason? What did I do wrong?
가르쳐 주기 싫으면 말 것이지
"teach give dislike-if just say-so"
Expresses mild indignation — if you don't want to help, just say so rather than being passive-aggressive. The -ㄹ 것이지 ending carries a tone of complaint or reproach.
도와주기 싫으면 싫다고 말 것이지, 왜 모른 척해요?
If you don't want to help, just say so — why are you pretending not to know?
Grammar Patterns
-(으)ㄹ 거예요 / -ㄹ게요
Future intention or promise
This pattern expresses a future action or intention. -(으)ㄹ 거예요 states what is expected to happen, while -ㄹ게요 is a softer, speaker-committed promise — often implying 'I will do it, for your sake.' Both appear in this scene across different characters.
Practice sentences
내일 일찍 일어날 거예요.
I'm going to wake up early tomorrow.
제가 먼저 연락할게요.
I'll reach out first.
💡 Don't confuse -ㄹ게요 (speaker's promise, responsive to listener) with -ㄹ 거예요 (neutral future plan); using -ㄹ게요 when telling someone else what they will do sounds unnatural.
-는 김에
Taking advantage of an opportunity
Attached to a verb stem, -는 김에 means 'since you're already doing X, do Y too' — you're using an existing situation as a convenient opportunity. It implies the second action was prompted by the first, making it feel natural and economical.
Practice sentences
마트 가는 김에 우유도 사 올게요.
Since I'm going to the mart, I'll pick up some milk too.
거기 가는 김에 편지도 부쳐 줄 수 있어요?
Since you're going there, can you mail this letter too?
💡 The stem before -는 김에 must be an action verb in present/ongoing form; don't use it with adjectives or states.
-아/어 주시고 (→ -아/어 주셔서 감사해요)
Listing kind actions done for the speaker (honorific)
The pattern -아/어 주시다 expresses that someone did something as a favor or for the benefit of the speaker, with -시- marking honorific respect. In this scene it appears as the speaker recounts the dentist's acts of kindness in a series, building emotional gratitude.
Practice sentences
자세히 설명해 주시고 도와주셔서 정말 감사해요.
Thank you so much for explaining in detail and helping me.
💡 When listing multiple favors, chain them with -아/어 주시고 and save the final gratitude expression for the end; don't add 감사해요 after each action.
Cultural Notes
Fish auctions (어판장 경매) in Korean coastal villages
Early-morning fish auctions are central to life in Korean fishing villages. A licensed auctioneer (경매사) runs rapid bidding for the day's fresh catch. The bell (종) signals bid increments. This scene shows Du-sik's deep roots in the Gongjin community — he's not just a handyman but an active participant in the village's economic life.
각골난망 & 결초보은 — Sino-Korean gratitude idioms
These four-character Sino-Korean expressions (사자성어, 四字成語) are borrowed from Classical Chinese and convey extreme depths of gratitude. 각골난망 (刻骨難忘) literally means 'carved into the bones, impossible to forget,' while 결초보은 (結草報恩) refers to a legend of a ghost tying grass to trip an enemy to repay a living debt. Hearing a nine-year-old use both terms is played for comic effect, but knowing 사자성어 is considered a mark of education in Korean culture.
Calling to say thank you (감사 인사 전화)
In Korean social culture, expressing gratitude verbally and in person carries significant moral weight. Yeon-ok goes out of her way to track down Hye-jin's number through a mutual acquaintance just to say thank you — this reflects the Confucian value of acknowledging debts of kindness (은혜). Failing to do so would be considered 염치없다, lacking a basic sense of shame or social conscience.
찜질방 (Sauna/jjimjilbang) as informal lodging
Jjimjilbang are Korean public bathhouses with heated floors, saunas, and communal rest areas where Koreans sometimes sleep overnight — especially when traveling cheaply or stuck somewhere unexpectedly. Hye-jin sleeping there after her car broke down is both comic and revealing of her resourceful, practical side, and it's a recognizable situation for Korean viewers.