Vocabulary
소문
noun
Beginner
rumor, gossip, word spreading around
community emotions
그 얘기 소문 다 났잖아.
That story has spread everywhere, you know.
홍보
noun
Beginner
promotion, publicity, marketing
work community
가게 열기 전에 홍보를 좀 해야 해.
You should do some promotion before opening the shop.
개업
noun
Beginner
opening (of a business), grand opening
work community
내일 개업이라서 지금 준비 중이야.
The grand opening is tomorrow so I'm getting ready right now.
실수
noun
Beginner
mistake, slip-up
emotions community
그거 실수한 거니까 너무 자책하지 마.
It was just a mistake, so don't be too hard on yourself.
적응하다
verb
Beginner
to adapt, to adjust (to a new environment)
community emotions
새 동네에 적응하는 데 시간이 걸려.
It takes time to adapt to a new neighborhood.
까먹다
verb
Intermediate
to burn through money, to spend savings without return; also (colloquial) to forget
finance emotions
매달 적자면 결국 저금 다 까먹는 거야.
If you're losing money every month, you'll end up burning through all your savings.
자제
noun
Intermediate
self-restraint, holding back
community emotions
공공장소에서는 큰 소리 좀 자제해 줘.
Please hold back from making loud noises in public.
자자하다
adjective
Intermediate
(of rumors or reputation) widespread, well-known all around
community
그 식당 소문이 동네에 자자해.
That restaurant's reputation is all over the neighborhood.
진탕
adverb
Intermediate
to one's heart's content, excessively, a whole lot (often used with negative actions)
emotions community
어제 친구들이랑 진탕 놀았어.
I hung out with friends and had an absolute blast yesterday.
쌤쌤이
expression
Intermediate
even, quits, tit-for-tat; a colloquial corruption of 'same-same'
community emotions
우리 서로 잘못한 거 있으니까 쌤쌤이야.
We've both messed up, so let's call it even.
뒷담화
noun
Intermediate
talking behind someone's back, badmouthing
community emotions
나 없을 때 뒷담화 한 거 다 알아.
I know you were all talking behind my back when I wasn't there.
고리타분하다
adjective
Intermediate
old-fashioned, stuffy, behind the times
community
그 생각은 좀 고리타분하게 들려.
That idea sounds a bit old-fashioned.
첫 단추를 끼우다
expression
Advanced
to button up the first button; idiom for making a good start, setting things off on the right foot
work emotions
프로젝트는 첫 단추를 잘 끼워야 나중에 편해.
With a project, if you start it right, things will be easier later.
접다
verb
Advanced
to fold up; figuratively, to close down a business, to give up on a plan
work finance
장사가 안 되면 빨리 접는 게 나을 수도 있어.
If business is bad, it might be better to close up shop sooner rather than later.
엎질러진 물
expression
Advanced
spilled water; idiom meaning 'what's done is done,' equivalent to 'no use crying over spilled milk'
emotions community
엎질러진 물이니까 이제 어떻게 수습할지 생각하자.
What's done is done, so let's think about how to fix things now.
Key Expressions
Dismissing or deflecting concern
뭔 상관이야
"What does it matter / What business is it"
An informal, slightly defiant expression used to say something is none of someone else's business; can express annoyance at unsolicited opinions.
내가 뭘 먹든 뭔 상관이야?
What does it matter what I eat?
Urging action or change
빨리 정리하고
"quickly wrap things up and"
Used when strongly advising someone to cut their losses and move on; 정리하다 here means to liquidate or close down, not tidy up.
이 일 빨리 정리하고 다른 거 시작하자.
Let's wrap this up quickly and start something else.
Acknowledging an uncomfortable truth
그 피곤한 동네를 선택한 건 치과 본인이잖아
"The one who chose that exhausting neighborhood is the dentist herself, isn't it"
Dusik uses this gentle but pointed remark to remind Hyejin that she chose this situation; the pattern [noun]은/는 [subject] 본인이잖아 holds someone accountable without being cruel.
그 회사를 선택한 건 너 본인이잖아.
You were the one who chose that company, weren't you.
따지고 보면
"If you think it through / When you get down to it"
An adverbial expression used to reframe a situation by breaking it down to its basics; signals a rational re-examination of something that seemed worse than it is.
따지고 보면 네 잘못은 아니었어.
When you really think it through, it wasn't your fault.
Comparing two places or situations
여긴 서울이랑 달라
"This place is different from Seoul"
A classic framing device in K-dramas when a city character arrives in a small town; used to set expectations and implicitly ask for behavior adjustment.
여긴 네가 살던 동네랑 달라, 조심해.
This place is different from where you used to live — be careful.
개인 병원은 동네 장사인데
"A private clinic is neighborhood business, but"
Used to explain that small private practices depend entirely on local reputation and foot traffic, making community relations crucial; 동네 장사 (neighborhood business) implies word-of-mouth is everything.
동네 장사는 단골 손님이 제일 중요해.
For a neighborhood business, regular customers are the most important thing.
Grammar Patterns
-고 있지 말고 [verb]아/어
Stop doing X and do Y instead
This pattern combines the progressive aspect -고 있다 with the contrastive connector -지 말고 to tell someone to stop a passive or unproductive action and do something active instead. The first clause describes what the person is currently (idly) doing, and the second gives the desired action. It often carries a slightly impatient or motivating tone.
Practice sentences
거기 서 있지 말고 어서 들어와.
Stop standing there and come on in.
걱정만 하고 있지 말고 일단 해봐.
Stop just worrying and give it a try.
💡 Don't confuse -고 있지 말고 (stop the ongoing action) with -지 말고 alone (just don't do it); the 있다 specifies the action is currently in progress.
-(으)면 되지
All you need to do is / Just do X
This pattern expresses that a solution is simple — the speaker frames a course of action as the straightforward remedy to a problem. The ending -지 adds a sense of 'obviously' or mild assertion, sometimes with a reassuring or slightly dismissive tone depending on context. It is commonly used in advice-giving.
Practice sentences
모르면 물어보면 되지, 뭘 그렇게 고민해.
If you don't know, just ask — why are you overthinking it.
늦었으면 전화 한 통 하면 되지.
If you're late, all you have to do is make one call.
💡 -(으)면 되다 means 'it's fine if / all it takes is'; adding -지 on the end makes it sound more assertive or obvious — avoid using it when the listener might feel criticized.
-나 봐 / -(으)ㄴ가 봐
It seems like / I guess (inference from evidence)
This pattern is used when the speaker draws a conclusion based on indirect evidence or observation — they didn't witness it directly but are inferring it. -나 봐 follows action verbs and adjectives in their base form, while -(으)ㄴ가 봐 follows adjectives or past-tense verbs. It conveys a softer, less certain tone than direct statements.
Practice sentences
불이 꺼져 있네, 벌써 잔 나 봐.
The lights are off — I guess they already went to sleep.
표정 보니까 오늘 힘들었나 봐.
Looking at your face, it seems like today was rough.
💡 Do not use -나 봐 for things you directly observed yourself; it strictly signals inference. Using it for your own feelings or direct experiences sounds unnatural.
Cultural Notes
개업 떡 (Grand-Opening Rice Cakes)
In Korean culture, it is customary to distribute rice cake (떡) to neighbors and community members when opening a new business. This act signals goodwill, announces the opening, and invites goodwill in return. Failing to do so — as Hyejin initially did — is considered a social misstep in tight-knit communities. Dusik's pointed question 'Did you hand out the 개업 떡?' highlights that this tradition is not just optional courtesy but a meaningful social obligation.
통장 (Neighborhood Unit Leader)
화정 is addressed as 통장님, a title for the head of a 통 — the smallest administrative unit in a Korean neighborhood or village. The 통장 acts as a liaison between residents and local government, and holds significant informal social authority in small communities. Getting on the 통장's good side is essentially getting community approval.
동네 장사 (Neighborhood Business Culture)
Small private clinics, hair salons, and local shops in Korea depend almost entirely on repeat customers and word-of-mouth within the immediate neighborhood — what Miseon calls 동네 장사. Without community trust, even excellent service cannot build a clientele. This is why Hyejin's bad first impression is treated as a potentially business-ending crisis, not just a social awkwardness.
마을 회의 (Village Community Meetings)
Korean villages and residential areas often hold regular neighborhood meetings (마을 회의 or 반상회) where community issues are discussed and social bonds are reinforced. Attendance is seen as a civic and social duty. Being forced to attend — as Dusik pushes Hyejin to do — is a way of being formally re-integrated into the community after a rupture.