Vocabulary
비싸다
adjective
Beginner
to be expensive
finance medical
이 약이 너무 비싸서 못 사겠어.
This medicine is too expensive so I can't buy it.
뽑다
verb
Beginner
to pull out, extract (a tooth)
medical
이가 너무 아파서 뽑아야 할 것 같아.
My tooth hurts so much I think I need to have it pulled.
형편
noun
Beginner
financial situation, circumstances
finance emotions
형편이 어려워서 병원에 못 가는 사람이 많아.
There are many people who can't go to the hospital because their circumstances are difficult.
보험
noun
Beginner
insurance
medical finance
보험이 있으면 치료비 걱정이 좀 덜해.
If you have insurance, you worry a bit less about treatment costs.
틀니
noun
Beginner
dentures
medical
틀니는 임플란트보다 싸지만 불편할 수 있어.
Dentures are cheaper than implants but can be uncomfortable.
직결되다
verb
Intermediate
to be directly connected, directly linked
medical emotions
식습관은 건강이랑 직결되는 문제야.
Eating habits are an issue directly tied to health.
섭취
noun
Intermediate
intake, consumption (of nutrients, food)
medical
균형 잡힌 영양 섭취가 중요해.
Balanced nutritional intake is important.
다짜고짜
adverb
Intermediate
without warning, abruptly, right off the bat
emotions
다짜고짜 화내지 말고 이유를 먼저 말해 봐.
Don't blow up right off the bat — try saying the reason first.
우기다
verb
Intermediate
to stubbornly insist, to dig one's heels in
emotions family
자기가 맞다고 계속 우기면 대화가 안 돼.
If you keep insisting you're right, there's no room for conversation.
전달 방식
noun
Intermediate
way of delivery, communication style
emotions
좋은 말도 전달 방식이 나쁘면 상처가 돼.
Even good words can hurt if the way you deliver them is bad.
본인 부담
noun
Intermediate
out-of-pocket cost, self-payment portion
finance medical
보험이 있어도 본인 부담 비용이 꽤 나올 수 있어.
Even with insurance, the out-of-pocket cost can be quite high.
고집을 피우다
expression
Intermediate
to be stubborn, to insist obstinately
emotions family
고집을 피우면 결국 손해 보는 게 자기야.
If you act stubborn, you're the one who ends up losing in the end.
양호하다
adjective
Advanced
to be in good condition, satisfactory, acceptable
medical
수술 후 상태가 생각보다 양호해서 다행이야.
It's a relief that the condition after surgery is better than expected.
선금
noun
Advanced
advance payment, deposit paid upfront
finance
선금 없이 주문받는 가게는 드물어.
Shops that take orders without advance payment are rare.
제삼자
noun
Advanced
third party, uninvolved person
medical emotions
제삼자가 끼어들면 상황이 더 복잡해져.
When a third party gets involved, the situation gets even more complicated.
Key Expressions
Redirecting or dismissing someone
더는 드릴 말씀이 없네요
"There are no more words I can give you"
A polite but final way to end a conversation when the other person refuses to listen; signals the speaker has given up persuading.
그렇게 생각하신다면 저도 더는 드릴 말씀이 없네요.
If that's how you feel, then I have nothing more to say either.
Challenging someone's behavior or words
그게 할 말이야?
"Is that really something to say?"
Rhetorical question expressing disbelief that someone actually said something so inappropriate; used to call out a socially tone-deaf remark.
환자한테 그게 할 말이야?
Is that really something to say to a patient?
전달 방식이 틀렸어
"The way of delivering it was wrong"
Used to concede that someone's point may be valid while critiquing how they communicated it; a nuanced way to give feedback on tone rather than content.
틀린 말은 아닌데 전달 방식이 틀렸어.
It's not a wrong thing to say, but the way you delivered it was wrong.
Expressing surprise or exasperation
보호자도 아니면서 왜 이렇게 오버야
"You're not even the guardian, why are you overreacting like this"
Used to question someone's right to interfere in a situation that does not officially involve them; 오버다 (from 'over') means to overreact or go too far.
당사자도 아니면서 왜 이렇게 오버야?
You're not even the one involved — why are you overreacting like this?
Rationalizing or resigning oneself
이쯤 되면 망가지는 건 당연하제
"At this point, it's natural for things to fall apart"
A self-deprecating expression of resignation; the speaker acknowledges physical decline as inevitable at their age, using the dialect ending -제 for '-(이)지' common in Gyeongsang dialect.
팔십 년을 살았으면 이쯤에서 망가지는 건 당연하지.
Having lived eighty years, it's only natural for things to fall apart at this point.
Grammar Patterns
-(으)ㄹ 수 있어(요)
Expressing possibility or capability
This pattern attaches to a verb stem to express that something is possible or that someone is able to do something. In this scene it is used in both medical advice contexts ('임플란트도 가능하시겠는데요') and interpersonal criticism ('좋게 말할 수도 있었잖아'), showing its range from neutral possibility to reproach.
Practice sentences
그렇게 느끼실 수 있어요, 충분히.
You can certainly feel that way.
좀 더 부드럽게 말할 수도 있었잖아.
You could have put it a bit more gently.
💡 Don't confuse -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 (ability/possibility) with -(으)ㄹ 수 없다 (impossibility); the past form -ㄹ 수 있었잖아 adds a reproachful nuance of 'you had the option but didn't take it'.
-는 법이야 / -는 게 아니야
Stating rules or norms ('that's not how it works')
This pattern is used to assert how something fundamentally works or should work, often to correct a mistaken assumption. -는 법이야 states a general rule or truth, while -는 게 아니야 directly negates a wrong assumption. Both appear when Hye-jin explains dental ethics and hospital etiquette.
Practice sentences
사람 마음이 그렇게 쉽게 바뀌는 법이 아니야.
A person's heart doesn't change so easily — that's just not how it works.
의사가 환자 말 그냥 다 따르는 게 아니야.
A doctor isn't someone who just does whatever the patient says.
💡 The negative -는 게 아니야 directly rejects a premise; avoid using it too bluntly in real life as it can sound confrontational — soften with -는 게 아닌 것 같아요 in formal settings.
-다고 (indirect quotation / emphasis)
Quoting or emphasizing a claim
The -다고 ending is used to quote what someone said or to emphatically repeat a statement for effect. In this scene it appears in Gamri's complaints and in Du-sik and Hye-jin's heated argument, often carrying an exasperated or challenging tone when used in isolation or followed by a pause.
Practice sentences
그 사람이 절대 안 한다고 했잖아.
That person said they absolutely wouldn't do it.
의사가 수술은 잘 끝났다고 했어요.
You're saying you can't go because you don't have money? Does that even make sense?
💡 In speech, -다고 alone at the end of a sentence (without a following verb) functions as an emphatic quote marker and often implies disbelief or reproach; don't mistake it for a simple statement ending.
Cultural Notes
Korean national dental insurance coverage
As of recent years, South Korea's national health insurance (건강보험) covers implant treatment for adults aged 65 and older, with patients paying only 30% of the cost for up to two implants. Hye-jin's explanation of '두 개까지는 보험 적용이 돼서 30%만 내시고' reflects this real policy, making her medical advice grounded in actual Korean healthcare practice.
Pride and the reluctance to accept help in older Koreans
Gamri's insistence that she has land, a son who is an accountant, and a grandchild at Harvard is a culturally resonant portrait of 체면 (kibun/face-saving). Many older Koreans feel deeply uncomfortable being perceived as unable to afford something, making Hye-jin's direct question about finances a genuine social transgression — even if medically necessary.
Gyeongsang dialect (경상도 사투리)
Gamri speaks in Gyeongsang dialect throughout: '캤다니' (말했다고), '당연하제' (-지), '아이고', '야야라' are all markers of this southern dialect. Korean dramas set in coastal villages frequently use dialect to signal authenticity, generational identity, and regional belonging. Learners should recognize these forms without being expected to produce them.
The concept of 보호자 (guardian) in Korean medical settings
In Korean hospitals, a 보호자 is an officially designated family caregiver who accompanies patients and participates in medical decisions. Hye-jin's pointed remark that Du-sik is '보호자도 아니면서' (not even a guardian) highlights his ambiguous but emotionally significant role in Gamri's life — he cares for her without any formal or blood-related obligation.