Vocabulary
시급
noun
Beginner
hourly wage / hourly rate
money work
편의점 시급이 얼마예요?
What is the hourly wage at the convenience store?
회
noun
Beginner
raw fish; sashimi-style dish
food
바닷가에 오면 신선한 회를 꼭 먹어봐야 해요.
When you come to the seaside, you really have to try fresh raw fish.
뼈째
adverb
Beginner
with the bones included; bone and all
food
작은 생선은 뼈째 먹어도 맛있어요.
Small fish are delicious even when eaten bones and all.
무침
noun
Beginner
seasoned vegetable or fish dish; a type of Korean side dish mixed with sauce
food
오징어 무침이 매콤해서 밥이랑 잘 어울려요.
The spicy seasoned squid goes really well with rice.
기출문제
noun
Beginner
previously administered exam questions; past test papers
education
시험 준비할 때 기출문제를 많이 풀어 보는 게 도움이 돼요.
When preparing for an exam, it's helpful to practice a lot of past questions.
포복
noun
Intermediate
crawling on one's belly; low crawl (military term, used figuratively)
expressions humor
들키기 싫어서 낮은 포복으로 지나갔어요.
I didn't want to be spotted, so I crept past in a low crawl.
학력 위조
noun
Intermediate
fabrication of academic credentials; academic fraud
education social issues
학력 위조가 밝혀지면 큰 문제가 될 수 있어요.
If academic fraud is revealed, it can cause a very serious problem.
스펙
noun
Intermediate
spec; one's set of qualifications, credentials, and achievements (loanword from 'specifications')
education social issues career
요즘은 스펙만 좋다고 취직이 쉬운 건 아니에요.
These days, having good qualifications alone doesn't make it easy to get a job.
성취
noun
Intermediate
achievement; accomplishment
emotions values
작은 성취라도 스스로 칭찬해 주는 게 중요해요.
It's important to praise yourself even for small achievements.
현실주의자
noun
Intermediate
realist; a person who takes a practical view of things
values identity
저는 낭만적이기보다 현실주의자에 가까운 것 같아요.
I think I'm closer to a realist than a romantic.
비효율적
adjective
Intermediate
inefficient; not producing results proportional to effort
values work
계획 없이 일하면 비효율적으로 시간을 낭비하게 돼요.
Working without a plan leads to wasting time inefficiently.
시야
noun
Intermediate
field of vision; perspective; outlook
values emotions
여행을 하면 시야가 넓어지는 것 같아요.
Traveling seems to broaden one's perspective.
자기만족
noun
Advanced
self-satisfaction; personal fulfillment; contentment with oneself
values emotions philosophy
돈보다 자기만족을 위해 일하는 사람들도 있어요.
There are people who work for personal fulfillment rather than money.
미적분
noun
Advanced
calculus (mathematics); differential and integral calculus
education
인생은 미적분처럼 공식대로 풀리지 않을 때가 많아요.
Life often doesn't work out according to a formula the way calculus does.
인풋 / 아웃풋
noun
Advanced
input / output (loanwords used in the context of effort vs. results)
values work
열심히 공부했는데 인풋 대비 아웃풋이 너무 적어서 속상해요.
I studied hard, but I'm frustrated that the output is too small compared to the input.
Key Expressions
Expressing disbelief or skepticism about someone
왜? 안 믿겨?
"Why? Doesn't it seem believable?"
A short rhetorical comeback used when someone doubts you. '안 믿겨?' (= 안 믿겨지냐?) is casual and slightly playful, implying mild offense at the skepticism.
왜요? 안 믿겨요? 직접 확인해 보세요.
Why? Don't you believe it? Go check for yourself.
혹시 학력 위조 아닐까 싶어서
"Wondering if it might possibly be academic credential fraud"
'-아/어 싶어서' expresses a tentative suspicion or hunch as the reason for an action. '혹시' softens the accusation further, making it sound like cautious speculation rather than a direct accusation.
혹시 가짜 아닐까 싶어서 한번 확인해 봤어요.
I checked once because I was wondering if it might possibly be fake.
Grammar Patterns
-(으)ㄹ뿐더러
Not only… but also (stacking negatives or additions)
Attaches to a verb or adjective stem to mean 'not only [A], but also [B].' It presents two related facts, often both unfavorable or both reinforcing the same point. The pattern is more formal-leaning but appears in natural impassioned speech.
Practice sentences
이 동네는 조용할뿐더러 공기도 정말 맑아요.
This neighborhood is not only quiet, but the air is also really clean.
그분은 실력이 뛰어날뿐더러 성격도 좋아요.
That person is not only highly skilled, but also has a great personality.
💡 Do not confuse with '-뿐만 아니라,' which is nearly synonymous but slightly more common in everyday speech; '-(으)ㄹ뿐더러' sounds more emphatic and literary.
-기로 결심하다
To decide to do something (firm personal resolve)
'-기로 결심하다' expresses that the subject has made a deliberate, conscious decision to take a particular course of action. It conveys stronger personal commitment than '-기로 하다' and implies inner conviction rather than a casual plan.
Practice sentences
저는 매일 운동하기로 결심했어요.
I made a decision to exercise every day.
더 이상 남의 시선을 신경 쓰지 않기로 결심한 거예요.
I decided not to care about other people's opinions anymore.
💡 Remember that '결심하다' requires '-기로' before it, not '-으려고'; mixing them up produces an ungrammatical sentence.
A도 너무 A (adjective/adverb intensifier)
Way too [adjective] — extreme degree emphasis
Repeating the same adjective around '도 너무' creates an emphatic construction meaning 'not just [A] but excessively so.' It expresses that something goes beyond the expected or acceptable degree of that quality, and is common in emotional or rhetorical speech.
Practice sentences
이 문제는 어려워도 너무 어려워요.
This problem is hard — way too hard.
오늘 더워도 너무 더워요.
Today is hot — way too hot.
💡 The adjective must appear in its conjugated form before '도 너무' and again at the end; do not use the dictionary stem directly.
Cultural Notes
Seoul National University (서울대) as social credential
In South Korea, Seoul National University (SNU / 서울대) is the country's most prestigious university and carries enormous social weight. Graduating from SNU — especially from its engineering school (공대) — signals exceptional academic ability. Hye-jin's skepticism and her impulse to verify Du-sik's claim through exam problems reflects how deeply SNU credentials shape perceptions of intelligence and 'proper' life trajectory in Korean society.
수능 (CSAT) and its cultural weight
The 수능 (수학능력시험), Korea's College Scholastic Ability Test, is a single high-stakes exam taken in November that largely determines university admission. References to 수능 기출문제 (past exam questions) and grade levels like '수리 1등급' (top percentile in math) are immediately understood by Korean audiences as markers of intelligence and academic success. The scene's use of 수능 problems as an IQ test parody is both humorous and culturally resonant.
스펙 culture and life success expectations
'스펙' (from English 'specifications') refers to the accumulation of credentials — elite university degree, high exam scores, language certifications, internships — that young Koreans are expected to build to secure a good job and social standing. Hye-jin's frustration that Du-sik 'wastes' his 스펙 reflects the deeply ingrained belief that elite credentials should lead to a high-status career. Du-sik's rebuttal challenges this norm, which is a central tension throughout the drama.
Sneaking to a neighboring town to avoid gossip
Small coastal villages in Korea, like the fictional Gongjin, are portrayed as tight-knit communities where everyone knows each other's business. The act of driving to a neighboring town just to eat without being seen is comedic but also realistic — it reflects the social pressure of living in a community where private relationships quickly become public knowledge and subject to comment.