Vocabulary
여전히
adverb
Beginner
still; as before; unchanged
emotions
헤어졌는데도 여전히 그 사람 생각이 나.
Even after breaking up, I still think about that person.
피곤하다
adjective
Beginner
tired; exhausting; draining
emotions
요즘 그 사람이 좀 피곤해.
That person has been a bit draining on me lately.
소문나다
verb
Beginner
to become the subject of rumors; to spread as gossip
romance emotions
우리 사이가 자꾸 소문나는 게 불편해.
It's uncomfortable that rumors about us keep spreading.
불쾌하다
adjective
Beginner
unpleasant; displeased; offended
emotions
그런 말을 들으면 굉장히 불쾌해.
Hearing words like that makes me really displeased.
오지랖
noun
Intermediate
nosiness; meddling in others' business; being overly intrusive
emotions romance
오지랖 좀 그만 부려, 내 일에 신경 끄라고.
Stop meddling so much — stay out of my business.
불치병
noun
Intermediate
incurable disease; terminal illness
medical emotions
그 사람 고집은 불치병 수준이야.
That person's stubbornness is at the level of an incurable disease.
자제하다
verb
Intermediate
to restrain oneself; to hold back; to exercise self-control
emotions romance
감정 좀 자제하고 차분하게 얘기해.
Restrain your emotions a bit and talk calmly.
서운하다
adjective
Intermediate
to feel hurt or let down by someone; to feel a sense of disappointment or emotional distance
emotions romance
연락도 없이 가버려서 많이 서운했어.
It really hurt that you left without even contacting me.
재밋거리
noun
Intermediate
source of entertainment; something people find amusing (often at someone else's expense)
emotions romance
나 남들 재밋거리 되기 싫어.
I don't want to become a source of amusement for others.
선을 지키다
expression
Intermediate
to keep a proper boundary; to maintain appropriate distance
romance emotions
우리 사이에 선 좀 지켜야 할 것 같아.
I think we need to maintain some boundaries between us.
모르는 척하다
expression
Intermediate
to pretend not to know; to feign ignorance
emotions romance
나를 봤으면서 모르는 척하더라.
He definitely saw me but was pretending not to know.
꾸다
verb
Advanced
to dream (a dream); used exclusively with 꿈/악몽
emotions medical
요즘 자꾸 이상한 꿈을 꿔.
I keep having strange dreams these days.
저벅저벅
adverb
Advanced
onomatopoeia for heavy, plodding footsteps
emotions
복도에서 저벅저벅 발소리가 들렸어.
I heard heavy footsteps trudging down the hallway.
Key Expressions
Expressing suspicion / catching someone in a pretense
분명 기억하는 거 같은데 모르는 척하더라
"He clearly seems to remember, but he was pretending not to know"
The pattern '[verb] 것 같은데 [verb] 척하다' expresses the speaker's frustration at perceiving a gap between someone's true knowledge and their performed ignorance; '-더라' indicates the speaker witnessed this firsthand.
분명 들은 거 같은데 못 들은 척하더라.
He clearly seemed to have heard it, but was pretending he hadn't.
모르는 척하다
"to do the pretense of not knowing"
A very common expression meaning to feign ignorance; '-는 척하다' attaches to any verb stem to mean 'to act as if [verb]' and is essential for describing social performances or deceptive behavior.
나를 봐도 모르는 척하더라고.
Even when he saw me, he pretended not to know me.
Acknowledging something while adding a 'but'
-(으)ㄹ 줄 알겠는데
"I'd know [how] to [do something], but…"
Used to acknowledge a situation or ability while flagging a reservation; sets up a contrast between what the speaker understands or accepts and what they nevertheless want to say.
네 말이 맞는 건 알겠는데, 쉽게 받아들이기가 어렵네.
I can see that you're right, but it's hard to just accept it easily.
Grammar Patterns
-아/어 줬으면 좋겠어
Expressing a wish or request about someone else's behavior
This pattern attaches to a verb stem to express that the speaker wishes someone would do something for them. It is softer than a direct command but carries genuine emotional weight — especially in romantic or tense interpersonal contexts. The '-줬으면' implies the action is for the speaker's benefit, making it both a request and an emotional appeal.
Practice sentences
앞으로는 연락 좀 줄여 줬으면 좋겠어.
I'd like you to contact me a little less from now on.
그냥 솔직하게 말해 줬으면 좋겠어.
I wish you would just be honest with me.
💡 Don't confuse with '-아/어 줄게' (a promise the speaker makes) — '-줬으면 좋겠어' is always a wish directed at someone else's action.
-는 것 같은데
Inference with an implicit 'but' or contrast
This pattern combines '-는 것 같다' (it seems like; I think) with the contrastive connector '-는데', creating a hedge that implies the speaker suspects something but is about to add a complicating follow-up. It is frequently used when someone wants to voice suspicion or reluctant observation without sounding accusatory.
Practice sentences
좋아하는 거 같은데 왜 티를 안 내는 거야?
It seems like he likes her, so why isn't he showing it?
알고 있는 거 같은데 말을 안 하더라고.
It seemed like she knew, but she wasn't saying anything.
💡 The '-는데' ending leaves the sentence open — always make sure your follow-up clause contrasts with or complicates what came before, otherwise it feels incomplete.
-는 것도 싫고
Stacking grievances with 'and I also hate…'
This construction nominalizes a verb with '-는 것' and then adds '도 싫고', meaning 'I also dislike [this thing]'. The trailing '-고' signals that more complaints are coming, making it perfect for listing multiple frustrations in a row. It is very common in emotional venting scenes where a character has more than one grievance.
Practice sentences
자꾸 비교당하는 것도 싫고 무시당하는 것도 싫어.
I hate being constantly compared to others, and I hate being ignored too.
관심받는 것도 싫고 오해받는 것도 싫어.
I hate getting attention, and I hate being misunderstood too.
💡 Remember '-는 것' nominalizes the verb — don't drop the '것', or the grammar becomes unnatural. '싫고' alone without '것' changes the structure entirely.
Cultural Notes
선을 지키다 — The concept of relational 'lines'
In Korean social culture, 선 (line/boundary) is an important concept governing appropriate behavior between people of different relationships — friends, colleagues, acquaintances, romantic interests. Telling someone to '선 지켜' is a charged statement: it implies they have been overstepping without acknowledgment, and it signals a desire to re-establish formality or distance. In a romantic context, it can paradoxically signal heightened awareness rather than indifference.
오지랖 — Culturally specific meddling
오지랖 literally refers to the wide front flap of a traditional Korean coat (오지라기), and metaphorically describes someone who spreads themselves too widely into other people's affairs. Calling someone's behavior '오지랖' is a light but pointed criticism of nosiness. Describing it as '불치병 (incurable disease)' heightens the humor and resignation — it's a common comedic way to say someone simply cannot help themselves.
Self-talk as emotional exposure
Hye-jin muttering '미쳤어, 윤혜진' to herself is a classic K-drama device: characters address themselves by full name when caught off guard by their own emotions. It signals the moment a person realizes they may be developing feelings they hadn't planned for. For learners, note that Koreans often speak to themselves using their own name as a way of self-scolding or self-check.
Recurring nightmares and emotional backstory in K-drama
The brief exchange about Du-sik's recurring nightmare is a common narrative device in Korean melodrama — a character's psychological wound is often revealed first through physical symptoms (nightmares, insomnia, flinching) before the backstory is explained. This creates emotional investment and viewer curiosity while respecting the character's reluctance to speak openly, reflecting the Korean cultural value of 눈치 (reading unspoken emotional cues).