Vocabulary
걱정하다
verb
Beginner
to worry, to be concerned about someone
romance family
친구가 늦게 와서 걱정했어.
I was worried because my friend came late.
신경 끄다
expression
Beginner
to mind one's own business, to stop paying attention to someone
romance work
내 일이니까 신경 꺼.
It's my business, so stay out of it.
성적
noun
Beginner
grades, academic scores
family work
이번 시험 성적이 많이 올랐어.
My grades went up a lot on this exam.
처방하다
verb
Beginner
to prescribe (medicine)
medical
의사가 약을 처방해 줬어.
The doctor prescribed me some medicine.
교정
noun
Beginner
orthodontic correction, braces (dental)
medical
치아 교정하는 데 돈이 많이 들어.
Getting braces costs a lot of money.
피하다
verb
Beginner
to avoid, to stay away from
medical romance
당분간 단 음식은 피해.
Avoid sweet foods for a while.
오지랖
noun
Intermediate
nosiness, meddling in others' affairs; being a busybody
romance work
오지랖 좀 부리지 마, 내 일이야.
Stop being so nosy, it's my thing.
자제하다
verb
Intermediate
to restrain oneself, to hold back, to refrain from
romance work
술은 앞으로 좀 자제해.
Try to hold back on drinking from now on.
불치병
noun
Intermediate
incurable disease; used figuratively for an unchangeable bad habit
medical romance
그 사람 지각하는 게 불치병이야.
That person being late is like an incurable disease.
심미적
adjective
Intermediate
aesthetic, relating to beauty or appearance
medical
심미적 이유로 수술을 받는 사람도 많아.
There are many people who get surgery for aesthetic reasons.
이완제
noun
Intermediate
relaxant (as in muscle relaxant)
medical
근육 이완제를 먹으니까 좀 나아졌어.
Taking the muscle relaxant made me feel a bit better.
덧니
noun
Intermediate
snaggleteeth, protruding or crooked tooth
medical
덧니가 있으면 음식물이 더 잘 껴.
If you have snaggleteeth, food gets stuck more easily.
반의반
noun
Intermediate
a quarter; literally 'half of a half,' used informally to mean a tiny fraction
family
그 노력의 반의반만 해도 충분해.
Even a quarter of that effort would be enough.
충치
noun
Intermediate
cavity, tooth decay
medical
단 걸 많이 먹으면 충치가 생기기 쉬워.
If you eat a lot of sweets, you're more likely to get cavities.
통증이 발생하다
expression
Advanced
for pain to occur/arise (clinical/formal expression)
medical
무리하게 운동하면 근육에서 통증이 발생할 수 있어.
If you over-exercise, pain can arise from the muscles.
음식물이 끼다
expression
Advanced
for food particles to get lodged/stuck (in teeth)
medical
치아 사이에 음식물이 끼면 꼭 치실로 빼야 해.
When food gets stuck between your teeth, you must remove it with floss.
소염제
noun
Advanced
anti-inflammatory (medication)
medical
염증이 생기면 소염제를 먹는 게 도움이 돼.
When there's inflammation, taking an anti-inflammatory helps.
Key Expressions
Pushing back with a rhetorical question
학생한테 성적보다 중요한 게 뭐가 있어요
"What exists that's more important than grades to a student?"
Rhetorical question asserting a strong opinion by implying no valid counter-argument exists. Common in debates or heated conversations.
건강보다 중요한 게 뭐가 있어?
What could be more important than your health?
Giving medical instructions
처방해 드릴 테니까
"Since I will prescribe (it) for you"
Used by medical professionals to signal what they are about to do before giving the patient instructions. -ㄹ 테니까 sets up a cause for the following instruction.
약 처방해 드릴 테니까 꼭 챙겨 드세요.
I'll prescribe you the medicine, so make sure you take it.
당분간 -은/는 피해 주세요
"For the time being, please avoid -"
Standard clinical instruction pattern. 당분간 sets a temporary duration, and 피해 주세요 is the polite imperative to avoid something.
당분간 격한 운동은 피해 주세요.
Please avoid intense exercise for the time being.
Expressing dreams and future goals
꿈이 뭔지, 뭐가 하고 싶은지가 중요하지
"What your dream is, what you want to do — that's what matters"
Used to counter someone's priorities by emphasizing internal motivation over external metrics. Common in mentoring or parenting disagreements.
점수보다 꿈이 뭔지, 뭐가 하고 싶은지가 중요하지.
More than scores, what matters is what your dream is and what you want to do.
Grammar Patterns
-(아/어)서
Causal connector: 'because / since'
Attaches to a verb or adjective stem to indicate that the first clause is the reason or cause for the second clause. Unlike -니까, this form cannot be used with commands or suggestions in the second clause. It conveys a more natural, sequential or explanatory flow.
Practice sentences
비가 많이 와서 약속을 취소했어.
I cancelled the appointment because it rained a lot.
배가 아파서 밥을 못 먹었어.
I couldn't eat because my stomach hurt.
💡 Don't use -(아/어)서 before commands or suggestions — use -니까 instead in those cases (e.g., 바쁘니까 나중에 해 줘).
-(으)려면
Prerequisite condition: 'if you want to / in order to'
Combines -(으)려고 (intention) with the conditional -(으)면 to express 'if one intends to do X, then Y is required.' It sets up a condition by stating what is needed as a prerequisite to achieving a goal. Very common in advice-giving contexts.
Practice sentences
여기서 살려면 차가 꼭 있어야 해.
If you want to live here, you definitely need a car.
날씬해지려면 운동을 시작해야지.
If you want to get slimmer, you need to start exercising.
💡 Don't confuse with -(으)려고, which simply states intention without the conditional meaning. -(으)려면 always implies 'what you need to do to achieve the goal.'
-ㄹ 테니까
Speaker's intention as premise: 'I will do X, so you should do Y'
Used when the speaker states their own intention or strong inference in the first clause as the basis for instructing or suggesting something to the listener in the second clause. It often appears in professional contexts (doctor-patient, work) where one person is taking responsibility and expecting a corresponding action.
Practice sentences
내가 먼저 가서 자리 잡을 테니까 천천히 와.
I'll go ahead and grab us seats, so take your time coming.
내가 요리할 테니까 너는 설거지해.
I'll cook, so you do the dishes.
💡 The subject of -ㄹ 테니까 is almost always the speaker (first person). Don't use it to talk about what someone else will do as a premise.
Cultural Notes
오지랖 — The concept of meddlesome caring
오지랖 literally refers to the wide front panel of a traditional Korean robe (한복) that overlaps and covers too much. In modern usage, it describes someone who involves themselves too much in others' affairs. Calling someone's nosiness 불치병 (an incurable disease) is a common humorous exaggeration in Korean, but when said coldly as Hye-jin does here, it becomes a sharp rebuke.
Korean education culture and the grades vs. dreams debate
The debate in the café — whether grades or personal dreams matter more — reflects a deeply felt tension in Korean society. South Korea's university entrance exam (수능) culture creates intense pressure on students, and the belief that a good university is a prerequisite for success is widespread. Du-sik's counter-opinion about dreams represents a more modern, individualistic view that is still in tension with mainstream expectations.
덧니 (snaggleteeth) as a 'charm point'
In Korean pop culture, 덧니 (protruding or overlapping teeth) are often described as a 매력 포인트 (charm point or attractive feature), especially for celebrities and idols. Chun-jae invoking this trope to avoid paying for Ju-ri's braces is played for comedy, but it reflects a real aesthetic discourse in Korea where certain 'imperfections' are rebranded as endearing. Hye-jin, as a dentist, cuts through the sentiment with clinical objectivity.
Speech level mixing in close relationships
Throughout this scene, characters shift between 반말 (informal speech) and 존댓말 (formal/polite speech) depending on relationship and social context. Hye-jin uses 반말 with Du-sik and Ju-ri but 존댓말 with Chun-jae as the café owner. This code-switching is natural in Korean social life and signals the status and intimacy level between characters. Learners should pay attention to how the same character shifts register mid-scene.