Vocabulary
보류하다
verb
Beginner
to put on hold, to defer, to suspend temporarily
romance emotions
그 결정은 다음 주까지 보류해요.
Let's put that decision on hold until next week.
고백
noun
Beginner
confession (of feelings), romantic declaration
romance emotions
친구한테 고백을 받아서 많이 당황했어요.
I was really flustered because a friend confessed to me.
거절하다
verb
Beginner
to reject, to turn down
romance emotions
그 부탁을 거절하기가 좀 어려웠어요.
It was a little hard to turn down that request.
정리되다
verb
Beginner
to be sorted out, to be resolved, to get settled
romance emotions
마음이 정리되면 다시 얘기해요.
Let's talk again once your feelings are sorted out.
아쉽다
adjective
Intermediate
to feel a sense of regret or reluctance, to feel like something is lacking or a pity
emotions romance
오늘 일찍 헤어져서 너무 아쉬워요.
It's such a pity we have to part so early today.
예의를 갖추다
expression
Intermediate
to show proper courtesy, to treat someone with the respect they deserve
romance community
상대방에게 예의를 갖추는 게 중요해요.
It's important to treat the other person with proper courtesy.
서브를 날리다
expression
Intermediate
to send a serve (here used metaphorically: to make a move / confess feelings)
romance emotions
상대가 서브를 날렸으면 빠르게 받아치는 게 좋아요.
If the other person makes a move, it's good to respond quickly.
수심
noun
Intermediate
water depth
romance emotions
이 바다의 수심이 얼마나 되는지 알아요?
Do you know how deep this sea is?
애매하다
adjective
Intermediate
to be ambiguous, vague, unclear
emotions romance
그 대답이 너무 애매해서 이해하기 어려워요.
That answer is so vague it's hard to understand.
변명
noun
Intermediate
excuse, justification
emotions community
변명보다 솔직하게 말하는 게 더 나아요.
It's better to speak honestly rather than make excuses.
혼자 북 치고 장구 치다
expression
Advanced
to do everything oneself without input from others; lit. 'to beat the drum and play the janggu alone'—an idiom for making decisions unilaterally
emotions community
매번 혼자 북 치고 장구 치지 말고 저한테도 물어봐요.
Stop doing everything on your own every time—ask me too.
최상급
noun
Advanced
superlative (degree); the highest level of expression
emotions romance
그런 상황에서는 최상급 칭찬을 해도 부족해요.
In a situation like that, even a superlative compliment wouldn't be enough.
기일
noun
Advanced
death anniversary (the annual memorial day for a deceased person)
community
할머니 기일에는 온 가족이 모여요.
The whole family gathers on my grandmother's death anniversary.
Key Expressions
Putting something on hold / delaying a decision
며칠만 보류하자
"let's just defer for a few days"
Used when one party wants to pause a decision or situation temporarily; the '만' softens the request, making it sound less definitive.
그 계획은 며칠만 보류해요.
Let's put that plan on hold for just a few days.
정리될 때까지
"until (things) get sorted out"
A common phrase to explain why someone is waiting before taking action; implies emotional or situational clarity is still pending.
마음이 정리될 때까지 기다려 줄게요.
I'll wait until your feelings are sorted out.
Expressing the scale or depth of feelings
섭섭하지 않을 만큼
"enough so that you won't feel let down"
An indirect, understated way to say 'enough'; the speaker avoids boasting by framing the quantity in terms of the listener's potential dissatisfaction.
준비를 섭섭하지 않을 만큼은 했어요.
I've prepared enough so you won't feel disappointed.
바이칼호 정도는 돼
"it's at least Lake Baikal level"
A creative metaphorical expression for the depth and age of one's feelings; using a natural landmark as a comparator adds poetic understatement.
제 고마운 마음이 바이칼호 정도는 돼요.
My gratitude toward you is at least Lake Baikal level.
Playful bickering and mild reproach
하기만 해!
"just you try doing it!"
A playful threat used to warn someone not to do something; the implied meaning is 'don't you dare,' but delivered with affection in a romantic context.
또 늦으면 어떡해요, 늦기만 해요!
What will you do if you're late again—just try being late!
사귀기도 전에 차이고 싶냐?
"do you want to get dumped before we're even dating?"
A teasing rhetorical question used to playfully threaten rejection; implies light-hearted frustration rather than a genuine threat.
시작도 전에 포기하고 싶어요?
Do you want to give up before we've even started?
변명은 접어 두고
"fold up the excuses and set them aside"
An idiom telling someone to stop making excuses; used to redirect a conversation to the point.
변명은 접어 두고 솔직하게 말해줘요.
Set the excuses aside and speak honestly.
Grammar Patterns
-다고 하다 / -(ㄴ/는)다며?
Reported speech and challenging a prior statement
This pattern quotes or reports what someone said, and when used as a question ending in '-다며?' or '-다고?', it challenges or recalls a statement the listener just made. In casual conversation, it often carries a teasing or incredulous tone, as if saying 'but you just said…!'
Practice sentences
바쁘다더니 왜 여기 있어요?
You said you were busy, so why are you here?
싫다며요? 그런데 왜 먹고 있어요?
Didn't you say you didn't like it? So why are you eating it?
💡 Don't confuse '-다더니' (recalling what someone said then noting a contradiction) with simple '-다고 해서' (reporting reason). The '-더니' adds a sense of contrast or surprise at inconsistent behavior.
-(으)ㄹ 테니까
Stating one's own firm intention as a premise
When attached to a first-person subject, '-(으)ㄹ 테니까' expresses the speaker's firm intention or plan as a background condition, often followed by a related request or expectation of the listener. It can carry a slightly assertive or no-nonsense tone.
Practice sentences
제가 먼저 도착할 테니까 천천히 와요.
I'll get there first, so take your time.
제가 설명할 테니까 잘 들어봐요.
I'm going to explain, so listen carefully.
💡 When the subject is first person, '-ㄹ 테니까' signals intention; when third person, it signals inference. Don't use it for second-person subjects—use '-(으)ㄹ 거니까' instead.
-았/었는지
Reflecting on an unknown past state or degree
This pattern expresses retrospective wonder or realization about something in the past—the speaker is reflecting on 'how much' or 'whether' something was the case. In emotional scenes it often conveys being moved upon discovering information you didn't know before.
Practice sentences
그 사람이 얼마나 힘들었는지 이제야 알았어요.
I only now realized how hard it must have been for that person.
그때 얼마나 기다렸는지 생각하면 마음이 아파요.
When I think about how long they waited back then, it breaks my heart.
💡 The key feeling is retrospective discovery—you're realizing something about the past you didn't fully grasp before. Don't use this pattern for simple factual questions about the past; it carries an emotional weight of surprise or reflection.
Cultural Notes
기일 (기일, death anniversary)
In Korean culture, 기일 (忌日) refers to the annual anniversary of a family member's death. Families typically gather to perform a memorial rite called 제사 (jesa), offering food and bowing to honor the deceased. Du-sik's immediate recall that Tuesday was his grandfather's 기일—and his emotional reaction to Hye-jin having been with him that day—reveals how significant these dates are in Korean family life.
Baikal Lake as a romantic metaphor
Du-sik uses Lake Baikal—the world's deepest (1,743 m) and oldest (25 million years) freshwater lake—as a metaphor for the depth and age of his feelings. This kind of indirect, nature-based expression of emotion is common in Korean romantic speech, where directly saying '많이 좋아해' (I like you a lot) can feel too plain. Hye-jin's act of looking it up and reading the facts aloud to him is her way of emotionally processing and acknowledging the scale of his feelings.
북 치고 장구 치다 (doing everything yourself)
'혼자 북 치고 장구 치다' is a well-known Korean idiom literally meaning 'to beat the drum and play the janggu alone.' Since a traditional performance normally requires multiple musicians, doing both alone means making all the decisions and taking all the actions yourself without involving others. Du-sik uses it sarcastically to tease Hye-jin for unilaterally deciding the terms of their not-yet-relationship.
Speech level in romantic bickering (해요체 and 해체 mixing)
Throughout this scene, both characters mix 해요체 (polite informal) and 해체 (casual plain speech), which is typical for Korean adults who are close but not yet fully comfortable dropping all formality. Hye-jin in particular uses 해체 (반말) when teasing or being emotional, signaling growing intimacy. Paying attention to when characters shift registers is a key skill in understanding the emotional temperature of a conversation.