Vocabulary
설레다
verb
Beginner
to feel excited/fluttery with anticipation (especially romantic)
romance emotions
내일 첫 데이트라서 너무 설레.
I'm so excited because I have my first date tomorrow.
반상회
noun
Beginner
neighborhood residents' meeting (a Korean community tradition)
community
이번 달 반상회는 몇 시에 해?
What time is this month's neighborhood meeting?
안건
noun
Beginner
agenda item; matter to be discussed at a meeting
community
오늘 회의 안건이 뭔지 알아?
Do you know what today's meeting agenda is?
전하다
verb
Beginner
to pass on (a message); to convey; to tell someone on behalf of another
community
엄마한테 나 좀 늦는다고 전해 줘.
Tell Mom that I'll be a little late.
신나다
verb
Beginner
to be excited; to be thrilled; to be in high spirits
emotions romance
여행 간다고 하니까 애들이 엄청 신났어.
The kids are super excited because we said we're going on a trip.
늦게 배운 도둑이 날 새는 줄 모른다
expression
Intermediate
proverb: 'A thief who starts late doesn't know when dawn breaks' — someone who discovers something late becomes obsessed with it
romance emotions
늦게 배운 도둑이 날 새는 줄 모른다더니, 요즘 드라마에 완전 빠졌어.
They say someone who gets into something late goes overboard — I'm totally hooked on dramas lately.
무리하다
verb
Intermediate
to overdo it; to push oneself too hard
emotions
요즘 잠을 못 자서 몸에 무리가 많이 갔어.
My body has been really overworked lately because I haven't been sleeping.
붙임성
noun
Intermediate
sociability; the quality of being friendly and easy to get along with
community emotions
저 사람은 붙임성이 좋아서 어디서나 친구를 잘 사귀더라.
That person is so sociable — they make friends easily wherever they go.
동방예의지국
noun
Intermediate
the Eastern Land of Courtesy — a traditional epithet for Korea emphasizing Confucian respect and etiquette
community
동방예의지국이라는 말처럼 우리 어른들한테 인사 잘 하자.
Just like the saying 'Land of Eastern Courtesy,' let's make sure to greet our elders properly.
변비
noun
Intermediate
constipation
community
물을 많이 안 마시면 변비가 생길 수 있어.
If you don't drink enough water, you can get constipated.
헛기침하다
verb
Intermediate
to fake-cough; to clear one's throat deliberately (often to signal discomfort or to change subject)
emotions
민망한 얘기가 나오자 그는 괜히 헛기침을 했어.
When the embarrassing topic came up, he gave an awkward fake cough.
모기
noun
Intermediate
mosquito
community
여름에 밖에 오래 있으면 모기한테 많이 뜯겨.
If you stay outside for a long time in summer, mosquitoes will bite you a lot.
뜯기다
verb
Intermediate
to get bitten (by an insect); to be gnawed at; passive form of 뜯다
community
어젯밤에 모기한테 뜯겨서 팔이 퉁퉁 부었어.
I got bitten by mosquitoes last night and my arm swelled up.
달그락거리다
verb
Advanced
to clatter; to rattle (the sound of dishes or utensils knocking together)
emotions
주방에서 그릇 달그락거리는 소리가 났어.
There was a clattering sound of dishes coming from the kitchen.
중얼거리다
verb
Advanced
to mutter; to mumble to oneself
emotions romance
뭘 혼자 중얼거려? 무슨 생각해?
What are you muttering to yourself about? What are you thinking?
Key Expressions
Pretending / Making excuses
몸이 좀 안 좋아서
"Because my body isn't feeling great…"
A classic soft excuse for declining plans. The trailing -아서 implies the reason without completing the sentence, making it sound natural and indirect.
오늘 몸이 좀 안 좋아서 파티에 못 갈 거 같아.
I don't think I can make it to the party because I'm not feeling too great today.
못 갈 거 같다고 전해 줘
"Tell them that I probably can't go."
Used when asking a third party to relay your apologies/absence to a group. -다고 marks reported speech, and 전해 줘 is a polite request to pass the message on.
나 오늘 늦을 거 같다고 팀장님한테 전해 줘.
Tell the team leader that I'll probably be late today.
Teasing someone about new romantic excitement
신났네, 신났어
"You're excited, really excited."
Repeated for emphasis to tease someone who is visibly giddy. The repetition is a hallmark of Korean conversational teasing.
새 게임 산다고 신났네, 신났어.
You're all excited about buying a new game, aren't you.
늦게 배운 도둑이 날 새는 줄 모른다더니
"Just like they say, a thief who starts late doesn't know when dawn breaks…"
A proverb used here to tease someone who discovered romance late and is now completely absorbed. -더니 signals the speaker is referencing something they heard/observed with amusement.
늦게 배운 도둑이 날 새는 줄 모른다더니, 요가 시작하고 나서 매일 두 시간씩 하네.
Just like they say — she started yoga late and now she does it for two hours every single day.
Community / Greeting rituals
어, 나는 안녕하지
"Oh, I'm doing fine."
A wry, deadpan response to a greeting. By stating 'I am indeed fine' as a full sentence, the speaker (Yeong-guk) plays up the mundaneness of his wellbeing for comic effect.
안녕하세요? — 어, 나는 안녕하지, 뭐.
Hello? — Oh, I'm fine, you know.
Grammar Patterns
-(으)ㄹ 거 같다
Soft conjecture / Hedged prediction
Attaches to a verb stem to express the speaker's guess or soft prediction about a future or present state. It is less assertive than -겠다 and frequently used to politely decline or make excuses without sounding definitive.
Practice sentences
오늘은 비가 올 거 같아서 우산 챙겼어.
I brought an umbrella because I think it might rain today.
이거 혼자 다 못 먹을 거 같은데, 같이 먹자.
I don't think I can eat all of this alone — let's eat together.
💡 Don't confuse -(으)ㄹ 거 같다 (prediction/guess) with -(으)ㄹ 것이다 (firm intention/prediction). Use -(으)ㄹ 거 같다 when you want to sound uncertain or polite.
-아/어서 그런가
Wondering if the reason is… / Attributing cause tentatively
Combines the causal connector -아/어서 with 그런가 ('is that why?') to express a speaker musing about whether a particular reason explains their current feeling or situation. It sounds introspective and is often used in internal monologue or gentle self-reflection.
Practice sentences
오늘 날씨가 따뜻해서 그런가, 기분이 좋네.
Maybe it's because the weather is warm today — I'm in a good mood.
어제 많이 걸어서 그런가, 다리가 좀 아파.
Maybe it's because I walked a lot yesterday — my legs are a little sore.
💡 The -가 at the end marks it as a wondering question directed at oneself. Don't drop it — 그런가 as a full clause ending gives the musing, trailing-off feel.
-(으)ㄹ 텐데
Presumptive concern / 'I'd imagine…'
Expresses the speaker's reasonable assumption about a situation, often colored with concern, sympathy, or mild warning. It combines -(으)ㄹ (prospective modifier) + 터 (circumstance) + -인데 (but/so), and is used when the speaker infers something and wants to highlight the implication.
Practice sentences
이 시간에 출발하면 늦을 텐데, 서둘러.
If you leave at this hour you'll probably be late — hurry up.
혼자 다 하려면 힘들 텐데, 내가 도와줄까?
It'll probably be tough doing it all alone — should I help?
💡 -(으)ㄹ 텐데 often ends a sentence with the implication trailing off — the consequence or suggestion is left for the listener to infer. Don't feel compelled to always complete the thought.
Cultural Notes
반상회 (Neighborhood Residents' Meeting)
반상회 is a traditional Korean community meeting held among residents of a neighborhood block (반). Historically organized by local government, these gatherings were used to relay official notices and discuss community issues. In rural or tightly-knit communities like the fictional Gongjin in this drama, 반상회 still carries social weight as a bonding ritual — skipping one without good reason is noticeable, which is why Du-sik has to fake illness.
동방예의지국 (Land of Eastern Courtesy)
This four-character Chinese-origin phrase (한자어, hanja) has long been used to describe Korea as a nation that values Confucian propriety, especially respect for elders. When Geum-cheol uses it to instruct his child to bow and greet properly, he is invoking this cultural heritage both earnestly and comically — it highlights how deeply embedded formal greeting rituals are in Korean social life, even in everyday village moments.
Counting relationship days (1일)
In Korean dating culture, couples often celebrate 100-day anniversaries (100일) and even count individual days from the start of the relationship. '1일' (literally 'Day 1') marks the very first day of an official couple. This custom reflects how milestones and the passage of time carry special romantic meaning in Korean relationships, and is a common motif in K-drama romance storylines.
Faking illness to skip social obligations
Du-sik pretending to cough and feel unwell to avoid the 반상회 is a relatable and humorous trope. In a close-knit Korean community, abruptly skipping a group obligation without a socially acceptable reason (like illness) would be considered rude. The exaggerated fake coughing (콜록거리다) and dramatic sighs reflect the social pressure to maintain face within the community while still pursuing his personal desires.