Vocabulary
헤어지다
verb
Beginner
to break up, to separate (in a relationship)
romance emotions
나 그 사람이랑 헤어지기 싫어.
I don't want to break up with that person.
이별
noun
Beginner
separation, breakup, farewell
romance emotions
이별은 항상 힘들어.
Breakups are always hard.
시간을 갖다
expression
Beginner
to take time (for oneself), to have space in a relationship
romance emotions
우리 잠깐 시간을 갖는 게 좋을 거 같아.
I think it would be good for us to take a little time apart.
의례적
noun
Intermediate
conventional, formulaic, done out of social custom rather than genuine feeling
romance emotions
그건 의례적인 말이 아니라 진심이야.
That's not a conventional thing to say — I mean it sincerely.
솔직하다
adjective
Intermediate
to be honest, straightforward, candid
romance emotions
나한테 솔직하게 말해 줘.
Please be honest with me.
우려먹다
verb
Intermediate
to milk something repeatedly, to keep bringing up the same thing over and over
family emotions
그 얘기 몇 번을 우려먹는 거야?
How many times are you going to keep bringing that story up?
뻔뻔하다
adjective
Intermediate
to be brazen, shameless, thick-skinned (often said with affectionate teasing)
family emotions
야, 너 진짜 뻔뻔하다.
Hey, you're really shameless.
지분
noun
Intermediate
share, stake, portion of credit or ownership
family
이번 프로젝트 성공에 내 지분도 있어.
I have a share in this project's success too.
난리를 피우다
expression
Intermediate
to make a big fuss, to cause a scene, to throw a fit
family emotions
왜 별것도 아닌 걸로 난리를 피워?
Why are you making such a fuss over nothing?
조연출
noun
Intermediate
assistant director (in TV/film production)
family
조연출 시절엔 정말 밤새 일했어.
During my days as an assistant director, I really worked through the night.
맞바꾸다
verb
Advanced
to trade, to swap, to exchange one thing for another
family
행복을 돈이랑 맞바꾼 셈이야.
It's as if he traded his happiness for money.
잘나가다
verb
Advanced
to be doing well, to be successful, to be on the rise (colloquial)
family
요즘 그 배우 진짜 잘나가더라.
That actor is really on the rise these days.
Key Expressions
Setting emotional boundaries in a relationship
시간이 필요한 거 같아
"It seems like (we) need time"
Used to gently propose a cooling-off period without directly saying 'break up'; the 거 같아 softens the statement to make it sound like a considered feeling rather than a demand.
우리 지금 서로 시간이 필요한 거 같아.
I think we both need some time apart right now.
조금 시간을 갖고 천천히 생각해 보자
"Let's take a little time and think about it slowly"
A relationship-specific phrase for proposing a pause; '생각해 보자' softens the proposal by making it collaborative, inviting the other person to reflect rather than imposing a decision.
우리 조금 시간을 갖고 천천히 생각해 보자, 응?
Let's take a little time and think slowly, okay?
Clarifying your true intentions
이별 전에 의례적으로 하는 말 아니야
"It's not a conventionally said thing before a breakup"
Used to preemptively clarify that what you are saying is genuine, not a polite formula; anticipates the listener's misinterpretation and corrects it before they can react.
이거 그냥 의례적으로 하는 말 아니야, 진심이야.
This isn't just something I'm saying out of convention — I mean it.
내 말 무슨 뜻인지 알지?
"You know what I mean, right?"
A check-in that assumes shared understanding; often used after a delicate or emotionally loaded message to confirm the listener has grasped the real meaning without it having to be spelled out completely.
내가 왜 이러는지 무슨 뜻인지 알지?
You know what I mean by why I'm doing this, right?
Expressing reluctance or resignation
~기 싫거든
"I don't want to ~, you see / because I don't want to ~"
Combines 싫다 (to not want) with the explanatory ending 거든, which signals that the speaker is giving a reason or clarification the listener may not have known; adds a slightly emphatic, explanatory nuance.
나 그냥 포기하기 싫거든.
I just don't want to give up, you see.
이게 얼마 만이야
"How long has it been since this"
An exclamatory expression of surprise at how much time has passed since last seeing someone or experiencing something; warm, colloquial, used among close acquaintances.
이게 얼마 만이야, 진짜 오랜만이다.
How long has it been? It's really been a while.
Playful teasing and deflection between family/friends
그걸 몇 년을 우려먹니?
"How many years are you going to keep milking that?"
Teasing expression used when someone repeatedly brings up an old grievance; 우려먹다 is a vivid colloquial verb meaning to keep reusing/extracting value from something (like making broth from bones).
그 얘기 아직도 해? 그걸 몇 년을 우려먹니?
You're still talking about that? How many years are you going to keep milking it?
뭐든 주면 마다하진 않을게
"Whatever you give, I won't refuse it"
A humorous, slightly greedy-sounding expression meaning 'I'll take whatever you offer'; 마다하다 means to decline or turn something down, so the negative form signals openness and playfulness.
뭐든 줘 봐, 마다하진 않을게.
Go ahead and give me anything — I won't say no.
Grammar Patterns
-(으)ㄹ 거잖아
Asserting a predictable outcome the listener should already know
This pattern combines the future/presumptive -(으)ㄹ 거 with the ending -잖아, which appeals to shared knowledge or points out something the speaker believes the listener should acknowledge. Together, -(으)ㄹ 거잖아 asserts that a certain outcome is obvious or predictable given the circumstances. It is often used to justify a decision or to confront someone with a logical consequence.
Practice sentences
지금 가도 이미 늦었을 거잖아.
Even if we go now, it'll already be too late — you know that.
말해 봤자 또 싸울 거잖아.
If you bring it up, you'll just end up fighting again — obviously.
💡 Don't confuse with plain -잖아 (used for present facts); -(으)ㄹ 거잖아 specifically projects a future or hypothetical inevitability.
-기 위한 + noun
Expressing purpose: '(noun) for the purpose of -ing'
-기 위한 is the noun-modifying form of -기 위해(서), meaning 'for the purpose of / in order to.' It attaches to a verb stem and modifies the noun that follows, describing it as existing or being needed for that purpose. This pattern is common in formal requests, explanations of intent, and emotionally charged justifications.
Practice sentences
이건 우리 둘 다를 위한 결정이야.
This is a decision for the sake of both of us.
더 솔직해지기 위한 시간이 필요해.
I need time in order to become more honest.
💡 Remember to use -기 위한 before a noun and -기 위해(서) before a verb or clause; mixing them up is a common intermediate error.
-(으)ㄹ 수 있을 만큼의 + noun
Expressing sufficient degree: 'enough [noun] to be able to ~'
This pattern combines the potential form -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 (to be able to ~) with 만큼 (as much as / enough to) and the possessive particle 의 to modify a following noun. It precisely quantifies the amount of something (like time, courage, or space) needed for a given ability or outcome. It is a nuanced pattern that adds emotional precision to a statement.
Practice sentences
다시 웃을 수 있을 만큼의 시간만 줘.
Just give me enough time to be able to smile again.
진심을 말할 수 있을 만큼의 용기가 필요했어.
I needed enough courage to be able to speak from the heart.
💡 The 의 is often dropped in casual speech (만큼 시간 instead of 만큼의 시간), but including it sounds more deliberate and emotionally careful, which fits this scene's register.
Cultural Notes
시간을 갖자 — 'Taking time' in Korean relationships
In Korean relationship culture, 시간을 갖자 ('let's take time') occupies a delicate middle ground between dating and breaking up. It often implies that the couple is pausing to reflect rather than ending things, but it carries an implicit weight: if issues are not resolved, it can quietly become a breakup. Hye-jin's careful phrasing — emphasizing it is NOT 의례적인 이별 말 — shows awareness that listeners (and Du-sik) might misread it as the end.
반장 as a term of address
Hye-jin calls Du-sik '홍 반장' (Chief Hong) even during intimate, emotionally raw moments. In Korean, maintaining a formal title in a romantic context can signal complex emotional distance or a habit of keeping protective formality — especially significant here, where she is asking him to be more open with her. The contrast between the loving intent and the formal address adds subtle poignancy.
Wisdom tooth as metaphor (사랑니)
The parallel scene of Hye-jin advising a patient about a hidden 사랑니 (wisdom tooth — literally 'love tooth' in Korean) that needs to be removed before it causes damage is a deliberate metaphor for Du-sik's hidden past. The word 사랑니 contains 사랑 (love), making the parallel even more resonant for Korean viewers: a love that is hidden and buried can cause pain if left unaddressed.
죽을죄를 지었다 — hyperbolic apology
The phrase 죽을죄를 지었다 (literally: 'I have committed a sin deserving death') is a colloquial hyperbole used between close friends or family to concede a point with humor and mock-drama. It is not serious; rather, it signals that the speaker admits fault in an exaggerated way to defuse tension and get a laugh. It would never be used in a sincere or formal apology.