Korean Language Tips from K-Drama Shorts: Twenty-Five Twenty-One

Let’s Learn Korean with "Twenty-Five Twenty-One" (2022)

In this series, we’ll explore short clips from various K-dramas to introduce you to popular Korean shows and help you learn the language. Entertainment and education are a fun way to catch two birds with one stone.

Today’s pick is from the February 2022 drama Twenty-Five Twenty-One. At a local snack bar, there is a lively conversation between Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) and Ji Seung-wan (Lee Joo-myung).

[Source] Youtube, @kreama-shorts

 

Korean Language and Its Unique Characteristics

If you’ve listened to the clip, you might have noticed one thing: Korean is a language of omissions. It often skips subjects, objects, particles, and sometimes even verbs. When reading the written text, you can take your time to analyze and understand the context, but in spoken Korean—especially in K-dramas—everything happens in real-time. This makes comprehension both challenging and rewarding.

Let’s break down their dialogue sentence by sentence to uncover the meaning behind the words and understand the beauty of Korean.

 

Sentence and Translation

승완: “펴 봐.” → “희도야! 종이 펴 봐”

Seung-wan: "Unfold it."

승완: “점심 같이 먹자.” → “우리 점심 같이 먹자”

Seung-wan: "Let's have lunch together."

 

분식집 주인/서버 (유림의 어머니): “오랜만에 왔네.” → “승완이 오랜만에 분식집에 왔네”

Snack bar owner/server (Yurim's mother): "It's been a while since you came."

분식집 주인/서버 (유림의 어머니): “많이 먹어, 우리 전교 1등.” → “우리 전교 1등, 음식 많이 먹어”

Snack bar owner/server (Yurim's mother): "Eat a lot, our top student."

 

승완: “감사합니다.” → “아주머니 감사합니다.”

Seungwan: "Thank you."

 

희도: “너, 전교 1등이야?”

Hee-do: "Are you ranked first in the entire school?"

승완: “어, 재능이야. 네가 펜싱 잘하는 거랑 비슷해.” → “어, 내 재능이야. 네가 펜싱 잘하는 거랑 비슷해.”

Seungwan: "Yeah, it's my talent. Kind of like how you're good at fencing."

희도: “허, 넌 늘 대단한 걸 별거 아닌 듯이 말한다.”

Hee-do: "Huh, you always talk about amazing things like they're nothing."

승완: “진짜 대단한 건 아직 시작도 안 했어.” → “내가 진짜 대단한 건 아직 시작도 안 했어.”

Seung-wan: "I haven’t even started on what’s truly amazing yet."

 

희도: “진짜 대단한 게 뭔데?”

Hee-do: "What’s truly amazing, then?"

 

승완: “모르지.” → “나야 모르지.”

Seung-wan: "How would I know?"

 

승완: “근데, 그게 뭐든, 난 대단한 걸 할 거야. 진짜 재밌고, 진짜 위대한 거.” → “근데, 그게 뭐든, 난 진짜 재밌고, 진짜 위대하고 대단한 걸 할 거야.”

Seung-wan: "But whatever it is, I’m going to do something fun, something great and incredible."

희도: “기대된다.” → “나는 네가 대단한 걸 하는 것이 기대된다.”

Hee-do: "I’m looking forward to it."

승완: “나도 기대돼. 내가 뭘 할지. 일단 얼른 먹어. 여기 맛있어.” → “나도 내가 뭘 할지 기대돼. 일단 얼른 먹어. 여기 음식 맛있어”

Seung-wan: "I’m looking forward to it too. To see what I’ll do. Anyway, hurry up and eat. The food here is delicious."

희도: “여기 맛있지.” → “여기 음식 맛있지”

Hee-do: "The food here is delicious."

승완: “와봤어?” → “너 여기 와봤어?”

Seung-wan: "Have you been here before?"

희도: “토요일마다 왔었어.” → “나 여기 토요일마다 왔었어.”

Hee-do: "I used to come here every Saturday."

유림: “다녀왔습니다.” → “저 학교 다녀왔습니다.”

Yu-rim: "I’m home."

 

유림의 어머니 (분식집 주인): “어, 우리 딸 왔어.” → “어, 우리 딸 가게에 왔어.”

Yu-rim’s mom (owner of the snack shop): "Oh, my daughter’s back."

유림: “뭐 도와줄까? 설거지하면 돼?” → “내가 뭐 도와줄까? 내가 설거지하면 돼?”

Yu-rim: "Do you need help? Should I do the dishes?"

유림의 어머니 (분식집 주인): “아니야. 피곤할 텐데 얼른 들어가서 쉬어.” → “아니야. 너 피곤할 텐데, 너 얼른 집에 들어가서 쉬어.”

Yu-rim’s mom (owner of the snack shop): "No, you must be tired. Go home and rest."

 

유림의 어머니 (분식집 주인): “얼른 들어가.” → “너 얼른 집에 들어가.”

Yu-rim’s mom (owner of the snack shop): "Go on, head home."

 

손님(학생): “여기 단무지 좀 더 주세요.” → “아주머니 여기 단무지 좀 더 주세요.”

Customer (student): "Can I get more pickled radish here?"

손님(학생): “못 들은 거야? 못 들은 척하는 거야?” → “아주머니가 못 들은 거야? 아주머니가 못 들은 척하는 거야?”

Customer (student): "Did you not hear me? Or are you pretending not to hear me?"

희도: “단무지는 셀프. 저기 적힌 거 안 보여?” → “단무지는 셀프. 너 저기 적힌 거 안 보여?”

Hee-do: "Pickled radish is self-serve. Can’t you see the sign?"

승완: “내가 왜 점심 같이 먹자고 했냐면, 너 백이진 선배랑 아는 사이라 그랬지?” à “내가 왜 너랑 점심 같이 먹자고 했냐면, 너 백이진 선배랑 아는 사이라 그랬지?”

Seung-wan: "I asked you to have lunch with me because you said you know senior Baek Yi-jin, right?"

희도: “응.”

Hee-do: "Yeah."

승완: “그 선배랑 무슨 사이야?” → “너는 그 선배랑 무슨 사이야?”

Seung-wan: "What kind of relationship do you have with him?"

 

희도: “글쎄, 행복을 추구하는 사이?” → “글쎄, 우리는 행복을 추구하는 사이?”

Hee-do: "Well, the kind where we both pursue happiness?"

승완: “친구라는 소리잖아?” → “그 말은 선배와 너는 친구라는 소리잖아?”

Seung-wan: "So you’re saying you’re friends?"

승완: “내가 우리 집 셋방 사는 사람한테 몇 번 지적질을 좀 했거든.”

Seung-wan: "I’ve pointed out a few things to the guy renting our spare room a few times."

[어휘] 지적질 - 허물 따위를 꼭 집어서 가리키거나 드러내어 폭로하는 짓.

[Vocabulary] 지적질 - Pointing out or exposing someone’s flaws or mistakes.

승완: “근데 그 사람이 우리 방송부 20기 백이진 선배였어.”

Seung-wan: "But it turns out that guy is Baek Yi-jin, our broadcasting club’s 20th-generation senior."

[Vocabulary] 방송부 - Broadcasting Club

희도: “뭐? 네가 백이진 집주인 딸이란 얘기야?”

Hee-do: "What? Are you saying you’re the landlord’s daughter where Baek Yi-jin is staying?"

[Vocabulary] 집주인: ‘Landlord’ or ‘Property owner,’ referring to the owner or lessor of a house.

승완: “졸업 선배한테 개긴 거야, 내가. 나 어떡해?” → “내가 졸업 선배한테 개긴 거야. 나 어떡해?”

Seung-wan: "Yeah, I talked back to a senior who’s already graduated. What do I do?"

[어휘] 개기다 - (속되게) 명령이나 지시를 따르지 않고 버티거나 반항하다.

[Vocabulary] 개기다 - (Slang) To resist or talk back against orders or instructions.

희도: “에이, 걱정하지 마.” → “에이, 너 걱정하지 마.”

Hee-do: "Ah, don’t worry about it."

 

Wrap-up

There are so many things being omitted that I can’t find everything, and even the sentences I create include omissions. It’s a characteristic of Korean, and I find it hard to break away from it myself. Additionally, as I restructure sentences, I notice another unique feature of Korean: the order of subjects, objects, and verbs often changes. Along with omission, this is a prominent characteristic of the Korean language. It’s inevitable. For those learning Korean, it will take a lot of practice and effort to get used to.

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If you want to learn more about ellipses in Korean, please read the post below. The details of Korean omissions are thoroughly explained.

🔖 Beyond Grammar: The Art of Omission in Korean

한국어로 작성된 저의 '스물다섯 스물하나' 드라마 리뷰 및 추천글에 관심 있는 분은 다음 포스팅을 읽어보세요.

🔗 스물다섯 스물하나 리뷰: 꿈과 사랑으로 빛났던 IMF 시대의 청춘 기록