Learn Korean Expressions and Culture Through Hospital Playlist’s Witty Drama Clip

🎥 Introduction

 

Hospital Playlist is a K-drama that aired Season 1 in 2020 and Season 2 in 2021. Centered around five friends who were classmates in medical school (class of '99), the drama captures their lives, friendships, love, and the realities of working in the medical field. It’s filled with heartwarming, relatable stories of everyday life, avoiding sensationalism while delicately portraying various facets of life, earning deep empathy from its viewers.

The short clip introduced here features a scene where the five friends gather at a restaurant, order food, and chat. The focus of the scene is on Seok-hyung and his mother. It humorously and warmly showcases the friends' concern for Seok-hyung’s family situation, which was turned upside down by his father’s infidelity.

 

🎥 Short Video

[Source] YouTube, @shortstaeyang

 

🎥 Meet the Characters

- Lee Ik-jun (Jo Jung-suk): A skilled general surgeon with a cheerful personality and great humor.

- Ahn Jung-won (Yoo Yeon-seok): A compassionate pediatric surgeon who secretly dreams of becoming a priest.

- Kim Jun-wan (Jung Kyung-ho): A stern but capable cardiothoracic surgeon with a hidden soft side.

- Yang Seok-hyung (Kim Dae-myung): An obstetrician-gynecologist who is quiet, kind-hearted, and deeply devoted to his mother.

- Chae Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do): A highly respected neurosurgeon known for her intelligence, kindness, and strong leadership.

🎥 Dialogue

정원: “이모님, 우리 여기 2인 기본 하나, 3인 기본 하나 주세요.”

Jeong-won: "Auntie, we’ll have one two-person set and one three-person set, please."

송화: “안정원 웬일이야? 적금이라도 탔어?”

Song-hwa: "Jeong-won, what’s going on? Did you cash out your savings or something?"

석형: “탔대. 매달 10만원씩 3년 넣어서 오늘 드디어 찾았대.”

Seok-hyung: "He did. He saved 100,000 won a month for three years and finally cashed it out today."

석형: “엄마 칠순여행 보내드린다네. 넌 그럼 대체 월급을 얻다 갖다 쓰는거냐?”

Seok-hyung: "He says he’s sending his mom on a 70th birthday trip. So where on earth do you spend your salary?"

석형: “정원아! 내가 오늘 계산할게. 그게 마음 편하겠다.”

Seok-hyung: "Jeong-won, I'll pay today. That'll put everyone at ease."

석형: “애들아! 내가 쏠게, 많이 먹어.”

Seok-hyung: "Guys! It's on me, so eat a lot."

송화: “석형아! 어머니는 좀 어떠셔?”

Song-hwa: "Seok-hyung, how's your mom doing?"

석형: “어떠시긴, 도로아마타불이지. 아유 진짜 나무아미타불 관세음보살이다.”

Seok-hyung: "How do you think? It's the same old story. Honestly, Amitabha Buddha and Avalokiteshvara’ (Buddhist chant), that's all I can say."

익준: “다시 이혼 절대 안하신대지?”

Ik-jun: "She’s still never going to agree to a divorce, right?"

석형: “응, 죽어도 안해 준대.”

Seok-hyung: "Yeah, she said she'll never agree, not even over her dead body."

석형: “건물이랑 상가가 아니라, 양회장이 회사를 통째로 준다고 해도 절대 이혼은 안하신대.”

Seok-hyung: "Even if Chairman Yang gave her the entire company, not just buildings and stores, she still wouldn't agree to divorce."

준환: “석형아, 그럼 그 상가랑 건물, 나중에 어머니 돌아가시면 다 네 거야?”

Jun-hwan: "Seok-hyung, will all those buildings and stores be yours after your mom passes away?"

석형: “그렇겠지.”

Seok-hyung: "I guess so."

익준: “야, 나랑 우리 우주, 네 호적에 올려 주면 안 되냐? 너 어차피 자식 없잖아.”
Ik-jun: "Hey, can you put me and Woo-joo on your family register? You don’t have kids anyway."

익준: “나랑 우리 우주 응, 양자로 좀 달아 줘.”

Ik-jun: "Adopt me and Woo-joo as your sons, okay?"

석형: “건물이라고 해봤자 10층 밖에 안되고, 상가도 많이 비었어.”

Seok-hyung: "The building is just 10 stories tall, and many stores are empty."

석형: “그리고 우리 엄마 성격 알지? 비워 둘 지언정 세는 안내리는 거.”

Seok-hyung: "And you know how my mom is, right? She'd rather leave them empty than lower the rent."

익준: “아, 맞다. 아빠! 아빠 과의 그, 저, 잠수 탄 전공의 돌아왔어?”

Ik-jun: "Oh, right. Dad! Did that runaway resident from your department come back?"

석형: “아직, 근데 너 어떻게 알았어?”

Seok-hyung: "Not yet. But how did you know?"

익준: “나도 들었어요. 병원에 소문 다 났어요.”

Ik-jun: "I heard it too. The whole hospital is talking about it."

석형: “하여튼 우리 아들 오지랖은”

Seok-hyung: “Well, my son has such a busybody nature."

🎥 Video Translation

정원: “이모님, 우리 여기 2인 기본 하나, 3인 기본 하나 주세요.”

Jeong-won: "Auntie, we’ll have one two-person set and one three-person set, please."

 

l  “이모님”: Literally, “이모” refers to a mother’s sister, and “님” is an honorific suffix that conveys greater respect than “씨.” Here, “이모님” is used as a friendly way to address a middle-aged woman working at a restaurant.

 

l  “2인 기본,” “3인 기본”: These refer to set menus offered at the restaurant, ordered for convenience to share among the five people present. In Korea, it is common to order food to share, so most restaurants bundle their main dishes into 2- or 3-person sets.

 

송화: “안정원 웬일이야? 적금이라도 탔어?”

Song-hwa: "Jeong-won, what’s going on? Did you cash out your savings or something?"

 

l  “적금 타다”: “적금” is short for “정기적금” (regular savings), omitting “정기” (regular). It refers to a type of bank account where money is saved regularly over a set period. Deposits are made monthly or at predetermined intervals, and the principal and interest are received at maturity. “타다” in Korean means to receive or obtain something. In this context, it refers to withdrawing money from a matured regular savings account.

 

석형: “탔대. 매달 10만원씩 3년 넣어서 오늘 드디어 찾았대.”

Seok-hyung: "He did. He saved 100,000 won a month for three years and finally cashed it out today."

 

석형: “엄마 칠순여행 보내드린다네. 넌 그럼 대체 월급을 얻다 갖다 쓰는거냐?”

Seok-hyung: "He says he’s sending his mom on a 70th birthday trip. So where on earth do you spend your salary?"

 

l  칠순여행”: “칠순” refers to the traditional 70th birthday celebration in Korea, an important milestone that symbolizes longevity and health. “칠순여행” is a trip taken to commemorate this occasion, usually involving the birthday celebrant traveling with family or close relatives to celebrate together.

 

l  “넌 그럼”: A shortened form of “너는 그러면” (then you). “그러면” is a conjunction that connects the preceding and following sentences.

 

l  “대체”: A term meaning “to get to the point,” similar in usage to “도대체” (on earth, exactly).

 

l  “얻다 갖다”: A shortened form of “어디다 가져다” (where to take something).

 

l  When expanded into standard Korean, “넌 그럼 대체 월급을 얻다 갖다 쓰는거냐?” becomes “그러면 너는 대체 월급을 어디에 쓰는거냐?” (Then where exactly do you spend your salary?). This implies the speaker is asking where the substantial doctor’s salary is being spent, wondering how the person managed to save 100,000 won per month to accumulate their savings.

 

석형: “정원아! 내가 오늘 계산할게. 그게 마음 편하겠다.”
Seok-hyung: "Jeong-won, I'll pay today. That'll put everyone at ease."

 

“계산하다”: To count numbers or to pay a bill.

 

석형: “애들아! 내가 쏠게, 많이 먹어.”
Seok-hyung: "Guys! It's on me, so eat a lot."

 

l  “쏜다”: The literal meaning is to fire a bow, gun, or cannon toward a target or to attack someone harshly with words or a sharp gaze. In this context, it means one person paying the entire cost during a gathering with friends or colleagues.

 

송화: “석형아! 어머니는 좀 어떠셔?”
Song-hwa: "Seok-hyung, how's your mom doing?"

 

l  “좀”: A shortened form of “조금” (a little), meaning "slightly," "to some extent," or "somewhat." In this context, it implies asking about the mother’s condition, specifically whether her health has improved or remains the same.

 

l  “어떠셔”: A polite form of “어떻다” (to be like), derived from “어떠하시다.” “어떻다” is an adjective used to ask about the state or condition of something. Here, “어떠셔” is used to inquire about the mother’s health status.

 

석형: “어떠시긴, 도로아마타불이지. 아유 진짜 나무아미타불 관세음보살이다.”
Seok-hyung: "How do you think? It's the same old story. Honestly, Amitabha Buddha and Avalokiteshvara’ (Buddhist chant), that's all I can say."

 

l  “도로아미타불”: A Buddhist term meaning "to return to the original state." It describes futile efforts or labor, often when previous efforts result in no success and things revert to the starting point.

 

l  “아유”: An interjection expressing pain, difficulty, surprise, frustration, or disbelief.

 

l  “진짜”: An adverb meaning "truly" or "really," without any pretense or falsehood.

 

l  “나무아미타불 관세음보살”: A Buddhist phrase meaning "I take refuge in Amitabha Buddha and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva."

 

익준: “다시 이혼 절대 안하신대지?”
Ik-jun: "She’s still never going to agree to a divorce, right?"

 

l  "절대 안하신대지?": When expanded, it means, “절대로 하지 않으실 거라고 하셨지?” (She said she would absolutely never do it, right?)

 

석형: “응, 죽어도 안해 준대.”
Seok-hyung: "Yeah, she said she'll never agree, not even over her dead body."

 

석형: “건물이랑 상가가 아니라, 양회장이 회사를 통째로 준다고 해도 절대 이혼은 안하신대.”
Seok-hyung: "Even if Chairman Yang gave her the entire company, not just buildings and stores, she still wouldn't agree to divorce."

 

l  “건물이랑 상가”: “건물과 상가” (building and store)

 

l  “양회장”: A term Seok-hyung uses to refer to his father as if he were a stranger. In the past, Seok-hyung experienced great disappointment with his father and severed ties with him as father and son.

 

l  “통째”: Refers to the entirety of something in one piece, without being divided.

 

준환: “석형아, 그럼 그 상가랑 건물, 나중에 어머니 돌아가시면 다 네 거야?”
Jun-hwan: "Seok-hyung, will all those buildings and stores be yours after your mom passes away?"

 

l  “석형아”: The suffix “아” is a vocative particle used when calling someone's name.

 

l  “그럼”: A conjunction indicating that the following content aligns with or follows the preceding statement.

 

l  “나중에”: An adverb referring to a point in the future.

 

석형: “그렇겠지.”
Seok-hyung: "I guess so."

 

익준: “야, 나랑 우리 우주, 네 호적에 올려 주면 안 되냐? 너 어차피 자식 없잖아.”
Ik-jun: "Hey, can you put me and Woo-joo on your family register? You don’t have kids anyway."

l  “야”: A casual term used by adults to call children or among peers when addressing each other.

 

l  “우리 우주”: “우주” is the name of Ik-jun’s son. In Korean, instead of saying “나의 아들,” people commonly say “우리 아들.” Similarly, “엄마” is referred to as “우리 엄마” rather than “나의 엄마.” This expression refers to family members, close friends, or group members, emphasizing a strong sense of belonging and connection.

 

l  “호적에 올리다”: “호적” is the old term for the “가족관계등록부” (family relations register), an official document that records personal information such as name, date of birth, and family relationships. “올리다” means “등록하다” (to register). In this context, Ik-jun is jokingly asking Seok-hyung to adopt him and his son Woo-joo as legal family members, implying that Seok-hyung’s buildings and properties could later be passed down to them as inheritance.

 

익준: “나랑 우리 우주 응, 양자로 좀 달아 줘.”
Ik-jun: "Adopt me and Woo-joo as your sons, okay?"

 

l  “달아 주다”: A combination of “달다” (to attach something to a certain place) and “해주다” (to do something for someone), meaning "to ask someone to attach or add something." In this context, “달아 줘” is synonymous with “올려줘” (register me), referring to the earlier phrase “호적에 올려줘” (add us to your family register). The term “호적” (family register) is omitted but implied.

 

석형: “건물이라고 해봤자 10층 밖에 안되고, 상가도 많이 비었어.”
Seok-hyung: "The building is just 10 stories tall, and many stores are empty."

 

l  “~라고 해봤자”: Equivalent to “~라 해도” (even if it’s said to be), this phrase implies that the item or situation in question is not particularly impressive or significant.

 

l  “~밖에 안되고”: Used in the sense of “~라 해도” (only), this expression emphasizes a limited quantity or scope, often highlighting that something is less than expected or restricted.

 

석형: “그리고 우리 엄마 성격 알지? 비워 둘 지언정 세는 안내리는 거.”
Seok-hyung: "And you know how my mom is, right? She'd rather leave them empty than lower the rent."

 

l  “~할 지언정”: Used to mean “비록 ~ 일지라도.” (“even if” or “although”)

 

l  “세”: Refers to money paid to borrow or rent someone else’s building or belongings.

 

익준: “아, 맞다. 아빠! 아빠 과의 그, 저, 잠수 탄 전공의 돌아왔어?”
Ik-jun: "Oh, right. Dad! Did that runaway resident from your department come back?"

 

l  “그”: In this sentence, it refers to “the runaway resident,“ but it feels somewhat awkward as it has not been previously mentioned. Generally, it is a demonstrative pronoun used to point to a specific subject.

 

l  “저”: Also a demonstrative pronoun referring to a specific subject. Similar to “그,” it also refers to “the runaway resident” but gives the impression of referring to something farther away. It can be interpreted as the speaker momentarily hesitating while thinking of the term “runaway resident” before using “저.”

 

l  “잠수 타다”: A modern slang term commonly used to describe the act of intentionally cutting off contact or disappearing to avoid a specific situation or person. It metaphorically likens this behavior to diving underwater and vanishing from sight.

 

석형: “아직, 근데 너 어떻게 알았어?”
Seok-hyung: "Not yet. But how did you know?"

 

익준: “나도 들었어요. 병원에 소문 다 났어요.”
Ik-jun: "I heard it too. The whole hospital is talking about it."

 

석형: “하여튼 우리 아들 오지랖은”
Seok-hyung: “Well, my son has such a busybody nature."

 

l  “하여튼”: Means "regardless of the circumstances, condition, or nature of the matter."

 

l  “오지랖”: Refers to someone who shows excessive interest or meddles in various matters, commonly expressed as “오지랖이 넓다” (having a wide apron or being overly nosy).

 

l  “하여튼 우리 아들 오지랖은”: This phrase could continue as “하여튼 우리 아들 오지랖은… 참 넓어” (My son is so nosy.), but even without completing the sentence, the implication of “오지랖이 넓다” is already clear. This omission is a natural way of speaking, leaving the listener to infer the meaning.

 

🎥 Conclusion

Learning Korean expressions through short drama clips is an excellent way to deepen your understanding of Korean culture and language. The scene introduced from Hospital Playlist was filled with rich vocabulary and expressions, even in simple conversations, seamlessly blending traditional Korean values with modern humor.

From practical and vivid expressions like “이모님,” “칠순여행,” and “잠수 타다” to culturally contextual phrases such as “도로아미타불” and “호적에 올리다,” this scene offers a variety of linguistic elements to explore and learn.

I aim to introduce the charm of the Korean language and its cultural depth through short drama scenes like this one, helping you master Korean. Stay tuned for more insightful content!