Words Everyone learns After Watching A Single K-Drama

Here are few words that are highly picked up by the drama viewers

K-Dramas are extremely addictive and engaging thus most of us tend to binge-watch most of these series. We hear a lot of words that are easily understandable and we can basically figure out their meanings without the help of a dictionary or subtitles. A single K-Drama consists of the power of learning more than 100 basic vocabularies from Korean. K-dramas are fun and also helpful for using it as a beginners guide to Korean. We can learn how to answer the phone, basic greetings, pronouns, expression of anger and disgust, confession of love and much much more. My first K-Drama is ‘Start-Up’ (스타트업) which I saw at the end of last year so around December. I watched it solely because of the title and it intrigued me. I still continue to watch most of the dramas which are termed as some of the best ever. The most amazing thing was this show became my driving force to ‘FOLLOW MY DREAM’ for those who have not seen the series yet please make time for it, you’ll love it. Anyways, I picked up a lot of vocabulary from this show and many others too. So here’s me telling you about my first few Korean vocabulary which I learnt through watching ‘Start-Up’, I would also include ‘Reply 1988’(응답하라 1988) and ‘Welcome to Waikiki’ (으라차차 와이키키) because these shows have become my favourites of all-time. I will not go too deep into what the words represents in cultural form or changes in the use of the words over the years but just some vocabularies that Non-Koreans learn after watching the dramas.

Here is the list of words we learn through our first K-drama itself:

여보세요 (Yeoboseyo): It means ‘hello’, basically to answer the call on the phone but this hello is not used while greeting someone. Yeoboseyo is only used when answering the phone. We have seen many scenes where the actor answers their phone saying ‘Yeoboseyo’.

안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo): Hello used for greeting someone when we meet them face to face. Useful to greet elders and seniors. It also refers to ‘are you in peace’ and ‘may peace be upon you’.

안녕 (Annyeong): It can be used as Hello or Bye, respectively. Annyeong is used amongst friends and people who are younger than us.

어머(Omo): “Oh no!” or “Oh my gosh!”. It is an immediate reaction towards things from different situations.

애교 (Aegyo): Acting cute or flirty in a loving manner. It is done by a lot of K-pop Idols. It could either extremely fun or cringe, depends on how it performed by individuals.

미쳤어 (Michyeosseo): I love this term I have been using it since the time I first heard it. It means ‘Are You Crazy?’. We can hear this term in plain and polite form too, it appears during an argument scene, confession scenes etc.

대박 (Daebak): Daebak means something awesome, great success, big achievement. It is used to express praise.

축하합니다 (Chughahabnida): We can use it to congratulate someone on their achievements or wish them Happy Birthday.

울지마(Uljima): Don’t cry. We have seen many many scenes where a female actor is comforted by a male actor and vice versa. It is a word that is on constant repeat as there are a lot of emotional scenes.

가지마(Gajima): Don’t go. It is heard during a break-up scene quite often. But it is also seen during friendly teasing while saying goodbye.

걱정 마세요(Geogjeongmaseoyo): Don’t worry. We need someone to say it to us during difficult times. It is one of my favourite words.

죽을래(Joogeuilae): “Do you have a death wish”, “Do you wanna die?”, “Wanna die?” etc. Bo Ra from ‘Reply 1988’ used this term a lot of the times.

친구 (Chingu): Friend, it is the first word I learnt to write and I love this word because I value all my ‘Chingus’.

화이팅 (Hwaiting) OR 파이팅(Paiting): Hwating and Paiting both are used for encouragement, courage, Goodluck, or all the best. Idols use it to express their feeling of keeping up the great work and working hard.

바보(Babo): Fool is Babo in Korean we get familiar with this term as soon as we witness an argument amongst the actors. It is generally used among friends.

정말(Jeongmal): Truly, genuinely, whole-heartedly, definitely etc. It is a tricky word it can also be used as a sarcastic term for what it's worth.

제발 (Jebal): When requesting someone, used as please, used when asking a favour.

미안해(Mianhae): I apologize, I am sorry, It is my fault etc. We hear this term a lot being used amongst friends, couples and family members.

아파요(Apayo): It hurts. We hear this term in songs and dialogues, it is useful when describing pain or painful situation.

그래 (Geurae): Guerae can mean anything from “sure”, “really”, “but”, or “so” among a few other things when used on its own as an interjection. This is one of those words that is really dependent on the context and the speaker.

약속 (Yaksuk): Yaksuk stands for a promise, appointment, word, engagement, undertaking a promise. We hear this term quite often in K-Dramas especially amongst the group of ‘Chingus’.

진짜 (Jinjja): Really, Really? It is a great word used when expressing anger, surprise, shock, etc. It is used a lot in basic conversation. It is a word that has a wide variety of usage from displeasure to being pleased.

뭐 (Mwo): What? We hear it often with the plain form of speech and in various other sentences too. ‘Ige meoyo’ meaning ‘What is this?’

어떡해(Eotteoghae): What do I do, what should I do, what to do. It is a regular word that is commonly used in daily life to describe situations where we commit mistakes.

왜그래 (Waegurae): Why are you being like this, What’s wrong with you?, why am I like that etc.

아이씨(Aish): Darn it, Oh crap, Oh man, Oh No. We hear it when the situation gets irritable or frustrating. I use this term a lot when I get disturbed by things.

알았어 (Arasso): Understood/okay. I understand what you said, yes I understand. It is a good way to reply to someone you’re talking to, it displays your interest in the conversation.

아이구(Aigoo): Aigoo is one of those words we instantly fall in love with because of the way the actors say it. This word is used to express disappointment, surprise, disgust, or emotions, to be honest, because it is one of the versatile words. It can be used on several different occasions.

마자요(Majayo): That’s correct or you are right, yes you are correct etc. This word is useful to learn as it used a lot in a conversation where you want to say, ‘yes I agree’ with what you are saying.

고마워 (Gomawo): Thank you in plain speech. Expression of being grateful towards the person who has helped you. Add ‘yo’ to make it more polite like ‘Gomawoyo’.

감사합니다(Gamsahamnida): Thank you in polite speech. It is used in more polite settings when expressing gratitude.

괜찮아 (Gwenchana): If you are a true K-Drama fan you know this term by heart. It is one of the most memed moments from the K-Drama ‘Welcome to Waikiki’. It can be used to ask someone whether they are fine and also a reply to that question.EXAMPLE: Gwenchana? Nae, Gwenchanayo. Are you alright? yes, I am fine.

가자 (Gaja): Let’s go, It is time to go, Let’s leave.

지금 (Jigeum): Now. Now I’m in a meeting. Now I cannot meet you etc, are the type of sentences we hear Jigeum a lot.

왜(Wae): Why? we are used to this word as it is extremely regular when the stars go into an argument or a verbal reaction to an unpleasant situation.

잘지내요(Jal Jinaeyo): I’m fine, I am doing well or I am healthy and well.

어디(Eodi): Where. We hear it when someone asks about the location or where someone has been or where they are going.

네(Nae): Yes. These days rather than saying yes I use Nae as a reply.

아니(Ani): No. Simply means no. Aniyo is a polite form of speech.

I hope you enjoyed learning some of these words. We shall discuss the ‘Romantic Vocabuluary’ in the next vocabulary related blog. Where we will learn about the confession of love, turning someone down, accepting their love, break-up and more. Until then keep learning Korean and keep watching K-Dramas. 화이팅! I’m rooting for all of us, learners.

Annyeong