🎥 "Our Unwritten Seoul": Short
Introduction
🎥 "Our
Unwritten Seoul": the Short Video
🎯 Key Takeaways
🎥 Grammatical Analysis of the Dialogue
📎 Appendix. Drama Overview & the
Characters
🎥 "Our
Unwritten Seoul": Short Introduction
What makes
this scene valuable for Korean learners is that it condenses a wide range
of conversational Korean into a single frantic episode. You’ll hear
expressions of urgency, casual commands, overlapping speech patterns, and
emotional responses—all under high pressure.
A Practical Learning Guide
- You can
observe the switch between calm and panicked modes of speech in real
time. Korean speakers often raise their pitch or shorten sentence endings when
under pressure—something you can only learn by watching and mimicking natural
dialogue.
- Korean
dramas frequently portray unexpected intimacy or tension between
characters of different genders. In this case, Ho-su’s actions (like calling a
taxi for her or offering to bring her bag later) hint at a deeper relationship,
while still using casual banter. This reflects a nuanced Korean social
code where acts of service often replace verbal confessions.
- The line “어, 나 핸드폰이랑 지갑이 없는데” shows how Koreans
omit the subject particle when it’s obvious, and pile up objects
naturally. Learners can study this rhythm to avoid overly mechanical
translations in their speech.
- The scene
also provides an excellent example of gesture-based dialogue: Ho-su
doesn’t reply with words but simply points. Korean culture places a high value on non-verbal
communication in daily interactions—something this scene subtly
highlights.
- Lastly, the
phrase “미친!”—used here not as an insult, but as an
exclamation—is a perfect example of how swear words or strong adjectives can
soften into expressive, humorous reactions in Korean speech, depending on tone
and context.
🎥 "Our Unwritten Seoul": the Short Video
Miji, who spent the night with Hosu, can’t quite remember if
they made a mistake. She suggests that if something did happen, they should
clear it up between themselves. But Hosu throws her off with a single line:
“Aren’t you going to work?” While Miji suddenly scrambles in a panic, Hosu
remains composed—almost playfully so—and has already called a taxi for her. The
contrast between Miji’s flustered urgency and Hosu’s calm, supportive demeanor
adds a fun twist to the scene.
Dialogue
유미지: “잠깐 수치스럽더라도 무슨 일 있었는지는 서로 알아야 그래야 해명이
필요한 부분은 또 서로 해명을 하고.”
Yumi-ji:
"Even if it’s a little shameful for a moment, we need to know what
happened—only then can we explain the parts that need explaining."
이호수: “유미래!”
Lee Ho-su:
"Yumi-rae!"
유미지: “어!”
Yumi-ji:
"Oh!"
이호수: “근데, 너 출근 안
해?”
Lee Ho-su:
"But hey, aren’t you going to work?"
유미지: “어, 내 핸드폰, 야, 지금 몇 시야? 어, 야, 시계 없냐?”
Yumi-ji:
"Uh, my phone—hey, what time is it? Hey, don’t you have a watch?"
(Ho-su points
to one side.)
유미지: “어! 미친!”
Yumi-ji:
"Oh! Damn!"
유미지: “어, 나 핸드폰이랑
지갑이 없는데. 어딨지?”
Yumi-ji:
"Uh, I don’t have my phone or wallet. Where are they?"
📢 For more detailed information on the frequent omission of
subjects, objects, predicates, and particles in Korean, please refer to the
blog post below.
🔖 Beyond
Grammar: The Art of Omission in Korean
https://www.koreacompass.com/2025/01/beyond-grammar-art-of-omission-in-korean.html
이호수: “여기 있어, 여기 있어.”
Lee Ho-su:
"Here they are, here."
유미지: “어, 그래. 어, 어, 고마워!”
Yumi-ji:
"Oh, okay. Uh, thanks!"
유미지: “아! 나, 가방, 가방!”
Yumi-ji:
"Ah! My bag—my bag!"
이호수: “나중에 갖다 줄 테니까 두고 가.”
Lee Ho-su:
"I'll bring it to you later, so just leave it."
유미지: “응?”
Yumi-ji:
"Huh?"
이호수: “지각한 티 내지 말고.”
Lee Ho-su:
"Don’t make it obvious you’re late."
유미지: “그래? 아 아, 알았어.”
Yumi-ji:
"Really? Oh, okay, got it."
이호수: “밑에 택시 불렀으니까 타고 가!”
Lee Ho-su:
"I called a taxi downstairs—go take it!"
유미지: “어? 어, 나, 가, 갈께.”
Yumi-ji:
"Oh? Okay, I-I’ll go."
🎯 Key
Takeaways
📢 Explanations
of basic dictionary definitions have been omitted.
1. "수치스럽다"
- "수치스럽다" means "to be shameful" or "to feel
ashamed." It expresses a sense of embarrassment or disgrace.
- This is an
adjective describing an emotional state.
📌 Example
Usage
"그 일은 정말 수치스러웠다."
"That
incident was truly shameful."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"창피하다" – "to be embarrassed"
📌 Example
Usage
"그 말에 모두가 창피해 했다."
"Everyone
felt embarrassed by that comment."
2. "~더라도"
- "~더라도" is a concessive connective ending meaning "even if"
or "though."
- It links
two clauses, where the first expresses a condition that is acknowledged but
does not affect the outcome in the second clause.
📌 Example
Usage
"늦게 오더라도 기다릴게요."
"Even if
you come late, I’ll wait."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"비록 ~지만" – "Although ~,
still"
📌 Example
Usage
"비록 어려웠지만 포기하지
않았다."
"Although
it was hard, I didn’t give up."
3. "무슨 일이 있었는지"
- "무슨 일이 있었는지" means "what happened."
- "무슨": "what kind of" + noun modifier
- "일이": "일 (event, matter)" +
subject particle "-이"
- "있었는지": "있다 (to be/exist)" in past
tense + ending "-는지" (indirect question or
uncertainty)
➡️ “있다” → “있었다” → “있었는지”
📌 Example
Usage
"무슨 일이 있었는지 말해줘."
"Tell me
what happened."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"어떤 사건이 있었는지" – "what event took place"
📌 Example
Usage
"어떤 사건이 있었는지 알고
싶어요."
"I want
to know what event took place."
4. "서로 알아야"
- "서로 알아야" means "we should know each other" or "each of
us must know."
- "서로": each other
- "알아야": "알다 (to know)" +
connective ending "-아야" (must/should)
📌 Example
Usage
"문제를 해결하려면 서로 알아야
해요."
"To
solve the problem, we have to understand each other."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"이해해야 한다" – "must understand"
📌 Example
Usage
"서로를 이해해야 관계가 좋아진다."
"A
relationship improves when people understand each other."
5. "해명이 필요하다 / 해명하다"
- "해명이 필요하다" means "an explanation is needed."
- "해명이": “해명 (explanation or clarification)”
+ subject particle “-이”
- "필요하다": to be necessary
- "해명하다": verb form meaning "to explain"
📌 Example
Usage
"이 상황에는 해명이 필요하다."
"An
explanation is necessary in this situation."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"설명하다" – "to explain"
📌 Example
Usage
"그는 상황을 자세히 설명했다."
"He
explained the situation in detail."
6. "출근하다"
- "출근하다" means "to go to work" or "to report to
work."
- "출근": commute + verb-forming suffix "-하다"
📌 Example
Usage
"매일 아침 9시에 출근해요."
"I go to
work at 9 a.m. every morning."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"직장에 나가다" – "to go to the office"
📌 Example
Usage
"그는 오늘도 일찍 직장에
나갔다."
"He left
early for the office again today."
7. "지금 몇 시야"
- "지금 몇 시야" means "What time is it now?"
- "지금": now
- "몇 시야": "몇 (what)" + "시 (hour)" + casual sentence ending "-야"
📌 Example
Usage
"지금 몇 시야? 나 늦을 것 같아."
"What
time is it now? I think I’ll be late."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"현재 시간이 어떻게 돼?" – "What’s the current time?"
📌 Example
Usage
"현재 시간이 어떻게 되는지
아세요?"
"Do you
know what time it is now?"
8. "미친"
- "미친" means "crazy" or "insane," often used
colloquially for surprise or shock.
- "미치다 (to go crazy)" + attributive ending "-ㄴ"
📌 Example
Usage
"어? 진짜? 와, 미친!"
"What?
Seriously? Wow, crazy!"
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"정신 나간" – "out of one’s mind"
📌 Example
Usage
"그건 정말 정신 나간 행동이었어."
"That
was really a crazy thing to do."
9. "어딨지 / 여기 있어"
✂️ "어딨지": contraction of "어디에 있지?"
meaning "Where is it?"
- "여기 있어": "It’s here."
- "어디": where
- "있지": "있다 (to be)" + sentence
ending "-지" (seeking agreement or reflecting
thought)
- "여기": here + "있어": present
informal of "있다"
📌 Example
Usage
"내 지갑 어딨지?" "여기 있어."
"Where’s
my wallet?" "It’s here."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"어디에 있나요?" / "여기입니다." –
"Where is it?" / "It’s here." (formal)
📌 Example
Usage
"화장실이 어디에 있나요?" "여기입니다."
"Where
is the restroom?" "It’s here."
10. "고마워"
- "고마워" means "Thank you" in informal speech.
- From "고맙다" (to be thankful)
🐾 Polite
& formal status of “고맙다” and “감사하다”
➡️ “고맙다” = “고마워” → “고마워요” →
“고맙습니다”
➡️ “감사하다” = “감사해” → “감사해요” →
“감사합니다”
📌 Example
Usage
"선물 줘서 고마워!"
"Thanks
for the gift!"
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"감사해요" – "Thank you" (polite)
📌 Example
Usage
"도와주셔서 정말 감사해요."
"Thank
you so much for your help."
11. "지각한 티 내다 / 티를 내다"
- "지각한 티 내다" means "to show signs of being late" or "to
make it obvious that one is late."
- "지각한": "지각하다 (to be late)" +
attributive ending "-ㄴ"
- "티 내다": "티 (sign, hint)" + object
particle “-를” (implied) + "내다 (to show, express)"
📌 Example
Usage
"지각한 티 내지 말고 조용히
들어가."
"Don’t
make it obvious you were late. Go in quietly."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"드러내다" – "to reveal"
📌 Example
Usage
"불만을 겉으로 드러냈다."
"He
showed his dissatisfaction outwardly."
12. "택시를 부르다"
- "택시를 부르다" means "to call a taxi."
- "택시를": "택시 (taxi)" + object
marker "-를"
- "부르다": to call
🐾 Before the rise of social networking services (SNS), most people
called taxis by phone. As platforms like KakaoTalk became widespread, people
nowadays use an app called Kakao Taxi to book a ride.
📌 Example
Usage
"비 와서 택시를 불렀어."
"It was
raining, so I called a taxi."
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"콜택시를 이용하다" – "to use a call taxi"
📌 Example
Usage
"콜택시를 이용해 공항에 갔어요."
"I took
a call taxi to the airport."
13. "갈게 / 간다 / 가다"
- These are
variations of the verb "가다," meaning "to
go."
- "가다": dictionary/base form
- "간다": plain declarative present/future tense
- "갈게": "가다" + future intention
ending "-ㄹ게" (used for promises or voluntary
action)
🐾 “갈게” and “간다” carry the
same meaning and are used right before leaving, typically addressed to friends
or colleagues who are staying behind. Both the subject and object are omitted,
and only the verb (predicate) is used. Koreans are a people who even experience
the “빨리빨리, ppalli-ppalli (hurry-hurry)” culture through
their language expression.
📌 Example
Usage
"나 먼저 갈게!"
"I’ll go
first!"
🌀🎨 Similar
& Additional Expressions
"출발하다" – "to depart"
📌 Example
Usage
"우리는 아침 일찍 출발했다."
"We left
early in the morning."
14. 복합동사 (Compound Verb)
- "갖다 주다" means "to bring (something) and give" or "to
deliver."
• "갖다": "가지다 (to have)" +
directional verb form (to bring)
• "주다": to give
- "두고 가다" means "to leave something behind" or "to go
leaving it."
• "두다": to leave, place
• "가다": to go
- "타고 가다" means "to go by riding (transportation)."
• "타다": to ride
• "가다": to go
🎥 Grammatical
Analysis of the Dialogue
📢 The parts
that are difficult for foreign learners to grasp are consistently addressed,
even if they are repeated multiple times. Please keep that in mind.
유미지: “잠깐 수치스럽더라도 무슨 일 있었는지는 서로 알아야 그래야 해명이
필요한 부분은 또 서로 해명을 하고.”
🔍 분석 (Analysis)
- "잠깐": "for a moment" – a temporal adverb.
- "수치스럽더라도": "수치스럽다 (to be shameful)" +
concessive connective ending "-더라도 (even
if)".
- "무슨 일 있었는지는": "무슨 일 (what happened)" +
"있었다 (there was)" + topic marker "-는지 (whether/what happened)" + subject marker "-는".
- "서로 알아야": "서로 (each other)" + "알다 (to know)" + obligation ending "-아야 (must)".
- "그래야": "so that" – connective adverbial form of "그렇다 (to be so)".
- "해명이 필요한 부분은": "해명 (clarification,
explanation)" + subject particle “-이” + "필요하다 (to be needed)" + adnominal "-은"
+ "부분 (part)" + topic marker "-은".
- "또 서로 해명을 하고": "또 (again)" + "서로 (each other)" + "해명
(clarification)" + object particle "-을"
+ "하다 (to do)" + connector "-고".
📌 Example
Usage
"잠깐 창피하더라도, 무슨 일 있었는지는 알아야 해."
"Even if
it’s embarrassing for a moment, we need to know what happened."
☀️ Meaning
"Even if
it's briefly embarrassing, we need to know what happened between us, so we can
clarify any parts that require explanation."
이호수: “근데, 너 출근 안
해?”
🔍 분석 (Analysis)
✂️ "근데": Shortened form of "그런데 (but, by
the way)".
- "너": Informal 2nd person pronoun "you".
- "출근 안 해": "출근하다 (to go to work)" in
negative present tense "안 해".
➡️ “출근하다” → “출근해” (imperative/suggestion/interrogative)
→ negative “출근 안 해”
📌 Example
Usage
"근데, 너 숙제 안 했어?"
"But
didn’t you do your homework?"
☀️ Meaning
"But,
aren’t you going to work?"
유미지: “어, 내 핸드폰, 야, 지금 몇 시야? 어, 야, 시계 없냐?”
🔍 분석 (Analysis)
- "어": Exclamation of realization or panic.
- "내 핸드폰": "내 (my)" + "핸드폰 (cell phone)".
- "야": Casual vocative particle, like “Hey”.
- "지금 몇 시야": "지금 (now)" + "몇
시 (what time)" + informal final ending "-야".
- "시계 없냐": "시계 (watch, clock)" +
negative question form "-없냐 (don’t you
have?)"
🐾 Omission in Korean:
Cutting Off Both the Beginning and the End
• “내 핸드폰” → “너, 내 핸드폰 어디 있는 지 알아?” → (Omission of Subject and Predicate)
• “너는 시계 없어? → “시계 없냐” (Omission of Subject)
• “내 가방 어디 있어?” → “가방” (Omission of Predicate)
• “갈게” → “나 먼저 갈게” (Omission of Subject)
📢 For more
insights, check out this blog post:
🔖 BeyondGrammar: The Art of Omission in Korean
📌 Example
Usage
"야, 지금 몇 시야? 시계 없어?"
"Hey,
what time is it now? Don’t you have a watch?"
☀️ Meaning
"Oh, my
phone! Hey, what time is it? Don’t you have a watch?"
유미지: “어, 나 핸드폰이랑
지갑이 없는데. 어딨지?”
🔍 분석 (Analysis)
- "나": Informal "I".
- "핸드폰이랑 지갑이": "핸드폰 (cell phone)" +
"이랑 (and)" + "지갑
(wallet)" + subject marker "-이".
- "없는데": "없다 (to not have)" +
"-는데 (background explanation or contrast)".
✂️ "어딨지": Contraction of "어디에 + 있지 (where is it?)"
📌 Example
Usage
"나 지갑이랑 카드 없는데, 어디 있지?"
"I don’t have my wallet or card. Where could it be?"
☀️ Meaning
"Oh, I
don’t have my phone and wallet. Where are they?"
이호수: “여기 있어, 여기 있어.”
🔍 분석 (Analysis)
- "여기": "here".
- "있어": "있다 (to be, exist)" in
casual present tense.
📌 Example
Usage
"여기 있어. 네 가방."
"It’s
here. Your bag."
☀️ Meaning
"Here
they are, right here."
이호수: “지각한 티 내지 말고.”
🔍 분석 (Analysis)
- "지각한": "지각하다 (to be late)" +
adnominal "-ㄴ".
- "티": "티 (sign, hint)".
- "내지 말고": "내다 (to show, give off)" +
negative imperative "-지 말고 (don’t do and
instead...)".
📌 Example
Usage
"늦은 티 내지 말고 조용히
들어가."
"Don’t
act like you’re late, just slip in quietly."
☀️ Meaning
"Don’t
make it obvious that you’re late."
이호수: “밑에 택시 불렀으니까 타고 가!”
🔍 분석 (Analysis)
- "밑에": "밑 (bottom, below)" +
locative particle "-에".
- "택시 불렀으니까": "택시 (taxi)" + "부르다 (to call)" + past tense "-렀-"
+ reason connective "-으니까 (since, because).
➡️ “부르다” → “불렀다” → “불렀으니까”
- "타고 가": "타다 (to ride)" +
connective "-고" + "가다 (to go)" → “가” (imperative/suggestion)
📌 Example
Usage
"택시 불렀으니까 그냥 타고
가."
"I
called a taxi, so just take it and go."
☀️ Meaning
"I
called a taxi downstairs, so get on and go!"
📎 Appendix.
Drama Overview & the Characters
📢 Please refer to other posts in the K-Drama Bites category on
the blog for introductions to cast members and 'Our Unwritten Seoul'.
🔖 Twin Identity, Korean Phrases: Language Lessons from “Our Unwritten Seoul” Short Clips
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