IU · Korean · 32 words

Modern Times, Part 1

Modern Times (2013), IU's third studio album, trades teen pop for jazz, swing and bossa nova, and her subjects grow up with it. The first half covers a relationship long past its expiry date, the secrets everyone keeps, and a lonely walk home on a cold night, so the Korean is adult and conversational. Good vocabulary for talking about people's moods and motives.

Vocabulary

Word	Meaning	Example
답장	a reply to a message or letter	문자를 보냈는데 답장이 없어요.I sent a text but there's been no reply.
눈치	a sense of what others are thinking, social tact	그 사람은 눈치가 정말 빠른 편이에요.That person tends to be really quick at reading the room.
지루하다	to be boring, to drag on	회의가 너무 지루해서 졸았어요.The meeting was so boring I dozed off.
비겁하다	to be cowardly, to take the gutless way out	말도 없이 도망가는 건 비겁해요.Running off without a word is cowardly.
식히다	to cool something down, to let something cool	국을 조금 식혀서 드세요.Let the soup cool a little before you eat it.
비밀	a secret	이건 둘만의 비밀로 해요.Let's keep this a secret between the two of us.
사소하다	to be trivial, to be a small matter	사소한 일로 다투지 않았으면 해요.I'd rather we didn't argue over trivial things.
끔찍하다	to be awful, to be horrifying	생각만 해도 끔찍한 사고였어요.It was an accident that's awful even to think about.
진실	the truth	언젠가는 진실이 밝혀질 거예요.The truth will come out one day.
영원하다	to be eternal, to last forever	영원한 건 별로 없는 것 같아요.I don't think many things last forever.
표정	a facial expression, the look on someone's face	그때 언니 표정이 정말 밝았어요.The look on her face then was really bright.
다가가다	to approach, to go up to someone	먼저 다가가서 말을 걸어 봤어요.I went up to them first and struck up a conversation.
유혹하다	to tempt, to entice	달콤한 냄새가 저를 유혹했어요.The sweet smell tempted me.
조급하다	to be impatient, to rush things	너무 조급해하지 말고 기다려요.Don't get so impatient — just wait.
흔하다	to be common, to be nothing special	요즘은 흔한 이름이 아니에요.It's not a common name these days.
부탁	a favour, a request	작은 부탁 하나만 드려도 될까요?Could I ask you one small favour?
헤매다	to wander around lost	지도가 없어서 한참 헤맸어요.I didn't have a map, so I wandered around lost for ages.
운명	fate, destiny	이게 운명인가 싶었어요.I wondered whether this was fate.
고르다	to choose, to pick out	마음에 드는 걸로 하나 고르세요.Pick out whichever one you like.
비추다	to shine on, to light something up	손전등으로 발밑을 비춰 주세요.Please shine the torch down at my feet.
유쾌하다	to be cheerful, to be good-humoured	그분은 언제나 유쾌한 사람이에요.She's always a cheerful person.
서두르다	to hurry, to rush	늦었으니까 조금 서둘러 주세요.We're late, so please hurry a little.
지나치다	to pass by, to go past without stopping	가게를 못 보고 그냥 지나쳤어요.I missed the shop and walked straight past it.
인사하다	to greet someone, to say hello	이웃을 만나면 먼저 인사해요.I say hello first when I run into a neighbour.
다물다	to shut one's mouth, to keep quiet	그냥 입을 다물고 있었어요.I just kept my mouth shut.
건네다	to hand something over; to speak to someone, to say a word to someone	옆자리 사람에게 말을 건넸어요.I started talking to the person sitting next to me.
쓸쓸하다	to be lonesome, to feel desolate	가을 저녁은 좀 쓸쓸해요.Autumn evenings feel a little lonesome.
외톨이	a loner, someone left on their own	전학 첫날엔 외톨이가 된 기분이었어요.On my first day at the new school I felt like a loner.
웅크리다	to huddle up, to curl oneself up	추워서 이불 속에 웅크리고 있었어요.It was cold so I stayed huddled up under the blanket.
시리다	to sting with cold, to feel numbingly cold	장갑을 안 껴서 손이 시려요.My hands are stinging because I didn't wear gloves.
감추다	to hide something away, to conceal	선물을 서랍에 감춰 두었어요.I hid the present away in a drawer.
파고들다	to burrow into, to work its way in	찬 바람이 옷 속으로 파고들어요.The cold wind works its way in under my clothes.