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Downplaying praise or flattery: ~기는(요)
Vocabulary
Nouns:
즙 = juice made from squeezing
Common Usages:
즙을 짜다 = to squeeze juice
즙을 짜다 = to milk for all it’s worth (idiom)
과즙 = fruit juice
Examples:
이 사과즙 정말 신선해요!
= This apple juice is really fresh!
레몬즙을 짜서 드레싱을 만들었어요
= I made a dressing by squeezing lemon juice
깨 = sesame
Common Usages:
깻잎 = sesame leaf
깨를 볶다 = to be lovey-dovey, to be overly affectionate (idiom)
Examples:
이 음식에는 깨를 넣으면 더 맛있어요
= Adding sesame seeds makes this dish tastier
이 김밥에 깨가 정말 많이 들어 있네요!
= There’s so much sesame in this kimbap!
줌 = fistful
Common Usages:
한 줌 = one fistful
머리가 한 줌 크기이다 = size size of one fist
Examples:
엄마는 견과류를 한 줌 넣었어요
= Mom added a fistful of nuts
이 김밥에 깨가 정말 많이 들어 있네요!
많이 넣기는요. 그냥 손으로 한 줌 뿌린 거예요.
= There’s so much sesame in this kimbap!
= A lot? Not really. I just grabbed a handful and sprinkled it on.
콧등 = bridge of a nose
Examples:
콧등에 땀이 맺혔어요
= Sweat formed on the bridge of his nose
콧등이 진짜 높고 예뻐요!
= The bridge of your nose is really high and pretty!
만점 = perfect score
Examples:
저는 수학 시험에서 만점을 받았어요
= I got a perfect score on the math test
너 시험 만점 받았다며? 대박!
만점이기는요. 찍은 문제도 많았어요.
= I heard you got a perfect score on the test? Amazing!
= Perfect? Not really. I guessed a lot of questions.
책장 = bookshelf
Examples:
책장은 책으로 가득 차 있었어요
= The bookshelf was full of books
저는 책을 거실에 있는 책장에 다 가지런히 놓았어요
= I put all of the books down neatly on the book shelf in the living room
우리가 가지고 있는 책을 장르별로 정리해서 책장에 비치했어요
= I put all the books we had on the bookshelf by their genres
배영 = backstroke
Examples:
선수는 수영장에서 배영을 연습했어요
= The athlete (swimmer) practiced backstroke in the pool
너 배영 엄청 잘한다!
잘하기는요. 그냥 물에 뜨는 거예요.
= You’re really good at backstroke!
= Good? Not really. I’m just floating in the water.
접영 = butterfly stroke
Examples:
너 접영할 때 완전 프로 같아!
= You look like a total pro when you do the butterfly stroke!
접영은 체력이 많이 필요한 수영법이에요
= The butterfly stroke requires a lot of stamina
착지 = landing
Examples:
비행기가 안전하게 착지했어요
= The airplane safely landed
그 선수는 멋진 착지를 선보이며 좋은 점수를 받았어요
= The athlete performed a great landing and earned good points
들러리 = bridesmaid/of honor/sidekick
Common Usages:
들러리를 서다 = to stand in as a supporting role (often at a wedding)
Examples:
친구는 결혼식에서 들러리 역할을 맡았어요
= The friend played the role of bridesmaid at the wedding
평행봉 = parallel bars
Examples:
너 평행봉 연습하는 것을 봤어! 진짜 멋지네!
= I saw you practicing on the parallel bars! You looked awesome!
체조 선수는 평행봉에서 놀라운 기술을 보여줬어요
= The gymnast showed amazing skills on the parallel bars
운동부 = athletic club
Examples:
저는 고등학교 시절 운동부에 소속되어 있었어요
= I was part of the athletic club in high school
너 운동부 활동 열심히 한다면서? 완전 선수 같아!
= I heard you’re super dedicated to the sports club! You look like a real athlete!
속눈썹 = eyelashes
Common Usages:
속눈썹 파마 = eyelash perm
Examples:
너 속눈썹 진짜 짙다! 부럽다!
= Your eyelashes are so thick! I’m jealous!
속눈썹이 길면 눈이 더 또렷해 보여요
= Long eyelashes make the eyes look more distinct
구독자 = subscriber
Notes: This is the word that YouTube uses to indicate the number of subscribers a creator has.
Examples:
그 유튜버는 구독자가 백만 명이 넘어요
= That YouTuber has over a million subscribers
Verbs:
건지다 = to fish out of
Common Usages:
간신히 건지다 = to barely save
Examples:
저는 강에 빠진 공을 건져냈어요
= I fished the ball out of the river
네가 찍은 여행 사진 진짜 많다!
많기는요. 그중에 건질 만한 게 별로 없어요.
= You’ve taken so many travel photos!
= Many? Not really. There aren’t that many good ones among them.
구독하다 = to subscribe
Common Usages:
구독 버튼 = subscribe button
Examples:
저는 매주 새로운 콘텐츠를 구독하고 있어요
= I subscribe to new content every week
너 유튜브에서 진짜 인기 많대! 사람들이 많이 구독했더라!
= I heard you’re really popular on YouTube! Lots of people subscribed!
Adjectives:
짙다 = to be thick
Examples
안개가 짙어서 앞이 잘 보이지 않았어요
= The fog was thick, so I couldn’t see well ahead:
그 사람의 눈썹이 짙어요
= That person’s eyebrows are thick
너 속눈썹 진짜 짙다! 부럽다!
= Your eyelashes are so thick! I’m jealous!
숨차다 = to be out of breath
Examples:
계단을 올라가자 숨차기 시작했어요
= I started to feel out of breath climbing the stairs
수많다 = for there to be numerous amounts of
Examples:
너 접영할 때 완전 프로 같아!
프로이기는요. 몇 번이나 숨차서 멈췄어요.
= You look like a total pro when you do the butterfly stroke!
= A pro? Not really. I had to stop several times because I was out of breath.
그 놀이기구를 타기 위해 수많은 사람들이 줄을 서고 있었어요
= There are so many people who are standing in line to ride that roller coaster
영리하다 = to be smart/clever
Examples:
그 소녀는 나이에 비해 매우 영리해요
= That girl is very clever for her age
너 정말 영리한 것 같아! 문제 푸는 속도가 엄청 빨라!
영리하기는요. 그냥 운이 좋았어요.
= You seem really smart! You solve problems so fast!
= Smart? Not really. I just got lucky.
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Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn a way to make your responses to praise or flattery more humble sounding. Let’s get started!
Downplaying praise or flattery: ~기는(요)
When receiving praise or a flattering compliment, you often want to downplay the situation to sound humble. For example, if somebody were to compliment your amazing Korean ability, you might respond with “thank you, but I still have a lot to learn.” Responding by saying “yes, I know, my Korean is very good” would sound arrogant.
By attaching ~기는(요) to a verb or adjective that somebody used to compliment you, you can make yourself sound humble by downplaying that compliment. For example:
Conversation Audio
Person 1: 콧등이 진짜 높고 예뻐요!
Person 2: 높기는요. 그냥 조명 때문에 그렇게 보이는 거예요.
Here, you can see Person 1 thinks that the nose of Person two is high and pretty. It is difficult to translate the “높기는요” to English, as it’s really a feeling of trying to be humble. For this lesson, I’ll translate it as if the responder (Person 2) is asking a question back to Person 1, almost as if they were in disbelief. For example?
Person 1: The bridge of your nose is really high and pretty!
Person 2: High? It’s just the lighting that makes it look that way.
Below are many more examples:
Conversation Audio
이 사과즙 정말 신선해요!
신선하기는요. 그냥 마트에서 산 거예요.
= This apple juice is really fresh!
= Fresh? Not really. I just bought it at the store.
Conversation Audio
이 김밥에 깨가 정말 많이 들어 있네요!
많이 넣기는요. 그냥 손으로 한 줌 뿌린 거예요.
= There’s so much sesame in this gimbap!
= A lot? Not really. I just grabbed a handful and sprinkled it on.
Converasation Audio
너 시험 만점 받았다며? 대박!
만점이기는요. 찍은 문제도 많았어요.
= I heard you got a perfect score on the test? Amazing!
= Perfect? Not really. I guessed a lot of questions.
Converasation Audio
와, 네 책장 진짜 멋있다! 책도 엄청 많네.
멋있기는요. 그냥 오래된 책이에요.
= Wow, your bookshelf is really cool! You have so many books.
= Cool? Not really. They’re just old books.
Converasation Audio
너 배영 엄청 잘한다!
잘하기는요. 그냥 물에 뜨는 거예요.
= You’re really good at backstroke!
= Good? Not really. I’m just floating in the water.
Converasation Audio
너 접영할 때 완전 프로 같아!
프로이기는요. 몇 번이나 숨차서 멈췄어요.
= You look like a total pro when you do the butterfly stroke!
= A pro? Not really. I had to stop several times because I was out of breath.
Converasation Audio
이번 결혼식에서 들러리 했다며? 드레스 예뻤어?
예쁘기는요. 그냥 친구 부탁이라 어쩔 수 없이 한 거예요.
= I heard you were a bridesmaid at the wedding? Was the dress pretty?
= Pretty? Not really. I just did it because my friend asked me to.
Converasation Audio
너 평행봉 연습하는 것을 봤어! 진짜 멋지네!
멋지기는요. 아직 착지도 제대로 못 해요.
= I saw you practicing on the parallel bars! You looked awesome!
= Awesome? Not really. I still can’t even land properly.
Converasation Audio
너 운동부 활동 열심히 한다면서? 완전 선수 같아!
선수이기는요. 그냥 친구 따라서 하는 거예요.
= I heard you’re super dedicated to the sports club! You look like a real athlete!
= An athlete? Not really. I just go along with my friend.
Converasation Audio
너 유튜브에서 진짜 인기 많대! 사람들이 많이 구독했더라!
많기는요. 대부분 가족이나 친구들이에요.
= I heard you’re really popular on YouTube! Lots of people subscribed!
= Popular? Not really. Most of them are just family and friends.
Converasation Audio
너 속눈썹 진짜 짙다! 부럽다!
짙기는요. 화장을 해서 그래요.
= Your eyelashes are so thick! I’m jealous!
= Thick? Not really. It’s just makeup.
Converasation Audio
네가 찍은 여행 사진 진짜 많다!
많기는요. 그중에 건질 만한 게 별로 없어요.
= You’ve taken so many travel photos!
= Many? Not really. There aren’t that many good ones among them.
Converasation Audio
너 정말 영리한 것 같아! 문제 푸는 속도가 엄청 빨라!
영리하기는요. 그냥 운이 좋았어요.
= You seem really smart! You solve problems so fast!
= Smart? Not really. I just got lucky.
That’s it for this lesson!