Archive #26

다녀왔습니다, 사생, 막걸리 — Korean words explained (#26)

October 30, 2026 · Today covered greetings at home and with new people, a kind of fan behavior that is not okay and Korea's milky rice wine. You also learned how a final ㅊ is written in Roman letters.

Want to try it first? The answers are below.Play #26

1Drama talk

You come home after school. What do you say as you walk in?

다녀오세요
잘 먹겠습니다
다녀왔습니다
안녕히 계세요

Answer: 다녀왔습니다

다녀왔습니다 (danyeowatseumnida) means "I'm home." Literally, it is "I went and came back." Korean families use set phrases for leaving and coming home. When a child leaves, they say 다녀오겠습니다 (danyeoogetseumnida), "I will go and come back." Parents answer 잘 다녀와 (jal danyeowa), "Go and come back safely." When the child returns, they say 다녀왔습니다. Example: 엄마, 다녀왔어요! (eomma, danyeowasseoyo!) — "Mom, I'm home!" 다녀오세요 (danyeooseyo) is a tempting option. But you say it to an older family member who is leaving, not when you arrive.

Formal (합쇼체) · Say it to: Parents and older family when you get home

2K-pop

Fans criticize '사생' behavior. What is it?

사생 (sasaeng)

Voting a lot
Invading idols' private lives
Buying too many albums
Going to every concert

Answer: Invading idols' private lives

사생 (sasaeng) comes from 사생활 (sasaenghwal), which means private life. A 사생 fan follows an idol into their private life. This includes going to their home, tracking their travel or getting on their flights. It is not normal fan love. It is unsafe and takes away privacy. Most fans speak strongly against it. Example: 사생 행동은 하지 마세요 (sasaeng haengdongeun haji maseyo) — "Please don't do sasaeng behavior." Buying many albums or going to every concert is not 사생. That is just a very active fan.

blunt · Say it to: Anyone — but it's a negative label

3Food

What is 막걸리?

막걸리 [막껄리] (makgeolli)

Clear distilled liquor
Plum juice
Milky rice wine
Barley tea

Answer: Milky rice wine

막걸리 (makgeolli) is a milky rice wine. It is white and cloudy, a little sweet and lightly sparkling. It is usually weaker than 소주 (soju), often around 6 percent alcohol. The rice settles at the bottom, so people turn the bottle gently before opening it. Many Koreans drink it on rainy days with 파전 (pajeon), a green onion pancake. One popular reason: rain sounds like a pancake frying in oil. Example: 비 오니까 막걸리 마시자 (bi onikka makgeolli masija) — "It's raining, so let's drink makgeolli." "Clear distilled liquor" describes 소주, not 막걸리.

Say it to: Anyone — it's a plain noun; your verb sets the politeness

4Grammar

You meet your friend's parents for the first time. What do you say?

잘 자요
안녕히 계세요
처음 뵙겠습니다
오랜만이에요

Answer: 처음 뵙겠습니다

처음 뵙겠습니다 (cheoeum boepgetseumnida) means "Nice to meet you" in a very polite way. 처음 means first, and 뵙다 (boepda) is a humble form of 보다 (boda), "to see." A humble form lowers yourself to show respect to the other person. So literally it is "I will humbly see you for the first time." Use it with elders, like a friend's parents, or at work. Bow a little when you say it. Example: 처음 뵙겠습니다. 저는 민수입니다 (cheoeum boepgetseumnida. jeoneun minsuimnida) — "Nice to meet you. I'm Minsu." 오랜만이에요 (oraenmanieyo, "Long time no see") is only for people you already know.

Formal (합쇼체) · Say it to: A friend's parents, elders, business contacts

Also read: How to bow in Korea — 인사 (insa), 큰절 (keunjeol) and 안녕히 가세요

5Hangul

Using the official Revised Romanization, how is this written?

꽃 [꼳]

kot
kkoch
ggot
kkot

Answer: kkot

꽃 (kkot) means "flower." ㄲ is a double consonant, written kk. ㅗ is o. At the end of a syllable, ㅊ is not said fully. It sounds like a short t. Revised Romanization follows the sound, so 꽃 is kkot. But when a vowel comes next, the ㅊ sound comes back: 꽃이 sounds like 꼬치, kkochi. Example: 꽃이 예뻐요 (kkochi yeppeoyo) — "The flowers are pretty." "kkoch" follows the spelling, not the sound, so it is wrong here. "ggot" uses g, but Revised Romanization writes ㄲ as kk.