[K-drama] Secret Garden – 명대사 스터디 Best lines from Joo Won Kim(김주원)

Wow. Long time no post. Well, I’m back to post more on Secret Garden (my favorite K-drama of all time<33) and this time about their dialogue and best lines! Today I’m going to post about some of the best lines from Joo Won Kim. Hope you enjoy this post and learn a bit of Korean from this.

1. 최선이야? 확실해? (Chwesuneeya? Hwakshilhae?)
Is this the best you can do? Are you certain?

You may have heard Joo Won say this A LOT… well, maybe not that much but he’s known to say this frequently — especially before he signs something. He said this once to Gil La Im. This phrase is known as a trademark of Kim Joo Won and people these days say it for fun.

* 최선 (chwesun)
means the best, one’s best

ex) 최선을 다 하자 chwesuneul da haja
Let’s try (our/my) best (OR Let’s give it (our/my) best shot)
The sentence doesn’t have a subject here, so depending on the situation you could be talking to yourself or you could be talking to a group etc.

ex2) 최선이야 chwesuneeya
It’s the best (we) can do. (OR It’s the best option.)
The sentence here also doesn’t have a subject. It’s same as the above.

* 확실 (hwakshil)
means 1. certainty, authenticity, 2. reliable, trustworthy
확실하다 (hwakshilhada)
means to be certain, sure, positive, definite

ex) 아직 확실하지 않지만 회의는 다음 주로 미뤄진 것 같아요
ajik hwashilhaji ahnchiman hweuineun daeum jooro mirwejin got gattayo
(Long sentence, huh?)
I’m not sure yet, but I think the meeting has been postponed to next week.

ex2) 확실해 hwakshilhae
I’m certain.

[Be careful!] There are similar words like 확실(hwakshil) such as  확신(hwakshin) and  확인(hwakin), which mean conviction/a firm belief and confirmation respectively.

2. 내가 원래 이런 말 잘 안하는데…
naega wonlae eerun mal jal anhaneundae…
I usually don’t say these kind of things…

* 원래 (wonlae)
means originally, naturally, from the first etc.

원래 can be used to be expressed things that are ‘usually’ something.

ex) 사장님은 원래 신경질이야
sajangnimeun wonlae shinkyungjileeya
Our president is usually hot-tempered. (LOL)

ex2) 회의는 원래 월요일에 하기로 되어 있었는데 미뤄졌어
hweuineun wonlae wolyoile hagiro dweuh isutneundae mirwejeosseo
The meeting was originally on Monday but it got postponed.

원래 (wonlae) can be used to refer to a person’s character. Like you could probably say, they’re originally (enter an adjective here). It can also be used in other ways.

ex) 주원이와 라임이의 몸은 원래대로 돌아왔다.
juwoniwa laimieu momeun wonlaedaero dorawatda
Ju Won’s and La Im’s bodies switched back to normal.

원래대로(wonlaedaero) means just as it was before. So basically it means a situation, something, someone, etc. came back to normal. 원래 (wonlae) can also be used like this.

ex) 원래부터 터프한 여자였다.
wonlaebuteo teopuhan yeojayeotda.
She was tough from the beginning
(OR she was tough originally from the start
OR she was originally a tough person)

원래부터 (wonlaebuteo) means from the beginning, from the start. So you could say a situation, something or someone was originally something from the start. Pretty much the same as 원래 (wonrae) but it’s a little different in that it states ‘from the start’.

To add, -부터(buteo) means since, from, at, on (or it can mean after depending on the sentence). It’s used as a a postpositional word and it cannot be used alone. Here’s a famous line from SG that some may remember (from the sit-ups scene).

주원이: 길라임은 언제부터 예뻤나? 작년부터?
Joowoni: Gillaimeun unjaebuteo yebeotna? jaknyunbuteo?
Joo Won: From when was Gil La Im beautiful? From last year?

And don’t we all love that scene, dawww.
언제 means when and 작년 means last year.

3. 그러니까 내가 안 반해?
geuronika naega ahn banhae?
So isn’t that why I cannot not like (someone)?

* 그러니까 (geuronika)
means so that’s why, so, therefore, consequently, for that reason

ex) 그러니까 내가 가지 말랬지
geuronika naega gaji malletji
So isn’t that why I told you not to go?

In a conversation this can be also used to say “exactly my point”. It’s used to strongly agree with someone about something.

A: 이번 아이디어는 너무 식상해
eebun aidiuhneun neomu shiksanghe
The ideas this time are all boring.
B: 그러니까 (내 말이..)
geuronika (nae maree)
Exactly my point. (Exactly what I’ve been trying to say all along)

Usually behind 그러니까, people add 내 말이(nae maree..) frequently. Can you guess what these two are saying in the next dialogue?

A: 현빈 너무 멋있다니까!
B: 그러니까 내 말이!

* 반하다 (banhada)
means become infatuated with someone, fall in love with someone/something

If you heard carefully on Secret Garden, you might’ve heard Hyun Bin say 그러니까 내가 안 반해? (geuronika naega ahn banhae – for the meaning, check expression 3 at top). 반해 (banhae) means become infatuated with. But here he was talking about Gil La Im.

The expression itself may sound like isn’t that why I am not infatuated with her? But actually, it’s more of an ironical or theoretical question (There are lots of expressions in Korean that are said in irony). So it means the opposite. Isn’t that why I cannot not like her? Here’s another common ironical expression used in Korea to clear things up.

A child is running around with a porcelain dish carelessly when her grandmother tells her to stop running around with it. But the child drops it and smashes it to pieces. The grandmother says, “잘했다~~ 잘했어~~ (jalhaetda~~ jalhaesseo~~)” It literally means, “You’ve a done a good job, well done.” but the actual meaning is quite the opposite. “You should’ve listened. Look at what you’ve done. Tisk Tisk.”

Now back to 반하다 (banhada). Here’s another common expression used here in Korea.

첫눈에 반했어. (Chutneune banhasseo) I fell in love at first sight.

반하다 (banhada), which is a verb, is used in a lot of songs. If you listen to a lot of k-pop then you’ll be lucky to hear this word. Here are two more examples using the verb 반하다 (banhada).

ex) 그 남자 너무 멋있어! 그러니까 내가 안 반해?
geu namja neomu musisseo! geuronika naega ahn banhae?
That guy is so cool! So isn’t that why I cannot not like him?

ex2) 그는 너무 친절해서 반할 뻔 했다.
geuneun neomu chinjeolhaeseo banhal bbun haetda
He was so kind, I almost fell in love with him.

** Here’s an extra expression to know for those of you who want to know more!

엄친아, 엄친딸
Umchinah, umchinddal

It’s actually an abbreviated form of 엄마친구아들 (umma chingu ahdeul : Mom’s friend’s son) or 엄마친구딸 (umma chingu ddal : Mom’s friend’s daughter) respectively. It’s used to refer to a person who mom always compares you with and talks about. It’s also used to describe a person who seems almost perfect OR is just really perfect (I mean could there be a perfect person? But anyways…).

Usually an 엄친아 (uhmchinah) or an 엄친딸 (uhmchinddal) is exceptionally handsome OR beautiful, extremely smart, comes from a prestigious background and attends a prestigious school (or has a great occupation),  is good at everything and talented at everything to boot, etc. etc. the list goes on… And don’t we all hate getting compared? :’D Here’s this expression used in a sentence.

ex) 채린이 엄친딸이래! 너무 부러워!
Chaerinee uhmchinddaleerae! Neomu bureoweo!
I heard Chaerin was a ‘mom’s friend’s daughter’! I’m so envious!

Well, that’s it for this post. It’s sad that SG is already ending! I felt as though it started only a while ago. Time flies, huh? But even if it ends, I’m planning to continually post about it anyway (SG LOVE : D). Maybe I could make a part two for Kim Joo Won or I could write about the other characters, OR maybe even write about the dialogue itself. But that’s just a possibility.

길라임은 언제부터 예뻤나? 작년부터?

Anyways, tune in for next time. Cheers!
바이바이~