[Korean Culture & Language] Maintaining a fish tank

Hello, this is Uptempo! 


Keeping any pet can be cruel if the owner is ignorant about the animal. Likewise, keeping fish can be cruel to the animal if it is not done correctly. However, they can live a long and happy life if necessary, high-quality conditions are provided. 

What about people? Can they survive in a fish tank?

Apparently, they can, in Korea. ‘어장 관리 하다 (maintaining a fish tank)’ means ‘to keep someone on the hook’ or ‘to friendzone someone’. 

Photo by Ahmed Hasan on Unsplash

Ex)

A: 진이가 나 좋아하는 게 확실해. 어제 자기 집으로 초대 했어.
A: I’m sure Jin has a crush on me. She invited me over to her place for dinner.

B: 오 걔가 요리했어?
B: Wow, did she cook?

A: 아니, 요리는 내가 했어.
A: No, I did.

B: 장은 누가 봤는데?
B: Who did the grocery shopping?

A: 내가.
A: Me.

B: 걔는 뭐 했어?
B: What did she do?

A: 집에서 기다리고 있던데?
A: She waited for me at home.

B: 음… 그래서 둘이 뭐 했어?
B: Umm… Okay. So what did you guys do?

A: 밥 먹고, 같이 영화 보고, 내가 발 마사지 해줬어.
A: We had dinner, watched a movie, and I gave her a foot massage.

B: 뭐야. 너 물고기네. 어장관리 하는거잖아.
B: What? It seems like you’re a fish to her. She’s clearly maintaining her ‘fish tank’. 


빈지노(Beenzino), a famous Korean rapper, sang ‘Aqua Man,’ which is about a guy who has become one of the fish in a girl’s ‘어장(fish tank)’. The following are the lyrics.

https://youtu.be/8nq32TQBwXI

어항 속에 갇힌 고기들보다 어쩌면 내가 좀 더 멍청할지 몰라
I might be stupider than the fish trapped in a fish tank.

너가 먹이처럼 던진 문자 몇 통과 너의 부재중 전화는 날 헷갈리게 하지
You text or call me as if you’re throwing a fish food at a fish, and that confuses me

너의 미모와 옷 입는 스타일로 미루어 보았을 때 너의 어장의 크기는 수족관의 scale
Based on your charm and fashion sense, I’m sure you have a huge aquarium.

단지 너 하나 때문에 경쟁은 무척 험하고도 아득해
Everyone is vying for your affections, and it’s a vicious battle.

I wanna be your boyfriend, not one of your 생선
I wanna be your boyfriend, not one of your fish

허나 너에겐 늘 누군가가 옆에 있어
But there’s always someone next to you.

이럴 때일수록 내 이미지를 위해선 그저 so cool한 척 하는게 최선임을 알기에 I said have a good time

I knew the ideal response from me in this situation was to seem as if I’m cool with it. So, I said ‘have a good time’.

그날 밤 업데이트 된 너의 페북의 담벼락엔 여전히 물고기들이 하악 하악
When you uploaded a post on your Facebook that night, I noticed many fish dashing toward it.

당연히 나도 그 중 하나
I’m sure that I’m one of them.

하루종일 너란 바닷속을 항해하는 나는 aqua man
I’m an aqua man who swims in your ocean the whole day.

헤엄 헤엄 헤엄
Swim, Swim, Swim


Have you ever been someone’s 물고기(fish) before? OR have you ever kept your own aquarium?

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