[Korean Culture & Language] Quick Quick Slow

Hello, this is Uptempo!

Koreans are so used to getting things done ‘빨리(quickly)’ that ‘빨리빨리(Quick, quick)’ is usually one of the first expressions foreigners learn when they visit or move to Korea. 

Thousands of food delivery bikes are on the streets, deliver food quickly, and wedding ceremonies are only less than a few hours long, allowing guests to ‘빨리(quickly)’ move on to their next schedule. 

Thankfully, many younger Koreans have learned to slow things down and enjoy the moment. While many people moved to Seoul in the past, many now prefer to live in the suburbs or in the countryside, where they may enjoy a more quiet and peaceful life. A famous celebrity, Lee Hyo-ri, has moved to Jeju island where life is more tranquil.

Chang Ki-ha wrote a song titled ‘느리게 걷자 (Let’s Walk Slowly)’. 

‘느리게’ means ‘slowly,’ and ‘걷자’ means ‘Let’s walk’.

느리게 걷자 느리게 걷자
Let’s walk slowly, Let’s walk slowly.

너무 빨리 뛰어 가다가는 모든 걸 그냥 다 지나칠 테니
You’re going to miss a lot of things if you keep running.

느리게 걷자 느리게 걷자
Let’s walk slowly, Let’s walk slowly.

앞만 보고 달려 가다가는 모든 걸 그냥 다 지나칠 테니
You’ll miss everything else if you only run forward.

너무 빨리 뛰어왔더니 꽃 피는 아름다운 봄을 그냥 지나쳐 버렸네
I ran too fast that I missed the beautiful spring when flowers blossom.

벌써 봄은 가버렸네
The spring is gone now.

너무 빨리 달려왔더니 눈부신 햇살의 여름이 지나가 버렸네
I ran too fast that I missed 눈부신 햇살의 summer.

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