[Korean Culture & Language] To 'borrow' an opportunity

Hello, this is Uptempo!


‘빌리다’ usually means ‘to borrow’ in Korean. However, it can also mean ‘borrowing’ a situation/opportunity. For example, you can say “이 자리를 빌려 감사의 말씀을 드리고 싶습니다”. It means “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you”.

빌리다 can mean:

1. 나중에 갚거나 돌려주기로 하고 얼마 동안 가져다가 쓰다.
1. To use something after promising the owner to return it later.

Ex) Amanda 한테서 10불 빌렸어.
I borrowed $10 from Amanda

2. 나중에 받기로 하고 얼마 동안 쓰도록 하다.
2. To give someone permission to use something after getting a promise that they’ll return it. 

Ex) 내가 빌려준 책 언제 줄 수 있어?
When can you return the books that I loaned you?

3. 혼자서 하기 어렵거나 제 의지대로 하기 힘든 일을 하는 데에 받아들이는 상태가 되다.
3. To use something when it is difficult to do on one’s own.

Ex)
A: 이거 어떻게 했어? 이 분야는 너 잘 못하잖아.
A: How did you do this? I know you’re unfamiliar with these things.
B: 인터넷의 힘을 빌렸지!
B: I used the internet for assistance.

Real Love, OH MY GIRL’s second Korean full-length album that was released on March 28, 2022, ranked #13 on the global iTunes album chart and #85 on the European iTunes album list. The word ‘빌리다’ appears frequently in its lyrics:

우린 이 음악을 빌려
I would like to take this music as an excuse/opportunity to…

이 분위기를 빌려
I would like to take this atmosphere as an excuse/opportunity to…

지금 이 공기
This air that we’re breathing now

이건 마치 7시간 비행 뒤 만난 것 같은 섬
It’s like an island that we faced after 7 hours of flight.

pink빛 하늘을 빌려
We take this pink sky as an excuse/opportunity…

사랑을 말하기 이보다 완벽한 밤은 없어
There’s no finer evening than this perfect evening to confess my love for you.

댓글

댓글 쓰기

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

[Korean Culture & Language] Impulsiveness and MBTI

이미지
Hello, this is Uptempo! The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has become increasingly popular in Korea in 2020, owing to people’s boredom due to the COVID-19 quarantine. Since the spring, MBTI feeds have been readily available on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms.   Below is a popular meme titled ‘ #MBTI 충동 (MBTI Impulsiveness) ’. This meme jokingly illustrates how ‘ 충동적인 (impulsive)’ each MBTI types are.   https://ddnews.co.kr/mbti-%EC%A7%A4-%EB%B0%88/ It reads: 전혀 충동적이지 않음 (Not impulsive at all): ENTJ, ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ 평균적으로 충동적임 (Average impulsivity): INTJ, INFJ, ENFJ, ESFJ 너무 충동적 (Very impulsive): INTP, INFP, ISTP, ISFP 엄청나게 충동적 (Extremely impulsive): ENTP, ENFP, ESTP, ESFP 전혀 means ‘ not at all ,’ 평균적으로 means ‘ to an average level ,’ 너무 means ‘ very , ’ 엄청나게 means ‘ extremely ’.   The above meme is another illustration of impulsiveness by MBTI types. ENFP says “ 요즘 자수가 너무 배우고 싶어 (I want to learn how to embroider). 근데 나 소묘도 배워...
자세한 내용 보기

[Korean Culture & Language] Switching between the liver and the gallbladder

이미지
Hello, this is Uptempo! “Saving face” has always been a very important part of Korean culture. Most Koreans try hard to “ 체면을 세우다 (build one’s face),” and “ 체면을 지키다 (maintain one’s face),” and not to “ 체면을 잃다 or 체면을 구기다 (lose one’s face).” ‘ 세우다 ’ means ‘to build’ ‘ 지키다 ’ means ‘to keep’ ‘ 잃다 ’ means ‘to lose’ ‘ 구기다 ’ means ‘to crumple’ or ‘to damage’ ‘Saving one’s face’ means ‘to build one’s reputation,’ ‘maintaining’ one’s face’ means ‘to keep one’s reputation,” and ‘losing one’s face’ means ‘to lose or damage one’s reputation.’ However, some people are more concerned about their profit than “saving or maintaining their face.” They “ 간에 붙었다 쓸개에 붙었다 한다. ” ‘ 간 ’ means ‘liver’ ‘ 붙다 ’ means ‘to stick’ ‘ 쓸개 ’ means ‘gallbladder’ It is directly translated to “It sticks to the liver for a second and then moves to the gallbladder to stick to it for another.” It describes the behavior of someone who switches between two opposing teams or groups for completely selfish reasons. The...
자세한 내용 보기

[Korean Culture & Language] Washing one's Identity

이미지
Hello, this is Uptempo! In July 2021, a Chinese man in his 50s got arrested for killing two people in China and fleeing to Korea. It took years to catch him because he has ‘ 신분세탁 (washed his identity) ’ . Photo by   Jeremy Sallee   on   Unsplash https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/24104555#home According to Korea JoongAng Daily, this murderer killed two people in Yantai, Shandong Province, China in 1987, when he was 20. While hiding in China, he made a new passport after ‘ 신분세탁 (washing his identification) ’. He entered Korea in 2016, and has obtained a permanent residency (F5) visa by marrying a Chinese woman who had obtained Korean citizenship a while back. The term 신분세탁 (Washing one’s identity) refers to a person’s attempt to conceal their prior identity to rebuild a new life . Prostitutes and ex-convicts, for example, are likely to strive to 신분세탁 (rebuild their lives by concealing the fact that they have ever committed a crime or worked as a prostitute).   Belo...
자세한 내용 보기