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Hello, this is Uptempo! There are many YouTube videos titled , “ 왜요 ? 제가 ____ 처럼 생겼나요 ?”   The first video is titled, “ 왜요 ? 제가 음치처럼 생겼나요 ?” “ 왜요 ?” means “Why?” or “What?” “ 제가 ” means “I” “ 음치 ” means “tone-deaf” “ 처럼 ” means “like” “ 생겼나요 ” means “Do I look” The title is translated to “Why? (What?) Do I look tone-deaf to you?” Since no one can actually tell if someone is tone-deaf simply by looking at their appearance, this question was meant to be a joke.   The below question asks, “Which of the following is the original statement of ‘Why? do I look like a _____ to you?’”   왜요 ? 제가 빌보드 핫백 1 위 팬처럼 생겼나요 ? (Why? Do I look like the number one Billboard Hot 100 fan to you?) 왜요 ? 제가 복권 당첨된 사람처럼 생겼나요 ? (Why? Do I look like someone who would win the lottery to you?) 왜요 ? 제가 하하 엄마처럼 생겼나요 ? (Why? Do I look like Haha’s mom to you?) 왜요 ? 제가 기말고사 앞둔 대학생처럼 생겼나요 ? (Why? Do I look like a college student who is about to take their final exam to you?) The answer is ...

Hello, this is Uptempo! Can you give the correct answer to the following question?   The question is: Which of the following is the correct definition for ‘ 웃안웃? ’ 1) 웃긴데 안 웃겨 - Funny, but not funny 2) 웃긴 줄 알았는데 안 웃겨 - I thought it was funny, but it is not funny 3) 웃어야 하는데 안 웃겨 - I should laugh, but it’s not funny 4) 웃다가 안 웃다가 – I kept laughing and not laughing The correct answer is 1. 웃긴데 안 웃겨 (Funny, but not funny). Ex) A: 빨리 주말이 왔으면 좋겠다 . = I can’t wait for the weekend. B: 오늘 겨우 월요일이야 . = Today is only Monday. A: 주말까지 언제 기다려 … 진짜 웃안웃 이다 . = Time passes so slowly during the weekdays (It feels like it takes forever before the weekend arrives). It’s funny, but not funny.    It also means “ 웃다가 생각 해 보니 웃을 때 가 아님 ( I was laughing so hard, but then I suddenly realized that I’m not in the position to laugh right now ). ”   Ex) A: 너 이번에 수학 몇 점 받았어 ? = What did you get on the math test? B: 나 20 점 … = 20/100 A: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ...

Hello, this is Uptempo! Have you ever had trouble deciding what to eat for dinner or lunch?   In Korea, you can ask your friend for a recommendation by saying “ 점메추 ” or “ 점메추해줘. ” ‘ 점메추 ’ is an abbreviation for ‘ 점심 메뉴 추천 ’ which is directly translated to ‘lunch menu recommendation.’ The below video is titled ‘ 25 년 차 고인물 직장인 정형외과 의사의 점심 메뉴 추천 ( 점메추 ) | 직장인의 최애 단골 점심 메뉴는 무엇일까 ?’.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwj1rVy2VnQ It is translated to ‘An orthopedic surgeon with 25 years of experience suggests lunch menu | What are some of the most popular lunch options for Korean office workers?’ In the video, the narrator states that 백반 (white rice served with soup and some side dishes), 김치찌개 (Kimchi stew), 돈까스 (pork cutlet) are the three most popular lunch options for workers in Korea. So, can you tell what is the correct answer to the following question?   https://www.20slab.org/Archives/38063 It reads: 다음 중 ‘ 점메추 ’ 가 가장 필요한 사람은 ? (Who among the pe...

Hello, this is Uptempo! Older generations frequently find it challenging to pick up new terminologies and slang that Gen-Zers use. The below website introduces a “Proficiency test for slang terms gen- Zers use” for older generations to take: https://www.20slab.org/Archives/38063 The first question reads: 다음 중 ‘ 갓생 ’ 에서 갓이 의미하는 것은 ? (What does ‘ 갓 ’ refer to in ‘ 갓생? ’) The first choice reads: 갓 : 이제 막 (Just now) The second choice reads: God: 신 (God) The third choice reads: 갓 : 머리에 쓰는 의관 (Hat) The fourth choice reads: Got: 가졌다 , 잡았다 (Got)   The answer is ‘God’. The word ‘ 갓생 ’ is made up of the English word ‘God( 갓 )’ and the Chinese letter ‘ 生 ( 생 -life).’ ‘Living a 갓생 ’ means ‘to live productively, diligently, and to be content with what one already has.’ The second question reads: 다음 중 ‘ 캘박 ’ 의 뜻 풀이로 옳은 것은 ? (Which of the following accurately describes the term ‘ 캘박? ’)   The first choice reads: 캘리포니아에서 1 박 (One night in California) The second choice read...

Hello, this is Uptempo! Koreans often refer to someone they don’t find attractive ‘ 오징어 (squid).’  The term first appeared on Cultwo Show, a popular South Korean radio show hosted by Jung Chan-woo and Kim Tae-gyun on SBS Power FM. They usually read stories sent by audiences, and one of the stories a girl sent in was about her feelings toward her boyfriend after watching a movie together.   The below meme has become popular after the story that she sent got broadcasted: It reads: “ 남자친구랑 같이 영화를 보러 갔는데 영화 끝나고 하는 무대인사에 장동건이 나왔어요 ” “I went to see a movie with my boyfriend one day, and Jang Dong-gun took a bow at the end of the movie.” 의외로 평범한 느낌이었습니다 . 후광이 보인다느니 , 눈이 부셔서 눈을 마주칠 수 없다느니 … 다들 과장이었네 . 그래도 눈 코입 달린 사람 맞네 하고 남자친구를 바라본 순간 … “Many people said that he’s so beautiful that they couldn’t even see him straight and that they saw his halo… He wasn’t as handsome as I had expected. He seemed to be rather average. People were all exaggerating. He had a mo...

Hello, this is Uptempo! Fear can prevent us from taking advantage of opportunities and achieving our goals to live our best lives. It might keep us from moving forward. However, a good amount of fear often leads to a positive life. Being cautious means allowing fear to be present when we need it.   Matter of fact, being cautious can lead people to make fewer mistakes. Cautious people are more likely to succeed in life as well. There is an idiom in Korea, ‘ 냉수도 불어 먹겠다. ’ It literally translates to “You’re even going to blow on the cold water before you drink.”   ‘ 냉수 ’ means ‘cold water’ ‘ 불어 ’ means ‘to blow’ ‘ 먹겠다 ’ means ‘to eat/drink’ People usually blow on their hot drinks to cool them down, but one doesn’t have to blow on ‘ 냉수 (cold water)’ because it is already cold. People make fun of those who are too worried or overly cautious by saying, “ 냉수도 불어먹겠다. ” On the other hand, the idiom ‘ 두부 먹다 이 빠진다 ’ points out that it’s always better to be careful. ‘ 두부 ’ means ‘...

Hello, this is Uptempo! 리버스멘토링 (Reverse Mentoring), where a less experienced employee mentors a more senior leader, has grown in popularity in Korean organizations and companies. It encourages workers to exchange knowledge and skills and build “professional friendships’ regardless of their level of seniority. Working with someone from a different generation can help one discover new perspectives and push them to come up with original ideas.   There are so many differences between younger workers and older workers. While younger generations put importance on having a good ‘ 워라벨 (Work-life balance),’ many older generations are ‘ 일며들었다. ’ ‘ 워라벨 ’ is an abbreviation for ‘ 워크 - 라이프 , 밸런스 ’ which directly translates to ‘Work-life balance.’ ‘ 일며들다 ’ is an abbreviation for ‘ 일이 내 삶에 스며들었다. ’ ‘ 일 ’ means ‘work’ ‘ 내 삶 ’ means ‘my life’ ‘ 스며들었다 ’ means ‘drenched’ or ‘permeated’. The term can be used literally or metaphorically. When used metaphorically, it implies that something has ...

Hello, this is Uptempo! In Korea, cat owners often refer to themselves as ‘ 고양이 집사 (cat butlers).’ Unlike dogs who are usually friendlier and more loyal toward their owners, cats are usually more independent, and the owners seem to be more loyal toward their cats than cats are toward their owners. Cats usually act like they rule the household and the owners act like their obedient servants. So, many people jokingly say that the cat owners are the servants or butlers.   ‘ 고양이 ’ means ‘cat’; ‘ 집사 ’ means ‘butler’. A: 요즘 민호 왜 이렇게 바빠 ? A: Why is Min-ho so busy lately? B: 걔 저번달부터 집사 됐잖아 . 고양이 대학까지 보낸다고 열심이야 . B: He became a ‘cat butler’ last month. He is committed, saying that he will send the cat off to college.   (Since cats typically live 13 to 17 years, ‘cat butlers’ usually call ‘keeping cats healthy until they are 20’ as ‘sending them off to college’. Many 집사 s’ goal is to keep their cats healthy until they are 20 years old). The term ‘ 식집사 ’ also has become p...

Hello, this is Uptempo! Have you ever suddenly realized that you have no money in your account and must work (additional shifts) to make ends meet? Generation Z in Korea refers to this circumstance as ‘ 갑통알. ’ ‘ 갑통알 ’ is an abbreviation for ‘ 갑자기 통장을 보니 알바 ( 아르바이트 ) 를 해야겠다. ’ ‘ 갑자기 ’ means ‘suddenly’ or ‘randomly’ ‘ 통장 ’ means ‘bank book’ ‘ 보니 ’ means ‘see’ ‘ 알바 ’ is an abbreviation for ‘ 아르바이트 ,’ which means ‘part-time job’ ‘ 해야겠다 ’ means ‘I have to…’ The phrase means ‘When I checked the balance in my bank book, I suddenly realized that I would have to work to make ends meet.’ Ex) A: 너 내일 민지 생일인 거 알았어 ? A: Did you know that it’s Min-ji’s birthday tomorrow? B: 아니 , 아침에 지환이가 알려줘서 알았어 . B: I didn’t know until Ji-hwan told me this morning. A: 생일 파티 갈거야 ? A: Are you going to her party? B: 안 그래도 고민 중이야 . 선물이라도 사 가야할 것 같은데 , 지금 갑통알이야 ㅠㅠ B: I’m not sure. I was going to get her a present, but then I realized that I am completely broke. I might have to work extra just to...