Introduction
Hello! It’s [Maeil Hangul], here to upgrade your Korean skills to the next level!
Today, we are going to talk about a topic that makes everyone’s heart skip a beat: “Memories of the Past: First Love.”
Have you noticed? Lately in Korea, nostalgic romance dramas like Lovely Runner (Seonjae Eopgo Twieo) or Twenty-Five Twenty-One have been incredibly popular. People are falling in love with the “retro” vibe and reminiscing about their school days.
So, are you ready to share your romantic memories just like the main character in a K-Drama? Let’s learn how to talk about those heart-fluttering moments!
Key Expressions
Here are 4 essential expressions to talk about your past romance.
1. 첫사랑 (First love)
- Pronunciation: [Cheot-ssarang]
- English Meaning: First love
- Detail: This word combines ‘첫 (first)’ and ‘사랑 (love).’ In Korea, there is a saying that “First love never comes true,” which makes this word feel very nostalgic and bittersweet.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
- Even though it is written as ‘Cheot-sarang’, it is pronounced [Cheot-ssarang].
- When the batchim (final consonant) ‘ㅅ(t)’ meets the initial consonant ‘ㅅ(s)’, the sound becomes stronger and tenser, turning into a double consonant ‘ㅆ(ss)’. This is called “Tensification” (Doen-sori). So, say it strongly: Cheot-ssarang!
2. 짝사랑하다 (To have a crush / One-sided love)
- Pronunciation: [Jjak-ssarang-hada]
- English Meaning: To have a crush on someone (unrequited love)
- Detail: ‘짝 (Jjak)’ means a pair or a mate, but here it implies looking for a mate alone. It refers to loving someone who doesn’t love you back or doesn’t know your feelings yet.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
- Similar to ‘First love’, the ‘ㅅ’ in ‘사랑’ becomes ‘ㅆ’ here as well.
- Make sure to pronounce the ‘jj’ in ‘Jjak’ sharply to sound natural!
3. 설레다 (To have butterflies / Heart flutters)
- Pronunciation: [Seol-le-da]
- English Meaning: To have one’s heart flutter; to be excited (nervous)
- Detail: This is the perfect word to describe that nervous but happy feeling when you see someone you like. You can say “가슴이 설레요 (My heart flutters).”
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
- Notice the double ‘ㄹ(l)’ sound? When a batchim ‘ㄹ’ meets a following ‘ㄹ’, it creates a flowing, liquid [l] sound.
- Don’t roll your tongue like an ‘r’. Keep your tongue touching the roof of your mouth longer, like the ‘l’ in the English word “Lily.”
4. 고백하다 (To confess)
- Pronunciation: [Go-bae-ka-da]
- English Meaning: To confess (one’s feelings)
- Detail: This is the climax of any romance! It means telling someone “I like you.” In Korea, “Gobaek” is the official start of a relationship (Day 1).
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
- Written as ‘Gobaek-hada’, but pronounced [Gobackada].
- Why? The batchim ‘ㄱ(k)’ meets the ‘ㅎ(h)’. When these two combine, they merge into the strong aspirated sound ‘ㅋ(kh)’. This rule is called “Aspiration.” It makes the pronunciation much smoother!
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how Minji and Jason talk about the past using these words.
(Looking at an old high school photo)
- Minji: 와, 이 사진 진짜 오랜만이다. 제이슨, 이 남자 기억나?
(Wow, it’s been so long since I saw this photo. Jason, do you remember this guy?) - Jason: 당연하지! 너 고등학교 때 이 친구 짝사랑했잖아 (jjaksarang-haet-jana). 맞지?
(Of course! You had a crush on this friend in high school. Right?) - Minji: 맞아… 내 첫사랑 (cheot-ssarang)이었어. 그때는 얘만 보면 정말 설렜어 (seol-le-sseo).
(Right… He was my first love. Back then, my heart fluttered just looking at him.) - Jason: 그래서, 결국 고백했어 (gobaek-haet-sseo)?
(So, did you eventually confess?) - Minji: 아니, 부끄러워서 못 했어. 그냥 좋은 추억이야.
(No, I was too shy so I couldn’t. It’s just a good memory now.)
Culture Tip & Trend Analysis
💖 Why is everyone talking about “First Love” in Korea right now?
Recently, the “Y2K” (year 2000) retro concept is dominating Korean trends. From fashion to K-Pop (like NewJeans), everyone loves the nostalgic vibe of the late 90s and early 2000s.
Because of this, stories about pure, innocent first love set in schools are extremely popular.
* Did you know? There is a famous superstition in Korea: “If you watch the first snow (첫눈) with your crush, your first love will come true.”
* If you want to sound like a local, try saying: “우리 첫눈 올 때 만날래?” (Do you want to meet when the first snow falls?) This is a very romantic and indirect way to express interest!
Wrap-up & Practice
Today we learned how to talk about First Love (첫사랑) using romantic Korean expressions. How about your past? Do you have a memory that makes your heart flutter?
📝 Mini Quiz!
Fill in the blanks with the correct words we learned today.
- I couldn’t tell him I liked him, so I just ________ (crushed on) him.
(말을 못 해서 그냥 _______했어.) - Before I ________ (confessed), my heart beat so fast!
(_______하기 전에 심장이 너무 빨리 뛰었어!)
Answers: 1. 짝사랑 (Jjaksarang), 2. 고백 (Gobaek)
Please leave a comment below about your “Cheot-ssarang”! I’d love to hear your stories.
See you in the next post! 안녕! 👋
