우리 약속 그대로지? Master Confirming Plans in Korean!
Hello! This is [Daily Korean], here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever made plans with a Korean friend and felt a little nervous the day of? Are you wondering, “Are we still on? Did I remember the time correctly?” Don’t worry, you’re not alone!
Today, we’re going to learn how to reconfirm plans like a native speaker. This is super useful for everything from meeting a friend for coffee to scheduling a study session. Especially these days in Korea, there’s a huge trend called ‘갓생’ (God-saeng), which means living a productive and well-planned life. To live your best ‘God-saeng’ life, being on time and confirming your schedule is key! Let’s learn how to do it.
Core Expressions You Need to Know
Here are three essential phrases to make sure you’re always on the same page with your friends.
1. 우리 약속 그대로지? (Uri yaksok geudaeroji?)
- Pronunciation [Uri yaksok geudaeroji?]
- English Meaning: Are we still on? / Is our plan still the same?
- Detailed Explanation: This is the most natural and friendly way to ask if a plan is still happening. ‘그대로’ means ‘as it is’ or ‘the same as before’, and the ending ‘-지?’ is used to confirm something you assume is true. It’s perfect for sending a quick text message the day before or the morning of your meeting. Use this with friends and people you’re close to!
2. 몇 시에 보기로 했지? (Myeot sie bogiro haetji?)
- Pronunciation [Myeot ssie bogiro haetji?]
- English Meaning: What time did we decide to meet?
- Detailed Explanation: Forgot the exact time? No problem! This phrase is your lifesaver. ‘몇 시에’ means ‘at what time’, and ‘-기로 하다’ is a grammar pattern that means ‘to decide to do something’. So, you’re literally asking, “What time did we decide to see each other?” It’s a polite and common way to double-check the time without sounding forgetful.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
Notice the romanization is [Myeot ssie], not [Myeot sie]. Why? In Korean, when a syllable ending in a consonant (like ‘몇’) is followed by a syllable starting with ‘ㅅ’ (s), the ‘ㅅ’ sound often becomes tense, like ‘ㅆ’ (ss). So instead of a soft ‘si’, you pronounce it with a stronger, tighter ‘ssi’ sound. This makes you sound much more natural!
3. 그러면 2시에 강남역에서 봐! (Geureomyeon dusie gangnam-yeogeseo bwa!)
- Pronunciation [Geureomyeon dusie gangnam-yeogeseo bwa!]
- English Meaning: Then, see you at 2 PM at Gangnam Station!
- Detailed Explanation: This is how you lock in the final plan. ‘그러면’ means ‘then’ or ‘in that case’. You state the final [Time] and [Place] followed by ‘-에서 봐!’ which is a friendly way to say ‘see you at/in…!’. You can swap out the time and place to fit any situation.
- Example: 그러면 7시에 홍대에서 봐! (Geureomyeon ilgopsie hongdae-eseo bwa!) – Then, see you at 7 PM in Hongdae!
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how these expressions are used in a real conversation. Alex and Sujin are planning to go to a pop-up store for their favorite K-pop idol.
A (Alex): 수진아, 우리 내일 약속 그대로지?
(Sujin, are we still on for tomorrow?)
B (Sujin): 응, 그럼! 근데 우리 몇 시에 보기로 했지? 내가 깜빡했어.
(Yeah, of course! But what time did we decide to meet? I forgot.)
A (Alex): 오후 2시에 만나기로 했어.
(We decided to meet at 2 PM.)
B (Sujin): 아, 맞다! 그러면 2시에 강남역에서 봐! 늦지 마!
(Oh, right! Then, see you at 2 PM at Gangnam Station! Don’t be late!)
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
The ‘God-saeng’ (갓생) Lifestyle and Planning
As we mentioned, ‘갓생’ (God-saeng) is a huge trend among young Koreans. It’s a combination of ‘God’ and ‘인생’ (insaeng – life), meaning an exemplary, productive life. This involves waking up early, exercising, studying, and managing your schedule perfectly.
Because of this, confirming plans is not just polite—it’s part of an efficient lifestyle. Sending a quick “우리 약속 그대로지?” on KakaoTalk shows that you are organized and respect the other person’s time. In Korea’s ‘palli-palli’ (빨리빨리 – hurry, hurry) culture, being punctual and confirming schedules is a sign of respect. So, using these phrases will make you look like a pro who understands modern Korean culture!
Wrap-up & Practice!
Great job today! You’ve learned three simple but powerful phrases to confirm your plans in Korean.
- To ask if you’re still on: 우리 약속 그대로지?
- To ask for the time again: 몇 시에 보기로 했지?
- To finalize the plan: 그러면 [시간]에 [장소]에서 봐!
Now it’s your turn to practice!
- Fill in the blank:
You want to confirm your coffee plan with a friend for tomorrow. What would you text them?
“친구야, 우리 내일 커피 약속 ______?” -
Make a sentence:
You are meeting your friend at Myeongdong at 5 PM. How would you say, “Then, see you at 5 PM in Myeongdong!”?
Leave your answers in the comments below using the phrases you learned today! We’d love to see you try them out. Until next time
