Culture & Entertainment

Korean Basic Conversation 4

Chapter 8 · Culture & Entertainment: Films, Books, Music & Reviews

🎬 Culture & Entertainment — 문화와 엔터테인먼트

This chapter is about the things you probably watch Korean dramas for: talking about films, series, webtoons and concerts, and giving or asking for a recommendation. The grammar: -다고 하던데 ("I heard that…"), -(으)ㄴ/는 편이다 ("I tend to…, it's rather…") and -(으)ㄹ 만하다 ("it's worth …ing"). For the background see Korean Grammar 2 8 (Reported Speech) and Korean Grammar 3 9 (Recall and Discovery).

① Asking for a Recommendation — 드라마 추천

A:요즘 볼 만한 드라마 있어요?Is there a drama worth watching these days?

B:새로 나온 법정 드라마가 재미있다고 하던데, 아직 안 봤어요?I heard the new courtroom drama is good. Haven't you seen it yet?

A:아직요. 줄거리가 어때요?Not yet. What's the plot like?

B:한 변호사가 어려운 사건을 해결하는 이야기인데, 주인공 연기가 정말 좋대요.It's about a lawyer solving difficult cases, and they say the lead actor's acting is really good.

A:저는 무서운 건 잘 못 봐서요. 무섭지는 않아요?I can't watch scary things well. Is it not scary?

B:전혀요. 오히려 웃긴 장면이 많은 편이에요. 한번 보세요.Not at all. If anything it has quite a lot of funny scenes. Give it a try.

Hard words: 법정 beop-jeong courtroom · 줄거리 jul-geo-ri plot · 주인공 ju-in-gong lead character · 연기 yeon-gi acting · 오히려 o-hi-ryeo if anything

② After the Film — 영화 어땠어요?

A:영화 어땠어요? 저는 마지막 장면에서 울 뻔했어요.How was the film? I nearly cried at the last scene.

B:저도 감동적이었어요. 다만 중간이 좀 지루한 편이었어요.I found it moving too. It was only that the middle was a bit boring.

A:그래도 배우들 연기가 훌륭했죠?Still, the actors' performances were excellent, weren't they?

B:네, 특히 주인공은 정말 잘했어요. 결말은 예상 못 했어요.Yes, the lead especially was really good. I didn't expect the ending.

A:친구한테도 추천하고 싶어요. 극장에서 볼 만한 영화예요.I'd like to recommend it to friends too. It's a film worth seeing in a cinema.

B:스포일러는 하지 마세요. 아직 안 본 사람도 있으니까요.Don't give spoilers. There are people who haven't seen it yet.

Hard words: 장면 jang-myeon scene · 배우 bae-u actor · 훌륭하다 hul-lyung-ha-da be excellent · 결말 gyeol-mal ending · 스포일러 seu-po-il-leo spoiler

③ Webtoons and Books — 웹툰과 책

A:웹툰 자주 읽어요?Do you often read webtoons?

B:네, 출근길에 매일 읽는 편이에요. 그 웹툰이 드라마로 만들어졌다고 하던데 봤어요?Yes, I tend to read them every day on my way to work. I heard that webtoon was made into a drama. Have you seen it?

A:아직요. 원작이 더 재미있다는 사람도 있더라고요.Not yet. Some people said the original is better.

B:맞아요. 그래도 드라마는 배우들 때문에 볼 만해요.True. Still, the drama is worth watching because of the actors.

A:책은 안 읽어요?Don't you read books?

B:읽기는 하는데 한 달에 한 권 정도 읽는 편이에요. 요즘 읽을 만한 소설이 있으면 추천해 주세요.I do read, but about one book a month. If there's a novel worth reading, please recommend one.

Hard words: 웹툰 wep-tun webtoon · 출근길 chul-geun-gil commute · 원작 won-jak original work · 소설 so-seol novel

④ Concert Tickets — 콘서트 예매

A:다음 달에 좋아하는 가수 콘서트가 있대요. 꼭 가고 싶어요.I hear my favourite singer is having a concert next month. I really want to go.

B:예매는 언제부터 시작해요?When does booking start?

A:이번 주 금요일 저녁 8시예요. 인기가 많아서 몇 분 만에 매진된다고 하던데요.This Friday at 8 pm. It's popular, so I hear it sells out in a few minutes.

B:그럼 미리 로그인해 놓고 기다려야겠네요.Then you'll have to log in in advance and wait.

A:네, 친구랑 같이 도전하기로 했어요. 한 장이라도 사면 성공이에요.Yes, my friend and I decided to try together. If we get even one ticket, it's a success.

B:행운을 빌어요! 못 사면 영상으로라도 볼 수 있을 거예요.Good luck! If you can't get one, you might be able to watch a video at least.

Hard words: 콘서트 kon-seo-teu concert · 예매 ye-mae advance booking · 매진되다 mae-jin-doe-da sell out · 도전하다 do-jeon-ha-da try, challenge · 영상 yeong-sang video

⑤ Fan Talk — 팬 이야기

A:그 그룹 새 앨범 들어 봤어요?Have you listened to that group's new album?

B:네, 이번 앨범은 들을 만해요. 특히 타이틀곡이 좋더라고요.Yes, this album is worth a listen. The title track in particular was good.

A:저는 멤버 중에서 한 명이 제일 좋아요. 그 사람이 제 최애예요.Among the members there's one I like best. That person is my favourite.

B:팬클럽에도 가입했어요?Did you join the fan club too?

A:네, 응원봉도 샀어요. 콘서트에서 흔들어야죠.Yes, I also bought a light stick. I have to wave it at the concert.

B:좋겠다. 저도 다음에는 같이 가고 싶어요.Lucky you. Next time I'd like to go with you.

Hard words: 앨범 ael-beom album · 타이틀곡 ta-i-teul-gok title track · 최애 choe-ae favourite (slang) · 팬클럽 paen-keul-leop fan club · 응원봉 eung-won-bong light stick

⑥ Between Friends (casual) — 정주행했어

A:야, 나 어제 그 드라마 밤새도록 정주행했어.Hey, I binge-watched that drama all night yesterday.

B:진짜? 시청률이 엄청 높다던데 그렇게 재미있어?Really? I heard the ratings are very high. Is it that good?

A:응, 볼 만해. 결말이 좀 아쉽긴 한데 연기는 최고야.Yeah, it's worth watching. The ending is a little disappointing, but the acting is the best.

B:스포 하지 마! 나도 주말에 봐야겠다.No spoilers! I'll watch it at the weekend too.

Hard words: 정주행하다 jeong-ju-haeng-ha-da binge-watch from the start · 시청률 si-cheong-nyul viewing ratings · 아쉽다 a-swip-da be a pity · 스포 seu-po spoiler (short)

🔑 Key Phrases — 중요한 표현

English	Polite (-요)	Casual (friends)
I heard it's good.	재미있다고 하던데요.	재미있다던데.
It's worth watching.	볼 만해요.	볼 만해.
It's rather boring.	좀 지루한 편이에요.	좀 지루한 편이야.
I was moved.	정말 감동적이었어요.	진짜 감동이었어.
Can you recommend something?	추천해 주세요.	추천해 줘.
No spoilers, please.	스포일러는 하지 마세요.	스포 하지 마.

🔤 Three Verbs — 동사

Verb	Dictionary	Polite present	Past	-는 편이다	-(으)ㄹ 만하다
to watch, see	보다	봐요	봤어요	보는 편이다	볼 만하다
to read	읽다	읽어요	읽었어요	읽는 편이다	읽을 만하다
to listen (ㄷ irregular)	듣다	들어요	들었어요	듣는 편이다	들을 만하다

🧰 Grammar Tools — 문법

1. -다고 하던데: "I heard that… (and…)"

To pass on something you heard, put the sentence in reported form and add 하던데: 재미있다고 하던데요. ("I heard that it's good.") The ending -던데 gives the feeling of recalling what you heard and leading into a question or comment: 그 영화 재미있다고 하던데 봤어요? ("I heard that film is good. Have you seen it?") In speech it contracts to -다던데.

Word type	Form	Example
action verb (present)	-ㄴ/는다고 하던데	매일 본다고 하던데요. I heard they watch it every day.
adjective	-다고 하던데	재미있다고 하던데요. I heard it's fun.
noun	-(이)라고 하던데	인기 드라마라고 하던데요. I heard it's a popular drama.
past	-았/었다고 하던데	매진됐다고 하던데요. I heard it sold out.
contracted (speech)	-다던데	시청률이 높다던데. I heard the ratings are high.

2. -(으)ㄴ/는 편이다: "tend to…, rather…"

Use -는 편이다 after an action verb stem to say what you generally do, and -(으)ㄴ 편이다 after an adjective stem to say that something is rather that way: 영화를 자주 보는 편이에요. (I tend to watch films often.) 이 영화는 긴 편이에요. (This film is rather long.) It softens a statement and says "on the whole, it leans that way".

Pattern	Example	Meaning
verb + -는 편이다	저는 책을 많이 읽는 편이에요.	I tend to read a lot.
adjective (vowel) + -ㄴ 편이다	이 드라마는 좀 느린 편이에요.	This drama is rather slow.
adjective (consonant) + -은 편이다	이 배우는 팬이 많은 편이에요.	This actor has rather a lot of fans.
negative	영화를 자주 안 보는 편이에요.	I tend not to watch films often.

3. -(으)ㄹ 만하다: "worth doing"

Attach -ㄹ 만하다 (after a vowel stem) or -을 만하다 (after a consonant stem) to say that something is worth doing, or good enough to do: 볼 만해요. (It's worth watching.) Before a noun it becomes -(으)ㄹ 만한: 읽을 만한 책 ("a book worth reading"), 가 볼 만한 곳 ("a place worth visiting"). The negative is -(으)ㄹ 만하지 않다 or -(으)ㄹ 만한 게 없다.

Pattern	Example	Meaning
-(으)ㄹ 만하다	이 영화는 한번 볼 만해요.	This film is worth seeing once.
-(으)ㄹ 만한 + noun	읽을 만한 소설을 추천해 주세요.	Please recommend a novel worth reading.
-(으)ㄹ 만한 곳	서울에서 가 볼 만한 곳이 어디예요?	What places in Seoul are worth visiting?
"good enough"	맛은 먹을 만해요.	The taste is decent (acceptable).

Watch out: -다고 하던데 is not the same as -다고 해요 -다고 해요 simply reports what someone says. -다고 하던데 adds that you heard it at some earlier time and usually goes on to ask or comment, so it often ends in a question or an open-ended -요. Also, -는 편이다 is for tendencies, so it does not work for a single event: say 어제 영화를 봤어요, not 어제 영화를 본 편이에요.

4. Review words

Korean	English
재미있다 / 재미없다 / 지루하다	be fun / not be fun / be boring
감동적이다 / 슬프다 / 무섭다 / 웃기다	be moving / sad / scary / funny
줄거리 / 결말 / 장면	plot / ending / scene
주인공 / 배우 / 감독	lead character / actor / director
추천하다 / 평가하다	recommend / evaluate

📰 Reading — 읽기

Read the text, then check the English and the word list. Then answer the true/false questions.

나의 취미 생활

저는 영화와 드라마를 좋아하는 편이에요. 주말에는 보통 집에서 쉬면서 드라마를 봐요. 지난주에 친구가 새 드라마가 볼 만하다고 해서 보기 시작했어요. 처음에는 조금 지루했지만 3회부터는 감동적이어서 결국 밤새도록 정주행해 버렸어요. 다음 달에는 좋아하는 가수의 콘서트에도 가기로 했어요. 표를 사려고 아침 일찍 컴퓨터 앞에 앉았는데 몇 분 만에 매진돼서 놓칠 뻔했어요. 다행히 마지막 한 장을 샀어요.

English: I like films and dramas. At weekends I usually rest at home and watch dramas. Last week a friend said a new drama was worth watching, so I started it. At first it was a little boring, but from episode 3 it was so moving that in the end I binge-watched it all night. Next month I've decided to go to a concert by a singer I like. To buy a ticket I sat in front of the computer early in the morning, but it sold out in a few minutes and I almost missed out. Luckily I bought the last one.

Words: 회 episode · 표 ticket · 몇 분 만에 within a few minutes · 마지막 last

1. The writer likes films and dramas.

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True: 영화와 드라마를 좋아하는 편이에요.

2. The drama was moving from the first episode.

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False: it was a little boring at first and became moving from episode 3.

3. The writer watched the drama all night.

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True: 밤새도록 정주행해 버렸어요.

4. The writer failed to get a concert ticket.

Show answer

False: the writer bought the last ticket (마지막 한 장을 샀어요).

📖 Vocabulary — 어휘

20 key words for culture and entertainment.

#	Korean	Say it	English	Type
1	드라마	deu-ra-ma	drama series	noun
2	영화	yeong-hwa	film	noun
3	웹툰	wep-tun	webtoon	noun
4	콘서트	kon-seo-teu	concert	noun
5	시청률	si-cheong-nyul	viewing ratings	noun
6	줄거리	jul-geo-ri	plot	noun
7	결말	gyeol-mal	ending	noun
8	연기	yeon-gi	acting	noun
9	팬	paen	fan	noun
10	앨범	ael-beom	album	noun
11	예매	ye-mae	advance booking	noun
12	매진	mae-jin	sell-out	noun
13	원작	won-jak	original work	noun
14	감동적이다	gam-dong-jeo-gi-da	be moving	adj.
15	지루하다	ji-ru-ha-da	be boring	adj.
16	재미있다	jae-mi-it-da	be fun, interesting	adj.
17	무섭다	mu-seop-da	be scary	adj.
18	추천하다	chu-cheon-ha-da	recommend	verb
19	정주행하다	jeong-ju-haeng-ha-da	binge-watch from the start	verb
20	예매하다	ye-mae-ha-da	book in advance	verb

As Heard in Dramas — "정주행", "최애" and "스포 하지 마!" Characters often mention 정주행 (watching a series straight through), 최애 ("my favourite", from 최고로 사랑하는), and the warning 스포 하지 마! ("no spoilers!"). Ratings (시청률) are a big topic in the news, and 대박 (see Korean Grammar 4 8) is the usual cry for a hit.

Real Korean Tip — Fandom and Ticketing Popular concerts are booked online at a set minute and often sell out within moments, which is why people talk about 티켓팅 as a kind of contest. Fans have their own fan-club names and light sticks (응원봉). Webtoons, read on phone apps, are a huge source of stories, and many dramas and films are adapted from them.

Register — Giving Opinions Between friends you can say 별로였어 ("it wasn't great") directly. To a colleague or someone you do not know well, soften it: 저는 좀 지루한 편이었어요 ("I found it a bit slow"). -는 편이다 is a polite way to be mild.

✍️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. Say "I heard that drama is fun."

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그 드라마가 재미있다고 하던데요.

2. Say "This film is worth seeing."

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이 영화는 볼 만해요.

3. Say "I tend to read webtoons every day."

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매일 웹툰을 읽는 편이에요.

4. Ask "Can you recommend a book worth reading?"

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읽을 만한 책을 추천해 주시겠어요?

5. Tell a friend casually "No spoilers!"

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스포 하지 마!

6. Why is 어제 영화를 본 편이에요 wrong for "I watched a film yesterday"?

Show answer

-는 편이다 describes a general tendency, not a single event. Say 어제 영화를 봤어요.