Korean · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 7 of 12
Education and learning
교육과 배움Gyoyukgwa baeum
Talk about school, exams and regrets in Korean: I should have (-ㄹ걸, -었어야 했는데), let alone (-기는커녕) and as soon as (-자마자).
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Express regret with -(으)ㄹ걸 (그랬다) and -았 / -었어야 했는데
- Say what could have been with -(으)ㄹ 수도 있었는데
- Say “let alone” with -기는커녕 and “as soon as” with -자마자
- Talk about the Korean school and exam system
Listen
In Daegu, Lee Jiyu, 19, who didn't get into the university she wanted, talks with her aunt Lee Myeongsuk about retaking the entrance exam and about her aunt's own school years. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Aunt
지유야, 이리 와서 앉아. 요즘 밥은 잘 먹고 다니니? 얼굴이 좀 피곤해 보이네.
Jiyuya, iri waseo anja. Yojeum babeun jal meokgo danini? Eolguri jom pigonhae boine.
Jiyu, come and sit down. Are you eating properly these days? You look a bit tired.
Jiyu
네, 고모. 그냥 요즘 생각이 많아서요. 수능 결과가 나오자마자 계속 잠을 잘 못 잤어요.
Ne, gomo. Geunyang yojeum saenggagi manaseoyo. Suneung gyeolgwaga naojamaja gyesok jameul jal mot jasseoyo.
Yes, Auntie. I just have a lot on my mind at the moment. I haven't been sleeping well ever since the exam results came out.
Aunt
엄마한테 들었어. 가고 싶었던 대학에 떨어졌다면서? 많이 속상하겠다.
Eommahante deureosseo. Gago sipeotdeon daehage tteoreojyeotdamyeonseo? Mani soksanghagetda.
Your mum told me. You didn't get into the university you wanted, did you? You must be really upset.
Jiyu
네… 고3 때 좀 더 열심히 할걸 그랬어요. 여름 방학 때 놀지 말고 공부할걸. 그때는 이 성적이면 충분할 줄 알았어요.
Ne… Gosam ttae jom deo yeolsimhi halgeol geuraesseoyo. Yeoreum banghak ttae nolji malgo gongbuhalgeol. Geuttaeneun i seongjeogimyeon chungbunhal jul arasseoyo.
Yes… I should have worked harder in my last year of school. I should have studied in the summer holidays instead of going out. At the time I thought these grades would be enough.
Aunt
지난 일은 너무 후회하지 마. 그래서 이제 어떻게 할 거야? 재수할 생각이야?
Jinan ireun neomu huhoehaji ma. Geuraeseo ije eotteoke hal geoya? Jaesuhal saenggagiya?
Don't regret the past too much. So what are you going to do now? Are you thinking of retaking the exam next year?
Jiyu
아직 모르겠어요. 한 해 더 학원에 다니면서 입시 준비를 하는 것도 부담이 되고, 엄마 아빠한테도 죄송해요. 차라리 대학을 포기할까 하는 생각도 들어요.
Ajik moreugesseoyo. Han hae deo hagwone danimyeonseo ipsi junbireul haneun geotdo budami doego, eomma appahantedo joesonghaeyo. Charari daehageul pogihalkka haneun saenggakdo deureoyo.
I don't know yet. Going to a cram school for another year to prepare for the entrance exams is a lot of pressure, and I feel bad for Mum and Dad. Sometimes I think I should just give up on university altogether.
Aunt
사실 고모도 재수했어. 우리 때는 경쟁이 지금보다 훨씬 심했지. 첫 시험을 망치고 나서 한 달 동안은 공부하기는커녕 방에서 나오지도 않았어.
Sasil gomodo jaesuhaesseo. Uri ttaeneun gyeongjaengi jigeumboda hwolssin simhaetji. Cheot siheomeul mangchigo naseo han dal donganeun gongbuhagineunkeonyeong bangeseo naojido anasseo.
Actually, I retook the exam too. In my day the competition was much fiercer than now. After I messed up the first exam, I didn't even come out of my room for a month, let alone study.
Jiyu
진짜요? 고모가요? 전혀 몰랐어요. 그럼 다시 준비하실 때는 어떠셨어요?
Jinjjayo? Gomogayo? Jeonhyeo mollasseoyo. Geureom dasi junbihasil ttaeneun eotteosyeosseoyo?
Really? You? I had no idea. So what was it like when you prepared again?
Aunt
힘들었지. 그래도 그 한 해가 오히려 도움이 많이 됐어. 처음으로 내 적성이 뭔지, 진로를 어떻게 정할지 진지하게 생각해 봤어. 그전에는 그냥 성적에 맞춰서 학과를 고르려고 했었어.
Himdeureotji. Geuraedo geu han haega ohiryeo doumi mani dwaesseo. Cheoeumeuro nae jeokseongi mwonji, jilloreul eotteoke jeonghalji jinjihage saenggakhae bwasseo. Geujeoneneun geunyang seongjeoge matchwoseo hakgwareul goreuryeogo haesseosseo.
It was hard. But that year actually helped me a lot. For the first time, I thought seriously about what I was good at and what path I wanted to take. Before that, I'd just been going to choose a subject that matched my grades.
Jiyu
저도 사실 그래요. 성적만 보고 경영학과를 고른 거였어요. 그런데 생각하면 할수록 제가 정말 하고 싶은 건 디자인 쪽인 것 같아요.
Jeodo sasil geuraeyo. Seongjeongman bogo gyeongyeonghakgwareul goreun geoyeosseoyo. Geureonde saenggakhamyeon halsurok jega jeongmal hago sipeun geon dijain jjogin geot gatayo.
Actually, it's the same for me. I only chose business studies because of my grades. But the more I think about it, the more I feel that what I really want to do is something in design.
Aunt
그럼 이번 일이 오히려 기회일 수도 있어. 고모는 그때 미술을 했어야 했는데, 할아버지가 반대하셔서 포기했어. 조금만 더 용기를 냈으면 할 수도 있었는데. 너는 재능도 있으니까 하고 싶은 걸 선택해.
Geureom ibeon iri ohiryeo gihoeil sudo isseo. Gomoneun geuttae misureul haesseoya haenneunde, harabeojiga bandaehasyeoseo pogihaesseo. Jogeumman deo yonggireul naesseumyeon hal sudo isseonneunde. Neoneun jaeneungdo isseunikka hago sipeun geol seontaekhae.
Then this could actually be an opportunity. I should have studied art back then, but your grandfather was against it, so I gave up. If I'd been a little braver, I could have done it. You've got talent, so choose what you really want to do.
Jiyu
고모 말씀 들으니까 마음이 좀 가벼워졌어요. 부모님께도 오늘 솔직하게 말씀드려 볼게요.
Gomo malsseum deureunikka maeumi jom gabyeowojyeosseoyo. Bumonimkkedo oneul soljikage malsseumdeuryeo bolgeyo.
Hearing you say that makes me feel a bit lighter. I'll talk to my parents honestly today too.
Understand
I should have …: regrets
-(으)ㄹ걸 (-(eu)lgeol) is the everyday way to say “I should have …” about yourself. Add (geuraetda) for a fuller sentence: (yeolsimhi halgeol geuraesseoyo), I should have worked hard. On its own, it sounds like talking to yourself: (gongbuhalgeol), I should've studied. For “I shouldn't have”, use -지 말걸 (-ji malgeol): (meokji malgeol), I shouldn't have eaten it. Don't confuse it with the guess -(으)ㄹ걸요 (-(eu)lgeoryo), I bet, which is said with a rising voice.
-았 / -었어야 했는데 (-asseoya / -eosseoya haenneunde), I (or someone) should have …, is stronger and can be about other people too: (misureul haesseoya haenneunde), I should have studied art. -(으)ㄹ 수도 있었는데 (-(eu)l sudo isseonneunde), could have, is for a chance you missed: (hal sudo isseonneunde), I could have done it.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ걸 (그랬다) (-(eu)lgeol (geuraetda)) | I should have (casual, about me) | (iljjik jalgeol geuraesseoyo) |
| -지 말걸 (그랬다) (-ji malgeol (geuraetda)) | I shouldn't have | (geu mareun haji malgeol) |
| -았 / -었어야 했는데 (-asseoya / -eosseoya haenneunde) | should have (stronger, anyone) | (miri yeollakhaesseoya haenneunde) |
| -지 말았어야 했는데 (-ji marasseoya haenneunde) | shouldn't have | (pogihaji marasseoya haenneunde) |
| -(으)ㄹ 수도 있었는데 (-(eu)l sudo isseonneunde) | could have (but didn't) | (hapgyeokhal sudo isseonneunde) |
Let alone, as soon as
-기는커녕 (-gineunkeonyeong), after a verb, and 은 / 는커녕 (eun / neunkeonyeong), after a noun, mean “far from …, let alone …”. The first part is what you might expect; the second, usually with (do) and a negative, says that even something smaller didn't happen: (gongbuhagineunkeonyeong bangeseo naojido anasseo), I didn't even come out of my room, let alone study; (chingchaneunkeonyeong insado an haesseoyo), far from praising me, he didn't even say hello.
-자마자 (-jamaja) means “as soon as”: (gyeolgwaga naojamaja), as soon as the results came out. It goes straight on the verb stem and never takes the past tense itself; the second part shows the time: (jibe ojamaja jasseoyo), I went to sleep as soon as I got home.
- 돈을 모으기는커녕 빚만 늘었어요.Doneul moeugineunkeonyeong binman neureosseoyo.Far from saving money, I only got deeper into debt.
- 졸업하자마자 취직했어요.Joreophajamaja chwijikhaesseoyo.I got a job as soon as I graduated.
School and exams in Korea
Korean school has six years of primary school, three of middle school and three of high school. In November of the final year, called (gosam), students sit the national university entrance exam, (suneung). Many go to private evening classes, (hagwon), for years beforehand. Students who don't get the result they want often spend another year preparing and retake the exam: (jaesuhada).
-(으)면 -(으)ㄹ수록 (-(eu)myeon -(eu)lsurok) from chapter 4 is common when people think about their future: (saenggakhamyeon halsurok), the more I think about it. And when the aunt says (tteoreojyeotdamyeonseo?), “I heard you didn't get in, is that right?”, -다면서? (-damyeonseo?) checks something you've heard from someone else.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (suneung) | the national university entrance exam |
| (ipsi) | entrance exams, getting into university |
| (jaesu) | a year spent retaking the entrance exam |
| (hagwon) | private academy, cram school |
| (hakgwa) | university department, subject |
| (jeongong) | major, main subject |
| / (hapgyeokhada / tteoreojida) | to pass, to get in / to fail, not to get in |
More in the grammar: Linking actions: -고, -아서/-어서, -(으)면서, -다가 · Nuanced endings: -네요, -잖아요, -거든요 and more
New words
- 수능suneungthe university entrance exam (CSAT) · short for (daehaksuhangneungnyeoksiheom)
- 성적seongjeokgrades, marks, results · (siheomeul mangchida), to mess up an exam
- 공부할걸gongbuhalgeolI should have studied · -(으)ㄹ걸 (-(eu)lgeol), I should have …
- 후회하다huhoehadato regret · (huhoe), regret
- 재수jaesua year spent retaking the entrance exam · (jaesuhada), to retake it
- 학원hagwonprivate academy, cram school · (yeongeo hagwon), English school
- 입시ipsientrance exams · (daehak ipsi), university entrance
- 부담budamburden, pressure · (budami doeda), to be a burden
- 포기하다pogihadato give up
- 경쟁gyeongjaengcompetition · (gyeongjaengi simhada), competition is fierce
- 적성jeokseongaptitude, what you're suited to · (jeokseonge matda), to suit you; (misul), art
- 진로jillocareer path, future direction · (jilloreul jeonghada), to decide on your path; (jinjihage), seriously
- 재능jaeneungtalent · (jaeneungi itda), to be talented; (yonggireul naeda), to find the courage (, yonggi)
- 선택seontaekchoice · (seontaekhada), to choose; (maeumi gabyeowojyeosseoyo), I feel lighter (, maeum, heart, mind; , gabyeopda, light)
Practise
1.You didn't bring an umbrella, and now it's pouring. What do you say to yourself?
2.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.As soon as the results came out, I called my mum.
3.Match the Korean with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Your flatmate promised to help with the move but didn't even phone. What do you say?
5.The aunt says (jogeumman deo yonggireul naesseumyeon hal sudo isseonneunde). What does she mean?
6.The aunt remembers her first year. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I didn't even come out of my room, let alone study.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
좀 더 열심히 할걸 그랬어요.
Jom deo yeolsimhi halgeol geuraesseoyo.
I should have worked harder.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.