S2 Ep21: Story | There’s a sweater that I really want to buy 정말 사고 싶은 스웨터가 있어요

시즌2, 21화. 이야기편 | 정말 사고 싶은 스웨터가 있어요

Season 2, Episode 21 – Story | There’s a sweater that I really want to buy

안녕하세요? 잘 지냈어요? It’s your host of Korean study café, Vanessa.

Today we will listen to a part of a girl’s journal saying about a sweater she wants to buy but can’t.

Then Now, shall we listen to the story?

Script

지난 주말에 친구들이랑 같이 백화점에서 쇼핑을 했어요. 그 동안 쓰던 가방의 지퍼가 고장 나서 새 가방이 필요했어요. 쇼핑몰에 가서 가방을 구경하는데 너무 예쁜 가방이 정말 많았어요. 그래서 어떤 걸 사야하는지 정말 고민되었어요. 그리고 예쁜 신발과 옷도 정말 많았어요.

특히 한 하얀색 스웨터가 정말 마음에 들었어요. 제 청바지와 정말 잘 어울릴 것 같았어요. 그런데 돈이 많이 없었어요. 그래서 포기하고 가,방만 샀어요. 아쉽지만 어쩔 수 없었어요. 다음 달에 아르바이트로 돈을 모아서 그 스웨터를 꼭 살 거예요.

Translation

Last weekend, I went shopping at the department store with my friends. The zipper on my old bag broke, so I needed a new bag. I went to the shopping mall and looked at the bags, and there were many pretty bags. So I was uncertain about which one to buy. And there were many lovely shoes and clothes as well.

I especially liked the white sweater. I thought it would go really well with my jeans. But I didn’t have much money. So I gave up and just bought a bag. It was disappointing, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it.  I will definitely buy that sweater by saving money from a part-time job next month.

How was it?  Were you able to understand most of the parts? Even if you didn’t, it’s totally fine because we will see the meaning together now.

All right, then, Now let’s break down some valuable expressions together.

지난 주말에 친구들이랑 같이 백화점에서 쇼핑을 했어요. 그 동안 쓰던 가방의 지퍼가 고장 나서 새 가방이 필요했어요. 쇼핑몰에 가서 가방을 구경하는데 너무 예쁜 가방이 정말 많았어요. 그래서 어떤 걸 사야하는지 정말 고민되었어요. 그리고 예쁜 신발과 옷도 정말 많았어요.

Did you hear the sentence “새 가방이 필요했어요” I needed a new bag?

In this part, let’s focus on this sentence pattern and learn it in various ways.

필요하다 means “to need”; however, unlike English, this verb cannot be combined with other verbs. It means it can only be used with a noun.

Most of all, let’s see example sentences how this expression “이/가 필요하다 to need” is used in the Korean language

• 저는 돈이 필요해요. I need some money

• 저는 시간이 필요해요. I need some time

• 저는 더 많은 재료가 필요해요. I need more ingredient

• 저는 집을 살 돈이 필요해요 I need money to buy a house

• 저는 생각할 시간이 필요해요 I need some time to think

• 저는 떡볶이를 만들 더 많은 재료가 필요해요 I need more ingredient to make 떡볶이

Did you hear that? There should be a noun right before this verb 필요하다 to need.

Then when we want to say I need to do something in Korean, how can we say that? In that case, you can say with endings -야하다, -야되다, -야겠다.

• 저는 돈을 더 벌어야 돼요 I need to earn more money

• 저는 생각을 더 해야 해요 I need to think more about it

• 저는 떡볶이를 만들어야겠어요 I need to make 떡볶이

All right, now that we know how to say I need something in Korean like -이/가 필요하다, we go on to hear the next part and learn a new expression.

특히 한 하얀색 스웨터가 정말 마음에 들었어요. 제 청바지와 정말 잘 어울릴 것 같았어요. 그런데 돈이 많이 없었어요. 

In this part, let’s learn more about the sentence we just heard “특히 한 하얀색 스웨터가 정말 마음에 들었어요.” in detail.

When you say “이/가 마음에 들다,” it means “(You) like it/stuff.”  You use it for objects, animals, or people. The literal translation for this expression is “The stuff enters my mind.” And the actual meaning is “You like the stuff.” But as you see the expression, the stuff is the subject of the sentence. So regardless of your intention, the item or thing enters your mind, so the stuff captures your mind or attention. So compared to the expression 좋아하다, nuance-wise it sounds more like your proactivity is weaker. So this expression might sound a little bit more passive.

So when you say 이/가 마음에 들다, the stuff that you like should be the subject of the sentence, so you have to attach subject marking particles 이/가.

Also, due to this passivity, it’s hard to directly represent others except yourself or a group of people, including yourself, which means the sentence can’t begin with a subject like you, he, she, they.

Let’s hear the example sentences

• 저는 그 하얀색 스웨터가 마음에 들어요 I like that white sweater

• 저는 그 가수가 마음에 들어요. I like that singer

• 저는 그 남자가 마음에 들어요. I kinda like him

• 우리는 그 아이디어가 마음에 들어요. We like that idea

Also, this expression can be replaced with the expression “-이/가 좋다” or “을/를 좋아하다.”

So let me convert the examples that we just heard into these two expressions

• 저는 그 하얀색 스웨터가 좋아요 I like that white sweater

• 저는 그 가수를 좋아해요. I like that singer

• 저는 그 남자를 좋아해요. I like him

• 우리는 그 아이디어가 좋아요. We like that idea

This part can be challenging to understand with just listening to the explanation. So go to our website and see the written transcript together. It will help you to understand so much better.

All right, now let’s hear the next part.

그래서 포기하고 가방만 샀어요. 아쉽지만 어쩔 수 없었어요. 다음 달에 아르바이트로 돈을 모아서 그 스웨터를 꼭 살 거예요.

Lastly, let’s take a look at the expression 아쉽지만 어쩔 수 없었어요 more closely.

First of all, 어쩔 수 없다 means “There’s nothing can be done about it. It can’t be helped”. When you don’t have any more good solutions or ways to do it, you can use this expression.

So you can use this one when you try to make an excuse for not being able to do further, or you try to stress out you already did everything, but the issue is just unsolvable.

Let’s hear more examples.

• 저도 이제 어쩔 수 없어요. There’s nothing I can do about it now

• 피곤해도 어쩔 수 없어요. 이 일을 끝내야 해요. Although I’m tired, there’s nothing I can do. I’ve got to get this work done. 

• 슬프지만 어쩔 수 없어요. 그래도 일을 해야 돼요. It’s sad, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I have to work. 

How is it? Do you get the meaning? If not, please leave us a comment on our website, then I will try my best to solve your questions.