Rollercoaster - College Years

Here is a clip from a Korean TV program called "Rollercoaster". In this clip, you can see what it's like to go to college in Korea... sort of. This clip has a good mixture of high level vocabulary words and slang expressions. Let me know if you see any typos or mistakes. Also, there are usually more than one way to translate a sentence. I translated this quickly, just writing the first thought that popped into my head. So let me know if you think that something should be translated differently. You can write any questions or comments at the bottom of this page. Here is the entire video in Korean audio with no subtitles or translation:   I divided the video into short clips with the Korean transcript and its translation on the side. I call them "sidetitles". Below the video is my commentary. There are pros and cons to sidetitles and subtitles. Subtitles are great when you just want to watch a video for fun. The downside of subtitles is that because they cannot be on the screen for a long time, they have to be short. So they cannot show everything that is being said. They are more like a summary of what is being said. The advantage of sidetitles is that they can show more text. But the downside is that it takes longer to watch the video. Subtitles are better if you just want to watch something quickly. Sidetitles are better if you want to learn the language. Tell me what you think.

		0 사소한 것 하나부터 너무나 다른 남녀 생활을 심층적으로 탐구해보는 남녀 탐구생활 보너스. 학년별 대학생 탐구생활. Even little things are different between men and women. An in-depth study of the differences between the sexes, bonus edition. Study of the college students, year by year.
사소한 trivial, minor, insignificant, unimportant. 심층적 in-depth. 탐구 research, study. 생활 life.

		0:11 먼저 여대생 패션 탐구생활이에요. 대학교 일학년 여대생은 무지하게 촌스러워요. 알록달록 옷으로 잔뜩 멋을 부리고 블링블링 엑세사리들을 무진장 달고 있다면 일학년 100%에요. First, the study of a female college student's fashion. A freshman is extremely tacky. If a girl is wearing colorful clothes and a lot of bling bling accessories, she is a freshman for sure.
촌스러워요 literally means "like a country bumpkin". In Korea, they refer to college grade levels by 일학년 = first grade, 이학년 = second grade, 삼학년 = third grade, 사학년 = fourth grade. They usually don't use the words freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. In this video they always say 대학생 before saying the grade levels because if they don't, it sounds like they are talking about elementary school grade levels.

		0:24 일학년 여대생은 아직 화장이 서툴러 삐뚤빼뚤 엉망이고 하이힐에 적응을 못해 삐그덕 삐그덕 거리지만 풀 메이크업과 하이힐은 절대로 반드시 고수해요. A freshman is not yet good at applying makeup so it's a mess. And she is not used to wearing high heels so she stumbles. But she insists on wearing full makeup and high heels.
삐뚤빼뚤 crooked. 삐그덕 refers to the creaking sound of a shoe.

		0:35 가방은 지갑과 컴팩트, 립스틱만 들어가는 핸드백을 고집하고 전공 서적은 자랑스럽게 옆구리에 끼고 다니면서 '나 대학생이요'를 뽐내요. 이것은 고딩때 늘 꿈꾸던 대학생의 특권이니까요. She insists on carrying a small handbag that can only carry a wallet, a compact and a lipstick. She proudly carries books about her major to show off that she's a college student. This is the image of a college student that she used to dream about in high school.
전공 major. 서적 books. 고딩 is a slang term for a high school student. 특권 literally means privilege.

		0:49 대학교 이학년 여대생은 한층 숙련된 메이크업 기술과 자신에게 어울리는 패션을 찾아내 미모에 물이 올라요. 전공 서적을 옆구리에 끼고 다니는 것은 촌티 팍팍 일학년들이나 하는 짓이라고 생각하며 정공 서적이 쏙 들어가는 숄더백으로 가방의 사이즈를 업그레이드 해요. A sophomore takes her makeup skills up a notch, and she discovers the right fashion style for her and she becomes more beautiful. She thinks that carrying books in your arms is for unsophisticated freshmen. And she upgrades her bag to a shoulder bag which is big enough to carry her books.
숙련된 means to be skilled through practice. 미모 - beauty. 물이 올라요 - This expression is used when something get better, improves. It's often used with the word 미모 to refer to someone who is getting more beautiful. I omitted stating that the books are about her major because it sounds awkwardly long in English. 옆구리 literally means side of the body. I was going to translate it literally as "carrying books on your side" but when you look at the video, the girls are carrying the books in front of their bodies, not on their sides. It's interesting how girls carry books in front of their breasts whereas guys carry them on their sides. If a guy carries a book in front of his chest, it looks feminine. Anyway, so I translated it as carrying books in your arms.

		1:08 하이힐은 신고 마라톤을 해도 될 만큼 익숙해져 이젠 운동화만큼 편하다고 느껴요. 대학교 삼학년 여대생은 생얼로 버스를 탔다가 풀 메이크업으로 버스에서 내리는 달인 경지에 이르러요. She's gotten used to high heels to the point that she can run a marathon in them. They feel as comfortable as sneakers. A junior becomes a master makeup artist. She gets on a bus wearing no makeup and when she gets off, she has full makeup on.
생얼 refers to a woman's face with no makeup. 생 means raw. 얼 is short for 얼굴, face. 달인 is a master, expert. 경지 means stage, level.

		1:24 하지만 대학교 삼학년의 메이크업은 칙칙한 얼굴을 감추기 위한 것이지 누군가에게 이뻐보이고 싶어하는 것은 아니에요. 어차피 학교에서 만나는 사람은 거기서 거기니까요. But a junior wears makeup to prevent looking dull, not to impress someone. Because you run into the same people in school all the time anyway.
칙칙한 dull, drab. 거기서 거기니까요 is an expression which means that it's all the same.

		1:34 대학교 사학년 여대생은 취업에 대한 중압감과 스트레스 때문에 화장과 패션 따위엔 신경쓰지 않아요. 하지만 꾸질꾸질 사학년도 180도 변신하는 날이 있어요. A senior doesn't care about makeup or fashion because of the pressure and the stress of finding a job. But there is a day in which even an unkempt senior is transformed 180 degrees.
중압감 pressure. 꾸질꾸질 unkempt, messy, dirty, disheveled. 변신 transform

		1:46 바로 졸업 앨범 촬영날이에요. 졸업 앨범은 전국에 뚜쟁이 아줌마들과 대기업에 공급되는 매우 중요한 사진이에요. 전공 공부보다 더 열심히 연마한 화장 기술을 폭발해 다시 태어나게 되요. It's the day of the graduation pictures. They are important because they will be distributed to matchmakers nationwide and to large corporations. Thanks to her makeup skills, which she worked on more than her studies, she is reborn.
졸업 graduation. 촬영날 literally means the day of the shooting. 전국 nationwide. 뚜쟁이 matchmaker. 아줌마 married woman. Like in most places, matchmakers are middle aged women in Korea. Funny how the pictures will be given out to matchmakers nationwide. 대기업 large corporation. In Korea, you submit a photo on your resume. So that's why they are saying that graduation photos will be given out to large corporations. 연마 polish up, brush, perfect. 폭발해 explode. "화장 기술을 폭발해" is kind of an awkward expression. It literally means to explode her makeup skills.

		2:01 다음은 여대생의 연애 탐구생활이에요. 대학교 일학년 여대생은 대학만 오면 훈남 선배들이 줄줄이 있을거라 생각했어요. 하지만 다 오해였단 사실을 깨닫고 패닉에 빠져 허우적거려요. Next is the study of a female college student's love life. A freshman thinks that when she gets to college, there would be many attractive upperclassmen. But she realizes that she was mistaken and she falls into panic.
연애 dating, romance or love. 훈남 The exact meaning is a guy who is not good looking but is still attractive in some way. But it often means a likable guy who may also be good looking. Maybe it should be translated as "attractive guy". 선배 older student at one's school. Since in Korean culture, you can't call an older person (even if only a year older) by their name, you have to use titles like this. Whether it's male or female, college students call any student who is older 선배. And a younger student who goes to the same school is called 후배. 오해 misunderstanding. 허우적 거리다 flounder, flail. "Falling into panic" seems like an overreaction in this situation. But that's what they are saying here... 성시경 is a popular ballad singer. 천정명 is an actor. The funny things is, the two guys in class are uglier versions of the two celebrities.

		2:15 이 때 여자와 통하는 남자 동기와 멋모르고 사귀기 시작하면 CC라는 지울 수 없는 주홍 글씨만 떠안고 여름 방학 이전에 이별을 맞이해요. At this time, she unwisely starts dating a male freshman she gets along with. But all she's left with is a scarlet letter as the relationship ends before the summer break.
멋모르고 literally means without knowing. Unwisely may be a better fit here than unknowingly or ignorantly. CC stands for Campus Couple. 주홍 글씨 literally means scarlet letter. It refers to the scarlet letter in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel of the same name. Here, it means a bad relationship that cannot be erased.

		2:23 대학교 이학년 여대생은 연애사가 가장 버라이어티해요. 남친이 군대에 가버리고 외로움에 매일 눈물짓다가 전역한 예비역 오빠와 다시 얼레리 꼴레리되요. CC를 두번 했다고 손가락질 받는 일도 다반사에요. A sophomore has the most diverse love life. Her boyfriend goes off to the military and she cries every day because of loneliness. Then she starts dating an upperclassman who's been discharged from the military. It's not unusual to have people point fingers at her because she had two relationships in college.
버라이어티 Variety. 군대 refers to military service. Most Korean men must serve in the military service. A lot of them go around the second year of college. Then they cannot see their friends and family except when they are out on leave. So many relationship are broken. Yeah, sad... 전역 to be discharged (from military service). 예비역 military reserve. When discharged from the military, Korean men are obligated to be in the reserve. Squeezing this information about being in the reserve in the English translation makes the sentence seem unnecessarily long. The important point is that he has been discharged from the military. 얼레리 꼴레리 This is a taunt used by little kids. Here, it refers to dating, but with a derogatory connotation. CC stands for Campus Couple. 다반사 frequent. She seems like a slut because she's had more than one relationship in college (even though they are not at the same time).

		2:39 대학교 삼학년은 더 이상 남자를 학교에서 고르지 않아요. 이제 직장인 남자가 좋으니까요. 대학교 사학년은 연애에 신경 쓸 틈이 없어요. 하지만 정말 정말 좋은 인연, 좋은 짝이 나타난다면 취업 대신 취집도 괜찮을거라 생각을 해봐요. A junior no longer chooses guys from school. She now prefers working men. A senior has no time for relationships. But if she meets a really really great guy, she thinks that marriage - instead of working - may not be bad.
인연 tie, connection, relationship. 취업 job, employment. 취집 is a combination of the words 취업 and 시집. 시집 literally means the married woman's in-law family's house. When a girl gets married, they say that she is going to 시집: 시집간다. In the olden days, when a girl got married, she went to live with her husband and his family at their house. So 취집 means that a girl gets married instead of getting a job, saying that getting married is like getting a job.

		2:57 다음은 여대생의 술자리 탐구생활이에요. 술자리의 입문계인 일학년은 개강 파티, 동아리 파티, 환영 파티 등 등 에브리데이 술 파티 데이에요. Next is the study of a female college student's drinking habits. As a freshman, she is a beginning drinker. There is a beginning of the school year party, school club party, welcoming party, every day is a drinking party day.
입문계 here means beginning or introductory stage. 개강 literally means beginning of the lecture. 동아리 means a club, usually a club at a college. Korean college students join a club that they are interested in to make friends, have fun and maybe even learn something. There are clubs about photography, studying English, hip hop music, etc. 에브리데이 Every day. As you've noticed by now, a lot of English words are used in the Korean language.

		3:09 술자리에 가긴 하지만 쓰고 맛없는 술을 권하는 선배들이 불편하기만 해요. 이때는 자신의 주량을 몰라 한잔, 두잔 주는데로 받아 마시다가 늘 꽐라가 되어 질질질 집으로 돌아와요. She goes to drinking parties but she doesn't like it when the upperclassmen offer her alcohol which she finds to be bitter and distasteful. She doesn't know how much alcohol she can handle, so she drinks as much as offered, and she stumbles home totally drunk. 여자: 선배님, 집 반대 방향이잖아요. 남자: 이사 갔어! One of the girls: Sunbae, you live in the opposite direction. Guy carrying the girl: I moved!
주량 literally means drinking capacity. 꽐라 Slang term for being really drunk, wasted. 질질질 dragging. Like when you are wearing long clothes and they are dragging on the ground. 선배님 Sunbae means an older student. Adding a 님 at the end is more respectful. Usually, just saying sunbae is respectful enough. Did the guy really move, or does he want to take the girl home? He was offering her a huge BOWL of alcohol earlier. Hmmm... Also, funny how the girl is wearing colorful clothes like a tasteless freshman.

		3:23 술자리의 전성기 이학년은 하루가 멀다고 후배들을 둘러 모아 술을 먹어요. 맥주의 시원함, 소주의 쓴 맛을 즐길 줄 아는 진정한 애주가가 되며 후배들에게 참 인생을 가르치는 재미가 쏠쏠해요. 자신의 주량을 완벽히 파악해 기분이 좋을 때 멈추는 센스를 발휘하는 경지에 이르러요. A sophomore, who is in her prime drinking period, drinks almost every day with the freshmen. She has become a connoisseur who can appreciate the refreshing taste of beer and the bitterness of soju. And she enjoys teaching about the true values of life to younger students. She know exactly how much alcohol she can handle, and she develops the sense to stop drinking at the right time.
전성기 heyday, prime, one's best days, one's glory days, golden age. 소주 soju. Korean distilled spirits. Tastes like pure alcohol. A cheap, popular drink in Korea. 애주가 One who loves to drink. 후배 younger student. 재미가 쏠쏠해요 enjoying, having fun. Funny how a sophomore is acting like an older person, dispensing life's wisdom to "young people". 파악 understand, comprehend, figure out, realize. 센스 sense. 발휘하는 display, exhibit, show. 경지 stage.

		3:44 술자리의 정체기 삼학년은 동기들이 휴학을 하거나 군대로 떠나 술자리가 뜸해져요. 그러다 동기중에 군대 휴가를 나온 친구라도 생기면 자신의 주량을 잊은체 마셔 마셔 달려 달려를 하다 결국 꽐라가 되기도 해요. There is a dry spell in the junior year as classmates in the same year take a semester off or go to the military. So there aren't many opportunities to drink. Then when there is a classmates who's out on leave from the military, she forgets how much alcohol she can handle and she drinks and drinks and sometimes becomes totally wasted.
정체기 plateau, dry spell, stagnant period. 동기 classmates in the same year/grade. 동기 in college may not be of same age because some people go to college earlier or later depending on each individual's personal situation. 휴학 take time off. 휴가 leave, break, vacation, holiday, furlough.

		3:59 이 때 자신도 몰랐던 내면의 주사, 울었다 웃었다 하기, 옆사람 때리기, 이리 저리 전화 돌리기, 삼단 콤보를 날리기도 해요. Then her drinking behavior, which even she didn't know about, is revealed through the three piece combo of crying and laughing, hitting the other person, calling this and that person.
내면 inner, internal. 주사 act (violently) out of drunkenness.

		4:10 술자리의 쇠퇴기 사학년은 아주 가끔씩 있는 술자리도 부담스러워 가기 싫어져요. 큰 맘 먹고 술자리에 가더라도 건강을 생각해 꼭 먼저 식사를 하고 술을 마실 때 도움을 주는 견디셔를 복용하기도 해요. The senior year is the declining period of drinking. Even intermittent drinking opportunities are not welcome. Even when she does decide to go drinking, she thinks about her health and eats first and may even drink "Geon Di Sheoh".
쇠퇴기 declining phase. 부담스러워 uncomfortable, burdensome. 견디셔 a drink that's supposed to help with the negative effects of drinking.

		4:25 완벽한 컨디션을 만들고 난 뒤 오늘은 잊고 마시자며 술잔은 기울이지만 마시고 또 마셔도 취업 걱정에 취하지도 않아요. After getting herself ready, she says let's forget everything and drink. But even though she drinks and drinks, she doesn't get drunk because she is so worried about getting a job.
컨디션 condition. Koreans use this word a lot to describe how they are feeling. If you don't feel well, you can say that "my condition is not good": 컨디션 안 좋아.

		4:33 다음은 여대생의 성적 관리 탐구 생활이에요. 대학교 일학년은 성적 관리가 엉망이에요. 일학년 시절엔 수업보다 미팅, 소개팅이 더 중요해요. 땡땡이를 치거나 친구에게 대출을 부탁하고 빵꾸내기 일수에요. Next is the study of a female college student's academics. A freshman's academic performance is a mess. To a freshman, hanging out with friends and blind dates are more important. She often ditches class or asks her friend to answer for her during roll call.
성적 grade. "성적 관리 탐구 생활" literally means grade management study life. Yeah, that sounds pretty awful in English, so I just translated it as academics. 미팅 meeting. Korean college students use the English word meeting to refer to a social gathering with other students, not a formal meeting of any kind. 소개팅 is a mixture of 소개 which means "to introduce" and the shortened form of the word meeting. It means a blind date. 땡땡이를 친다 ditching (school). 대출 is short for 대신 출석. 대신 means instead of and 출석 means attendance. So 대출 is when you ask a friend to lie and say "here" when the professor calls out your name during roll call. There is also a Korean word 대출 which means a loan. But that's not what it means here.

		4:50 대학교 이학년은 조금씩 학점 관리에 신경을 쓰기 시작해요. 하지만 일학년 시절 놀던 가락이 있는지라 도서관에 엉덩이를 붙이긴 너무 너무 힘들어요. 그저 F만 면하도록 수업에만 참석하는 정도에요. A sophomore begins to be more concerned with her academics. But because she is so used to playing around during her freshman year, it's hard to keep her butt seated at the library. She just attends classes to barely avoid getting an F.
엉덩이 butt. 붙이긴 literally means to stick, adhere.

		5:06 대학교 삼학년은 학점 관리에 똥줄이 타기 시간해요. 일이학년 싸질러 놨던 학사 경고와 F와 D 학점을 메꾸기 위해 일학기를 끝내고 계절학기를 다니며 방학도 없이 공부해요. A junior begins to worry about her grades. Because of the academic warnings and D's and F's she piled up during her freshman and sophomore years, she finishes the first semester, then takes classes during the vacation.
똥 is poop, 줄 is line. 똥줄 refers to intestine, gut. 똥줄이 탄다 means that one is very nervous or tense. This is obviously a slang expression. 계절 학기 classes during vacation. Watch out, she's got her glasses on, so that means she's a serious student. :D

		5:19 대학교 사학년은 시간표 짜기에 달인이 되요. 일주일에 두번쯤만 학교에 나오도록 시간표를 짠 다음 취업에 중요한 TOEIC, TOEFL 공부, 봉사활동 점수, 모의면접, 고사 준비, 대기업 인턴 정보를 긁어 모으며 하루 하루 사회인이 되는 준비를 해요. A senior becomes a master scheduler. She arranges her schedule so that she only has to come to school two days a week. Then she prepares for employment by studying for the TOEIC, TOEFL exams, getting volunteer experience, preparing for practice interviews, company entrance exams and gathering info about internships at large corporations. Every day, she is getting ready to be a working person.
TOEIC and TOEFL are important tests for employment in Korea. They test English skills. 모의면접 practice interview. 고사 exam. Here, it refers to company entrance exams. Just about every large corporation in Korea has their own entrance exam. Most Koreans want to get into large corporations, so it's very competitive. Working for a "name brand" large corporation is important like wearing expensive name brand clothes or driving expensive cars. 인턴 intern. 사회인 literally means a member of a society. I decided to translate it as a working person because all the things she's doing is to be a working, employed person. The word 사회인 kind of implies that the person is a productive, employed member of a society.

		5:38 다음은 남자 대학생의 학년별 탐구 생활이에요. 대학교 일학년 남자. 대학에 들어온 즐거운 기분에 일학년 여자 동기들과 술마셔요. 대학교 이학년 남자. 벌써 선배가 된 즐거운 기분에 일학년 여자 후배들과 술마셔요. Next is the study of a male college student, year by year. Male freshman, because he is happy to be in a college, drinks with freshman girls. A sophomore, happy to be an older student, drinks with freshman girls.
"happy to be an older student" seems a bit awkward in English. In Korean culture, age is very important. As a sophomore, his "rank" is higher and now there are people under him. That's what makes him happy.

		5:56 대학교 삼학년 남자. 군대를 제대한 즐거운 기분에 일학년 여자 후배들과 술마셔요. 대학교 사학년 남자. 취업이 걱정되는 꿀꿀한 기분에 일학년 여자 후배들과 술마셔요. A junior, happy to be discharged from the military, drinks with freshman girls. A senior, worried about getting a job, drinks with freshman girls.
제대 discharge (from the military). 꿀꿀하다 depressed because things are not going well. I suppose any college senior in any country would be concerned about getting a job. It's especially true in Korea. It's not unusual to see thousands of applicants competing for a single position. Anyway... The obvious joke is that a male college student spends all his time drinking with freshman girls. OK, let me know what you think. Any typos, mistakes? Should something be translated differently? Questions? Please leave comments below.