조금
jo-geum
조금 is one notch, not an amount
The picture A hand lifting the dial exactly one notch off the bottom and stopping there. 조금 lifts the dial one notch; 아주 runs it to the end of its track.
Where the picture shows up in 조금
-
one notch of amount
조금만 주세요.
jo-geum-man ju-se-yo
Just a little, please.
The server puts barely one spoonful across the bottom of the bowl and stops.
-
one notch of pain
여기가 조금 아파요.
yeo-gi-ga jo-geum a-pa-yo
It hurts a little right here.
As the spot is pressed, the eyebrows pull in only the faintest amount.
Handy for describing how much it hurts at a clinic.
-
one notch of time
조금만 기다려 주세요.
jo-geum-man gi-da-ryeo ju-se-yo
Please wait just a moment.
Two fingers held a narrow gap apart, showing 'about this much'.
-
one notch of distance
조금 더 왼쪽으로요.
jo-geum deo oen-jjo-geu-ro-yo
A little more to the left, please.
A fingertip nudges the picture frame over by one knuckle's width.
Used when moving furniture or lining something up.
-
one notch of softening
가격이 조금 비싸네요.
ga-geo-gi jo-geum bi-ssa-ne-yo
That's a bit expensive.
A small cushion is tucked in front of the word 'expensive' to soften the landing.
조금 is slipped in to avoid saying 'expensive' flat out.
All of it in one picture
조금 lifts the dial exactly one notch. One notch of rice in the bowl is 조금 served; eyebrows barely pulling in is 조금 painful. Fingers held a narrow gap apart is 조금 of waiting, a frame nudged one knuckle over is 조금 moved, and a cushion in front of 'expensive' is the word pressed down by 조금. Rice, pain, time or price — whatever is on the scale, 조금 always raises it by a single notch.