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-요
-yo
One word, four sentences: 가요
A small cushion you set on the end of a sentence. Whatever the sentence is, the cushion makes it land gently.
Korean
5 uses
hold on
hoʊld ɑːn
Fingers that don't open — hold on
Fingers closed on something stay closed, right where they are.
English
5 uses
-습니다
-seumnida
The suit your sentence puts on
Standing up straight to speak. Not fear of the listener — the setting is public, so the sentence dresses up.
Korean
5 uses
pick up
pɪk ʌp
The hand dips and lifts — pick up
A hand goes down, closes on something, and lifts it up into its own space.
English
5 uses
run into
rʌn ˈɪntuː
Hitting something head-on as you go — run into
Something moving forward collides head-on with whatever is in its path.
English
5 uses
-(으)시-
-(eu)si-
Not bowing down — lifting them up
Sliding a small platform under someone inside your sentence, so their seat sits one level higher.
Korean
5 uses
set up
set ʌp
Standing the flat thing upright — set up
Something lying flat is stood upright and fixed in place so it will hold.
English
5 uses
-(으)ㄹ 수 있다
-(eu)l su itda
Not ability — an open door
A door stands ahead of you. If it's open, you can walk through. What opened it might be your skill, a rule, or just today's schedule.
Korean
5 uses
-아/어야 하다
-a/eoya hada
Not because you want to — because it's been set on you
Someone has set a stone on your shoulder. You move because of the weight. Only the identity of whoever set it there changes.
Korean
5 uses
go through
ɡoʊ θruː
In one end and out the other — go through
Something enters at one end, passes the whole length of the inside, and comes out the far end.
English
5 uses
-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다
-(eu)n/neun geot gatda
Fogging a window you can see through perfectly
Looking outside through a misted window. The shape is there; you simply decline to state it flatly.
Korean
5 uses
carry out
ˈkæri aʊt
Carrying the plan out of the paper and into the world — carry out
A plan written on paper is lifted in both hands, carried out to the real site, and finished there.
English
5 uses
-지 않다
-ji anta
Say the whole thing, then flip the switch
You say the sentence all the way through, then reach out at the end and flick the switch down.
Korean
5 uses
bring about
brɪŋ əˈbaʊt
Pushing the heavy thing round into a new position — bring about
Something heavy is pushed round until it stands facing a different way than before.
English
5 uses
안/못
an/mot
Who built the wall — you or someone else?
A wall stands across your path. All that changes is whether you built it yourself or someone else did.
Korean
5 uses
좀
jom
It shrinks the request, not the amount
You fold a request or a complaint small in your palm before holding it out. The actual size hasn't changed.
Korean
5 uses
잘
jal
Not 'excellently' — 'without snagging'
Gears turning without catching anywhere. A person, a machine, a sound — if it runs without snagging, that's 잘.
Korean
5 uses
너무
neomu
The needle has gone past the last mark
A gauge needle swung past the final mark. Only the direction it crossed in — bad or good — changes.
Korean
5 uses
거의
geoui
A foot stopped just short of the finish line
A foot planted right where you could reach the line but haven't. You didn't touch it — but you know exactly where it is.
Korean
5 uses
아직
ajik
Not 'no' — 'still on the way'
A point marked on a moving timeline, and you haven't reached it yet. The line keeps rolling forward.
Korean
5 uses
-(으)ㄹ까요
-(eu)lkkayo
Setting your thought down in front of the other person
Taking the thought out of your own head, placing it on the table in front of someone, and pushing the decision over to their side.
Korean
5 uses