별로
byeol-lo
별로 is a low reading, not a zero
The picture The dial stopped one or two notches off the bottom, and a shrug at the sight of it. 별로 is a low reading; 전혀 is a reading of flat zero.
Where the picture shows up in 별로
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low on the spice scale
이건 별로 안 매워요.
i-geon byeol-lo an mae-wo-yo
This isn't very spicy.
Of five chili marks on the menu, only one is colored in red.
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low on the distance scale
여기서 별로 안 멀어요.
yeo-gi-seo byeol-lo an meo-reo-yo
It's not very far from here.
On the map the line runs out only about two finger-joints long.
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low on the busy scale
요즘은 별로 안 바빠요.
yo-jeu-meun byeol-lo an ba-ppa-yo
I'm not that busy these days.
A planner with a few slots filled in and the rest left blank.
It can also be heard as 'I have room to help you'.
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a verdict on its own
맛은 별로였어요.
ma-seun byeol-lo-yeo-sseo-yo
The food was nothing special.
One bite, a slight tilt of the head, and the mouth closing without a word.
With no negative verb after it, 별로 alone means 'meh'.
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low on the liking scale
저는 별로 안 좋아해요.
jeo-neun byeol-lo an jo-a-hae-yo
I don't really like it.
A flat palm waggling slightly side to side, with a noncommittal face above it.
별로 is the way to avoid saying 'I hate it' outright.
All of it in one picture
별로 is the picture of a dial stopping low. One chili mark colored in means it is 별로 spicy; a line two joints long means it is 별로 far. A planner mostly blank means you are 별로 busy, a tilted head after one bite means the food was 별로, a waggling palm means you like it 별로. It never says zero. It only says low — and says it gently.