곧
got
Korean 곧 measures distance, not minutes
The picture The thing is standing one stride ahead of your foot. It has not arrived yet, but nothing is wedged in between. 곧 lands on the very next step; 나중에 comes after a stretch of other things.
Where the picture shows up in 곧
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a body one step away
곧 도착해요.
got do-cha-kae-yo
I'll be there soon.
The person on the phone is already visible at the end of the alley, walking with the phone at their ear.
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an event one step away
회의가 곧 시작합니다.
hoe-i-ga got si-ja-kam-ni-da
The meeting is about to start.
People are seated, papers spread open, and only one beat is left before it begins.
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I'll do it right after this
확인하고 곧 연락드릴게요.
hwa-gin-ha-go got yeol-lak-deu-ril-ge-yo
I'll check and get back to you shortly.
You set the receiver down and rest your hand on it, ready to lift it again.
A promise to wedge nothing between the checking and the call.
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a door one step from closing
저희 가게는 곧 문 닫아요.
jeo-hui ga-ge-neun got mun da-da-yo
We're closing soon.
The clerk has the chairs up and a hand on the sign light, watching the last customer.
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a body one step from better
약 드시면 곧 괜찮아질 거예요.
yak deu-si-myeon got gwaen-cha-na-jil geo-ye-yo
Take this and you'll feel better soon.
The pill goes down and the frown in the forehead loosens by one notch.
All of it in one picture
곧 marks a thing standing one stride ahead. The figure at the end of the alley is arriving 곧; the papers spread open mean the meeting starts 곧. A hand resting on the receiver means you will call 곧, chairs up on the tables mean the shop closes 곧, a swallowed pill means relief comes 곧. Nobody states the number of minutes. 곧 only claims that nothing else has been wedged into the gap.