너무
neomu
The needle has gone past the last mark
The picture A gauge needle swung past the final mark. Only the direction it crossed in — bad or good — changes. 너무 is the needle past the last mark; 아주 is the needle swung high but still on the dial. So 너무 비싸요 carries more than I can take, while 아주 비싸요 reports only a high price.
Where the picture shows up in 너무
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the price crossed the line
이거 너무 비싸요.
i-geo neo-mu bi-ssa-yo
This is too expensive.
The moment you see the price tag, the needle in your wallet swings past the last notch.
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crossing in the good direction
여기 진짜 너무 맛있어요!
yeo-gi jin-jja neo-mu ma-si-sseo-yo
This place is unbelievably good!
One spoonful, and the flavor needle jumps clear off the top of the dial.
It used to be strictly negative; now praise is its most common home.
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the amount crossed the line and blocked me
일이 너무 많아서 못 가요.
i-ri neo-mu ma-na-seo mot ga-yo
I have too much work — I can't come.
The stack of paper on the desk grows past its mark until it blocks the door.
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telling someone not to cross
너무 걱정하지 마세요.
neo-mu geok-jeong-ha-ji ma-se-yo
Don't worry too much.
Pressing gently on the other person's worry needle to bring it back inside the marks.
Not 'don't worry' — 'don't take it that far'.
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apologizing for a line you crossed
너무 늦어서 죄송합니다.
neo-mu neu-jeo-seo joe-song-ham-ni-da
I'm very sorry to be this late.
Bowing your head in front of a needle that has already passed the appointed-time mark.
All of it in one picture
너무 is one needle that has gone past the last mark. Let the wallet's needle cross and it means expensive; let the flavor needle leap off the dial and it becomes delight; let a stack of paper cross its mark and block the door and it means you cannot come; press someone's worry needle back inside the marks and it becomes comfort. Bow your head before a needle past the appointed hour and it becomes an apology. So what 너무 reports is not size but a line crossed — only the direction of the crossing, bad or good, changes from case to case.