Archive #10

Annyeong Daily #10: answers explained

October 14, 2026 · Today's five include a shocked reaction, a fan event, asking for the bill, the place particle 에서 (eseo), and the spelling of school. One of them, 팬싸 (paenssa), is a short form of a longer word. Korean often makes words this way.

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1Drama talk

You tell your friend the café is closed forever. They reply '헐…'. What did they mean?

헐 (heol)

Let's go
What?! / No way
Bless you
Hello

Answer: What?! / No way

헐 (heol) is a short sound of shock, like "What?!" or "No way." It became popular online about twenty years ago. Now it is common in speech too. It can show surprise, disbelief or mild disappointment. In the question, the friend is sad and shocked that the café closed. 헐 is very casual. Use it only with friends of a similar age. With older people or at work, say 진짜요? (jinjjayo?) — "Really?" Example: 헐, 벌써 열 시야? (heol, beolsseo yeol siya?) — "What?! It's already ten o'clock?" "Hello" is wrong, because 헐 is a reaction, not a greeting.

Say it to: Close friends

2K-pop

Fans are lining up for a '팬싸'. What is it?

팬싸 (paenssa)

A fan fight
A fan signing event
A fan-made video
A free concert

Answer: A fan signing event

팬싸 (paenssa) is short for 팬사인회 (paensainhoe), a fan signing event. 팬 (paen) means fan, 사인 (sain) means autograph, and 회 (hoe) means meeting or event. Koreans often shorten long words by keeping the first syllables. Notice that 사 becomes 싸, a stronger sound, in the short form. At a 팬싸, fans go up one by one to the idol's table. They get an autograph and a short chat. Example: 팬싸에 당첨됐어! (paenssae dangcheomdwaesseo!) — "I won a spot at the fan sign!" Often, fans get a spot through a lucky draw.

Say it to: Friends and fellow fans — it's a short form

3Food

You've finished eating and want to pay. What do you say to the staff?

맛있게 드세요
어서 오세요
계산해 주세요
포장해 주세요

Answer: 계산해 주세요

계산해 주세요 (gyesanhae juseyo) means "The bill, please." 계산 (gyesan) means calculation, and in a shop it also means paying. 해 주세요 (hae juseyo) means "please do it for me". In many Korean restaurants, nobody brings a bill to your table. You take your receipt or table number to the counter near the door and pay there. Tipping is not common in Korea. Example: 카드로 계산할게요 (kadeuro gyesanhalgeyo) — "I'll pay by card." 포장해 주세요 (pojanghae juseyo) means "To go, please". 어서 오세요 (eoseo oseyo) means "Welcome", and staff say it when you come in.

Polite (해요체) · Say it to: Restaurant and shop staff

4Grammar

Fill in the blank: 'I study at a café.'

카페___ 공부해요. (kape___ gongbuhaeyo.)

에
가
에서
를

Answer: 에서 — 카페에서 공부해요.

카페에서 공부해요 (kapeeseo gongbuhaeyo) means "I study at a café." 에서 (eseo) is a particle that shows where an action happens. A particle is a small word ending that shows the role of a word. Use 에서 with action verbs like study, eat, work or meet. Use 에 (e) for where something is, or where you go. Compare: 카페에 있어요 (kapee isseoyo) — "I'm at the café." 카페에 가요 (kapee gayo) — "I'm going to the café." Example: 도서관에서 책을 읽어요 (doseogwaneseo chaegeul ilgeoyo) — "I read books at the library." A simple test: if you are doing something there, use 에서.

5Hangul

Using the official Revised Romanization, how is this written?

학교 [학꾜]

hakkyo
hakgyo
hokgyo
hakgeo

Answer: hakgyo

학교 (hakgyo) means school. 학 (hak) means learning, and 교 (gyo) means school or teaching. When you say it, the ㄱ of 교 becomes stronger, so it sounds like hak-kyo. This is called tensing. A tense sound is a hard sound made with tight muscles in the throat. Revised Romanization does not show tensing. It follows the letters, so the official spelling is hakgyo. Example: 학교에서 친구를 만나요 (hakgyoeseo chingureul mannayo) — "I meet my friends at school." This is why "hakkyo" is tempting. It matches the sound, but it is not the official spelling.