🇰🇷 Korean Lesson #3 - All about 짜장면 (Jjajangmyeon)

해피 블랙데이! 🖤

안녕하세요 여러분, Hello everyone! How was your week?

We hope you enjoyed learning about the Convenience Store (편의점) with us last week! Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll; it's exciting to see such engagement. With 61% of the votes, 7-Eleven emerged as the clear favorite! One participant even shared her reasoning:

“I like the choices, prices seem o.k. American 711 I grown up with. Took my kids Always spent too long there. But 711 had what we wanted. Great coffee also”

As you might have noticed, last Saturday marked a unique celebration in Korea: it was Black Day (블랙데이), a day dedicated to celebrating singlehood!

Following Valentine’s Day (Feb, 14th) and White Day (March, 14th), Black Day falls on April 14th. On this day, single individuals relish in comfort foods and share camaraderie over their solo status. Many Koreans gather with their single friends to eat Jajangmyeon (짜장면), a beloved Chinese-Korean noodle dish made with rich bean paste and adorned with meat and vegetables.

There are plenty of recipes inspired by the 짜장면 (you can find the original recipe below in this newsletter), such as 짜장라면 which is the mix of Jjajang sauce and Ramen. K-pop star Hwasa (화사) made her own version below!
Let’s just look at a few words and expressions from this video:

👉 맛있겠다 (mashiketda) (0:07): This phrase translates to "Looks delicious" or "Seems tasty." It's used to express anticipation or excitement about the taste of food that you're about to eat or see someone else eating. 😋

👉 찰싹찰싹 (chalssak chalssak) (0:21): This is an onomatopoeic expression in Korean, imitating the sound of something being stirred or mixed in a rhythmic manner. In English, it could be likened to "Stirring/stirring" or "Mixing/mixing."

👉 안 돼! (an dwae!) (0:37): This translates to "No way!" or "It can't be!"

👉 잘 먹겠습니다 (jal meokgetseumnida) (1:54): This is a polite phrase used before eating in Korean, which translates to "I will enjoy the meal."

👉 후루룩 (hururuk) (2:12):This is another onomatopoeic expression in Korean, representing the sound of drinking something quickly or in one go. In English, it could be likened to "Gulp/gulp".

Let’s now learn some vocabulary related to Black Day! 🖤

So, whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day or joining the unique festivities of Black Day, these cultural events offer a glimpse into the diverse aspects of Korean society. Embrace the vocabulary and traditions, and perhaps, enjoy a delicious bowl of 짜장면 on Black Day, even if you're not solo! 🖤

✍️ Any questions about this lesson? Reach out to us on Instagram or Twitter 💌