Lesson 14
쉿! 조용히 해 봐.
= Hush! Be quiet.
When is this phrase usually used?
If you hear this expression in a Korean drama, the situation will be either one of the following: the person who says this wants to hear something better, or is up to something secretive and wants to hide. Either way, “조용히 해 봐” is a more polite way of saying “be quiet” than “조용히 해,” even when you are speaking casual language. This is because “조용히 해 봐” implies that you want to figure something out so you want the other person to be quiet, whereas “조용히 해” sounds more like a direct command.
Vocabulary & Grammar Points
* 쉿! [swit!] = Shush! Hush!
Ex) 쉿! 무슨 소리 못 들었어요?
[swit! mu-seun so-ri mot deu-reo-sseo-yo?]
= Hush! Didn’t you hear some sound?
* 조용하다 [jo-yong-ha-da] = to be quiet
Ex) 여기는 밤에는 정말 조용해요.
[yeo-gi-neun ba-me-neun jeong-mal jo-yong-hae-yo.]
= This place is really quiet at night.
* 조용히 하다 [jo-yong-hi ha-da] = to keep quiet
Ex) 아기가 자고 있으니까 조용히 해 주세요.
[a-gi-ga ja-go i-sseu-ni-kka jo-yong-hi hae ju-se-yo.]
= The baby is sleeping so be quiet.
* -아/어/여 보다 [-a/eo/yeo bo-da] = to try + V-ing
Ex) 이거 열어 보세요.
[i-geo yeo-reo bo-se-yo.]
= Open this. / Try opening this.