Lesson 5

Unit 13. 바로 vs. 당장

Translations:
바로 = right now / right after / directly
당장 = right now / right away

바로 has a lot of meanings, but when it is used related to time, it means "right after" something or “without waiting.” 당장 has the same meaning as 바로, but tends to have a slightly stronger nuance than 바로. So if someone says “당장 여기로 와" (in casual language), it can mean “Stop whatever you are doing and come over here now,” whereas “바로 여기로 와" can mean “Come here as soon as you are done with what you are doing.”

Example #1
한 시간 후에 바로 돌아오세요. = Come right back in one hour.
한 시간 후에 당장 돌아오세요. (incorrect) (한 시간 후 and 당장 contradict each other.)

Example #2
“I’ll go right now.”
지금 바로 갈게요. (o)
지금 당장 갈게요. (o)

Example #3
여기서 바로 집으로 갈 거예요? = Are you going to go home directly from here?
여기서 당장 집으로 갈 거예요? (incorrect)

Unit 14. 일찍 vs. 빨리

Translations:
일찍 = early
빨리 = quickly

일찍 means “early” in terms of time, so you use it when something happens earlier than a certain time or just early in the day, whereas 빨리 means “fast” or “quickly” in terms of speed, so you use it when something is done quickly. In some cases, however, they are used interchangeably. For example, if something was finished early because it was done quickly, either word can be used.

Example #1
일찍 배달해 주세요. = Please deliver it early in the morning/day.
빨리 배달해 주세요. = Please deliver it quickly.

Example #2
그 사람은 음식을 빨리 먹어요. = He eats food quickly.
그 사람은 음식을 일찍 먹어요. (incorrect)

Example #3
빨리 끝낼게요. = I will finish it as soon as possible.
일찍 끝낼게요. = I will finish it earlier than usual.

Unit 15. 신기해요 vs. 재미있어요

Translations:
신기해요 = It’s interesting. / It’s fascinating. / It’s novel.
재미있어요 = It’s interesting. / It’s fun.

신기해요 is one of the most difficult Korean expressions to translate into English. Since it is often translated as “interesting,” you might get it confused with the expression, 재미있어요. However, you say 신기해요 when you see or hear something that you have never experienced before or when you experience any situation that you find fascinating, intriguing, and/or hard to understand. You say 재미있어요, however, when you find something fun and enjoyable.

Example #1
양을 처음 봐서 신기해요. = It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a sheep so it’s fascinating.
양을 처음 봐서 재미있어요. (incorrect)

Example #2
제 친구는 신기한 재주가 있어요. = My friend has a crazy trick( or skill).
제 친구는 재미있는 재주가 있어요. = My friend has a fun trick( or skill).

Example #3
이 영화 너무 신기해요. = Some aspects of the movie are very new, original, or advanced.
이 영화 너무 재미있어요. = This movie is so much fun.