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Squid Game:15 words you need to know from the series

Updated: Mar 21


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15 Korean Drama Vocabulary - Squid Game

Hello there! 😊


Are you a fan of Squid Game? With its intense storyline and thrilling games, this global hit isn’t just entertaining—it’s also a fantastic resource for learning Korean.


Have you ever watched a K-drama and thought, I wish I could understand that word without subtitles? If you want to understand Korean dramas without subtitles, it’s best to start small. Instead of trying to catch every word, focus on picking up useful vocabulary from the drama itself.


In this post, we’ll explore 15 must-know words from The Game of Ozzies, plus key words from Squid Game, all perfect for A2-B1 learners. Next time you watch, keep an ear out for these words—you’ll be surprised how much you recognize! Let’s dive in.

So, are you ready to dive into the world of Squid GameĀ and learn some Korean? ā€œThe game has begun!ā€ šŸ¦‘



Ā 


  1. ģƒģ”“Ā (saengjon) – Survival

    • ģƒģ”“ģ“ 달린 ź²Œģž„ģž…ė‹ˆė‹¤.

      (Saengjon-i dallin geim-imnida.)

      "I participated in the game diligently to survive."



  2. ė„ģ „Ā (dojeon) – Challenge

    • ģ“ ź²Œģž„ģ— ė„ģ „ķ•“ė³“ģ‹œź² ģŠµė‹ˆź¹Œ?

      (I geim-e dojeonhaebosigessseumnikka?)

      "Would you like to take on this challenge?"



  3. 상금 (sanggeum) – Prize money

    • ģƒźøˆģ„ ė°›ģœ¼ė ¤ė©“ ėź¹Œģ§€ 삓아남아야 ķ•©ė‹ˆė‹¤.

      (Sanggeum-eul badeuryeomyeon kkeutkkaji saramnamaya hamnida.)

      "You have to survive until the end to win the prize money."


      Players looking at the piggy bank
      Squid Game Prize Money Piggy Bank Scene

  4. ź·œģ¹™Ā (gyuchik) – Rule

    • ź·œģ¹™ģ„ 지키지 ģ•Šģœ¼ė©“ ķƒˆė½ķ•©ė‹ˆė‹¤.

      (Gyuchik-eul jikiji anheumyeon tallakhamnida.)

      "If you don’t follow the rules, you will be eliminated."


  5. źø“ģž„Ā (ginjang) – Nervous

    • ģ € ė„ˆė¬“ źø“ģž„ė¼ģš”.

      (Jeo neomu ginjangdwaeyo.)

      "I’m so nervous."


  6. ķŒ€Ā (tim) – Team

    • 우리 ź°™ģ€ ķŒ€ ķ• ėž˜ģš”?

      (Uri gateun tim hallaeyo?)

      "Do you want to be on the same team as me?"


      Player 095 asking player 120 to team up with her
      The scene where Player 095 asked Player 120 to team up with her.


  7. ģˆ«ģžĀ (sutja) –

    • ė‚˜ź°€ź³  ģ‹¶ģ€ ģ‚¬ėžŒģ˜ ģˆ«ģžź°€ ė” ģ ģ–“ģš”.

      (Nagago sipeun saram-ui sutja-ga deo jeogeoyo.)

      "The number of people who want to leave is smaller."



  8. ź²Œģž„Ā (geim) – Game

    • ģ“ź±° 애들 ź²Œģž„ ģ•„ė‹ˆģ•¼?

      (Igeo aedeul geim aniya?)

      "Isn’t this a children’s game?"



  9. ķƒˆė½Ā (tallak) – Elimination

    • 첫 번째 ź²Œģž„ģ—ģ„œ ķƒˆė½ķ•œ ģ‚¬ėžŒģ“ ė§Žģ•˜ģŠµė‹ˆė‹¤.

      (Cheot beonjae geim-eseo tallakhan sarami manasseumnida.)

      "Many people were eliminated in the first game."


      Elimination scene in Red Light, Green Light game
      Scene from the first game in Squid Game Season called "Red Light, Green Light".


  10. ģœ„ķ—˜Ā (wiheom) – Danger

    • ģ“ ź²Œģž„ģ€ 정말 ģœ„ķ—˜ķ•©ė‹ˆė‹¤.

      (I geim-eun jeongmal wiheomhapnida.)

      "This game is really dangerous."



  11. ģš“ėŖ…Ā (unmyeong) – Fate

    • ģ°øź°€ģžė“¤ģ˜ ģš“ėŖ…ģ“ ģ“ ź²Œģž„ģ— 달려 ģžˆģ–“ģš”.

      (Chamgajadeul-ui unmyeong-i i geim-e dallyeo isseoyo.)

      "The participants’ fate depends on this game."



  12. ģš°ģŠ¹ģžĀ (useungja) – Winner

    • ģ§€ė‚œė²ˆ ģš°ģŠ¹ģžź°€ ģ €ģ˜€ģ–“ģš”.

      (Jinanbeon useungjaga jeoyeosseoyo.)

      "I was the winner last time."


      Player 456 revealed he was the winner in last game scene
      Scene where Player 456 reveals he was the winner in the last game.

  13. ė°°ģ‹ Ā (baesin) – Betrayal

    • 우리 ģ„œė”œ ė°°ģ‹ ķ•˜ģ§€ ė§™ģ‹œė‹¤.

      (Uri seoro baesinhaji mapsida.)

      "Let’s not betray each other."



  14. 친구 (chingu) – Friend

    • ģ¹œźµ¬ģ•¼, ė‹ˆź°€ ģžˆģ–“ģ„œ ė“ ė“ ķ•˜ė‹¤.

      (Chinguya, niga isseoseo deundeunhada.)

      "With a friend, you can even overcome difficult games."



  15. ģ°øź°€ģžĀ (chamgaja) – Participant

    • ģ°øź°€ģžėŠ” 456ėŖ…ģž…ė‹ˆė‹¤.

      (Chamgaja-neun sasabaek yuksip-yuk myeong-imnida.)

      "There are 456 participants."


      Player 001 and Player 456 realized that they are the first and last players
      Number of Participants scene



Ā 

And that's 15 Korean Drama Vocabulary for Squid Game!


I hope you found these words useful and that they add a new layer of enjoyment to watching Squid GameĀ while improving your Korean! Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be able to recognize and use these words naturally in everyday conversations.


Feel free to revisit this post whenever you need a quick review, and don’t hesitate to share your thoughts or questions in the comments. Stay motivated and keep learning—your Korean journey is just getting started!

Until next time, ź²Œģž„ģ—ģ„œ ģŠ¹ė¦¬ķ•˜ģ„øģš”! šŸ†





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