Expression of the Week

Song Hae : 신입사원이야? 

Are you a rookie?

Baek Seung-chan：예, 선생님. 

Yes, sir. 

Song :  아, 그렇구먼. 그래, 그래. 신입사원이다. 요건 좀 하시나?

Ah, I see. Okay, okay. A newbie. Can you handle this?

Baek：아, 제가 술을 잘 못합니다.

Ah, I’m not much of a drinker.

Song : 됐다, 나도 오늘 좀 많이 안 하려고 마음을 먹었었는데 

딱 한 잔만 할 생각인데, 어때?

That’s alright. I don’t think I’ll be drinking too much today. 

I’m just going to have one drink. What do you say?

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술을 잘 못합니다. (I’m not much of a drinker)

술 – alcohol, alcoholic beverage, drinks, liquor

잘 못하다 – not very good at 

Casual – 술을 잘 못해 

Semi-polite – 술을 잘 못해요

Polite – 술을 잘 못합니다

>>못하다 means to be incapable of but adding ‘잘’ in front of it lessens the degree, so 잘 못하다 means to be not very good at something rather than not being able to do it at all.  

           

>>In the dialogue, Song Hae asks “can you handle this?” which means “how much can you drink?” and is implying that they grab drinks together. Seung-chan replies with the expression “술을 잘 못합니다” which is a polite way of refusing the request.