벌써 (beolsseo) Meaning — What Does 벌써 Mean in Korean?

Dictionary — Entry No. 0622

벌써

beolsseo · adverb

Dictionary beginner

벌써

beolsseo

[buhl-SUH]

adverbbeginner

Meaning

Means ‘already,’ with a built-in note of surprise or wonder that something happened sooner than expected. Unlike 이미 (imi), which neutrally states that something has occurred, 벌써 always carries a tinge of disbelief at the speed of time.

K-Pop & K-Drama Context

벌써 marks emotional turning points in K-Dramas — a character realizing time has slipped by, or a romance developing faster than either person anticipated. NewJeans capture this bittersweet surprise at fleeting youth throughout ‘Ditto,’ a song soaked in nostalgia for moments that feel both recent and already gone. Idols frequently use the word in year-end speeches: 벌써 1년이 됐어요.

Example Sentences

벌써 1년이 됐어?

Beolsseo ilnyeoni dwaesseo?

It’s already been a year? — genuine surprise at how fast time passed, common in anniversary scenes and idol year-end speeches

벌써 끝났어.

Beolsseo kkeutnaesseo.

It’s already over. — a simple, often melancholy observation; the fan reaction to a beloved drama’s finale

벌써 왔어? 빠르다!

Beolsseo wasseo? Ppareuda!

You’re here already? That was fast! — lighthearted surprise when someone arrives earlier than expected, no emotional weight

⚠️ Don’t use beolsseo when…

Mistake 1: Using 벌써 and 이미 (imi) interchangeably — 벌써 implies the speaker is caught off guard by how soon something happened, while 이미 is a neutral statement of fact with no emotional coloring. Mistake 2: Attempting to use 벌써 in negative sentences to mean ‘not yet’ — that role belongs exclusively to 아직 (ajik); 벌써 itself always describes something that has happened.

🎵 Heard In

K-Drama: Goblin — the immortal goblin’s recurring realization that centuries have passed yet his feelings remain gives 벌써 a poignant, otherworldly weight unique to this drama.
K-Pop: NewJeans — Ditto

ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.

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