Dictionary — Entry No. 0638
역시
yeoksi · adverb
역시
yeoksi
[YUHK-shee]
adverbbeginner
Meaning
역시 means ‘as expected,’ ‘indeed,’ or ‘just as I thought’ — it confirms that something matches a prior belief or reputation. It can also carry the nuance of ‘after all’ or signal that something is entirely consistent with what one already knows about a person or situation.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
역시 is the go-to fan expression for praising an idol who has exceeded no one’s surprise: ‘역시 aespa!’ or ‘역시 BTS!’ means roughly ‘They really are on another level — exactly as we always knew.’ The word floods Korean social media after a flawless comeback stage, and it signals admiration grounded in earned trust rather than shock.
Example Sentences
역시 네가 최고야.
Yeoksi nega choego-ya.
You’re the best, as always. (Confirmation of admiration — not surprise, but validated excellence that was never in doubt.)
역시 그럴 줄 알았어.
Yeoksi geureol jul arasseo.
I knew it would turn out like this. (Tone determines everything — can be satisfied pride or dry ‘I told you so.’)
역시 한국 음식이 최고야.
Yeoksi hanguk eumsigi choego-ya.
Korean food is the best, as always. (역시 marks this as a confirmed, standing truth — not a new discovery but a fact reaffirmed.)
⚠️ Don’t use yeoksi when…
역시 is for confirming expectations, not genuine surprise — using it when something actually shocks you sounds wrong to native speakers (reach for 진짜 or 정말 instead). It can also carry a faintly smug tone when applied to a negative outcome (‘exactly as I feared’), so delivery and context matter a lot.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: My Love from the Star (별에서 온 그대) — after 400 years observing humanity, Do Min-joon’s internal monologue is full of 역시 moments as Cheon Song-yi consistently defies and then confirms his expectations in equal measure.
- K-Pop: aespa — Savage
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.