K-Dramas: How many times can you count someone saying "sorry (죄송합니다)" in an episode?

After watching Korean dramas, I have noticed certain words are overused in dialogue and “sorry (죄송합니다)” is definitely one of them! What is the highest number of times a character says the word “sorry”? Are there other words you have found in K-Dramas that are overused by the characters?

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Very interesting, as a Canadian it doesn’t seem excessive to me.


Shannon (Nicole Power) Kim’s Convivence

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I think I’m used to it since it’s so common in almost all Asian dramas.

It’s used for a lot of phrases whereas in English there’s, “excuse me” “pardon” etc.

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The other word that is used way too many times in Asian dramas; [’‘I like you’’] BY the female Character rarely by the guy.

That [I like you] is not sincere enough from the person saying it; which makes things worse for me because I’m starting to hate scenes with that fake: ‘‘I like you.’’ It’s like they are saying ‘‘I like what you are wearing.’’ I LIKE YOU needs to show feelings from the heart no as a matter of fact thing.

They are using those words like they don’t have a brain to make other interesting dialogues. I like you is rarely expressed by the ML, and most of the time is ‘‘the girl confessing.’’ When the female smiles, and the guy stays completely quiet that really gets on my nerves. The nerve of them!

That ‘‘I’m sorry.’’ I can’t even stand hearing that one either which they say constantly in Asian dramas. Now they add a more begging line to the I’m sorry which I can’t write but sounds to me like (amutheseo) Oh gosh that line I do detest so much, and if you pay attention they say after the (biahne) that one over again.

The I’m sorry they say is also for things that you have no need to say I’m sorry for because they can say; I apologize for what I did etc. They think female actress look so cute saying I’m sorry in such a ‘‘begging way.’’ That is the part I hate the most; to see the FL like a ‘‘puppy’’ begging for pitty.

Im Si Wan in Misaeng and Park Eun Bin in Do you like Brahms? would say sorry almost every 2nd scene.

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It can be easily explained if you consider culture. It’s just like how Canadians say “sorry” a lot. Indians have a special nod for “yes.” Or…

The most common way to show agreement and say ‘yes’ in Bulgaria is to shake your head from side to side, a gesture that in many countries means no. And it’s not just Bulgaria! Greece, Iran, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt all follow the same method. https://www.contiki.com/six-two/nodding-head-bulgaria-means-no/

Japanese consider tipping a bad practice.

In the Netherlands and Belgium , cheek kissing is a common greeting between relatives and friends (in the Netherlands slightly more so in the south). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheek_kissing

In Asian countries, it would be considered impolite to kiss someone on meeting.

People in nearly every English-speaking country say “bless you” in response to a sneeze. This custom emerged from superstitions about sneezes expelling the soul from the body - or allowing evil spirits to enter. Others believed that the heart stopped during a sneeze. Other cultures use different phrases, and some societies don’t respond to sneezes at all. If you’re in India, Korea, Japan, or the Philippines, don’t expect a reaction to your sneeze.

In Japan, starting a conversation on a mobile phone in any public setting is frowned upon. In Italy, India, and Spain, people scoff at the idea of not taking a call no matter where they were. They simply excuse themselves from whatever they are doing to answer their cell. https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-western-habits/nathan-gibson

Of course, I can’t answer why they say it a lot, but it’s definitely true that sometimes habits (and customs) emerge out of nowhere.

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Yes, exactly. For example, in China ‘wo xihuan ni’ can mean both ‘I like you’ or ‘I love you.’
‘Wo ai ni’ (‘I love you’) is a stronger (and special) way to express your love for certain people.

In Cdramas you hear ‘xihuan’ more often. When they say ‘ai’ in a drama, I really notice it and know that the character is very serious.

This made me laugh :laughing:. It also might depend on your family culture whether you do the cheek kisses.

I remember that some of the Asian exchange students were mortified at the prospect of having to do that and they were so relieved that it wasn’t required, not even with their friends lol :laughing:.

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Any other words or phrases instead of “sorry”?

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It’s not really the phrases that bother me it’s the random violence, the boss hitting or kicking their employee, the mother-in-law or girl who wants to date the ML slapping the FL, school bullies. It’s one of the reasons I don’t watch many high school dramas or melodramas.

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Like in Dr. Romantic the male surgeon kicking the female intern!!! Heck no! In Another Oh Hae Young - the mom hitting the daughter I think with a shoe - and you HEAR it - it is loud!!!

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I don’t know about male surgeons kicking interns but I know parents do hit their children with a shoe.

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A C-drama :cn: and they are full of saying sorry too, :joy:
or as they say 对不起 duibuqui!
Girl In Blue, :blue_heart::open_book::blue_heart: episode 28 :face_with_raised_eyebrow::triumph: she actually now wants to say she’s sorry! Your saying sorry does not equate! :triumph: He’s also sorry, yet again! I’ve already labeled you a betrayer of your bro-mance :triumph::face_with_raised_eyebrow:
Each episode in this drama runs on the characters always saying sorry. Counting is pointless :joy::joy::joy:

This is this drama, and the writer/director making her say duibuqui in episode 28 :face_with_raised_eyebrow::triumph::relieved: there is no way her lost can compare to the losts, plural, she caused a young impressionable woman! :face_with_raised_eyebrow: Hands down, the female Lead,(FL) should have quickly distanced herself from her ex’s best friend, the minute she knew they had a bro-mance. :smirk: I am so against this too. . .

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