In the emotionally charged scene at 01:20, IU and Park Seo Joon (PSJ) engage in a disagreement that revolves around the usage of a subtle variation of the word “you” in Korean. This linguistic nuance immediately caught my attention, adding an intriguing layer of depth to their exchange.
PSJ appears to take offense at the word “지?” uttered by IU, which prompts her to reiterate with “니!”.
So, what exactly caused PSJ to react so strongly?
While “니가” is commonly used in casual conversations with close acquaintances to differentiate between “you” and “I” (as 네가 and 내가 sound similar), “지가” is a slang term that carries an undertone of belittlement towards the addressed person.
