Milestone: Vocab 1-100 Halfway Check-in

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TL;DR 🦄

🎉 Halfway there! This check-in reviews 25 useful intermediate words from your first 100 vocabulary lessons, grouped by theme.

🔗 Focus on natural partners and contexts: 환절기에 겉옷을 챙기다 (bring outerwear during the seasonal transition), 입맛에 맞는 음식을 추천하다 (recommend food that suits one's palate).

🌱 If you can recall the word, pick the right collocation, and use it in a full sentence, you're ready to keep climbing toward 200.

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🎧 Iru Helper Note

Type any Korean word or sentence from this lesson into

Korean Helper Widgets to hear it read aloud. Try full chunks like 환절기에는 건강 조심하세요 (Take care of your health during the seasonal transition) and 솔직하게 말하면 제 취향이 아니에요 (Honestly, it's not my taste).

🌈 The Big Picture

You've now built up 100 intermediate vocabulary words — congratulations! 🎊 This halfway check-in isn't a new lesson; it's a chance to pull words from across recent topics (weather, seasons, scenery, food preferences, and daily routines) and practice using them together in natural sentences.

This check-in reviews 25 words across five themes:

🌬️ Season & Weather: 환절기, 쌀쌀하다, 습하다, 눅눅하다, 선선하다

☀️ Light & Scenery: 햇살, 그늘, 야경, 환하다, 고요하다

🍽️ Food & Taste: 입맛, 취향, 가리다, 추천, 솔직하게

🧥 Clothing & Preparation: 겉옷, 챙기다, 대비하다, 두툼하다, 얇다

🔄 Change & Flow: 변하다, 서서히, 점점, 머물다, 차분하게

Because this is an Intermediate Vocabulary lesson, there is no romanization. Your goal is fluent recall and natural collocation, not letter-by-letter reading.

🎨 The Core Halfway Check-in Family

🌬️ Season & Weather

환절기에 감기 조심하세요 = Be careful of catching a cold during the seasonal transition

날씨가 쌀쌀해요 = The weather is chilly

공기가 습해요 = The air is humid

과자가 눅눅해졌어요 = The crackers got soggy

아침 공기가 선선해요 = The morning air is cool and refreshing

☀️ Light & Scenery

따뜻한 햇살이 들어와요 = Warm sunbeams come in

그늘에서 쉬어요 = I rest in the shade

아름다운 야경을 봐요 = I see a beautiful night view

방이 환해졌어요 = The room became bright

고요한 새벽이에요 = It's a still, quiet dawn

🍽️ Food & Taste

입맛이 없어요 = I have no appetite

제 취향이 아니에요 = It's not my taste

음식을 가려요 = I'm picky about food

식당을 추천해 줘요 = I recommend a restaurant

솔직하게 말하면 = Honestly speaking

🧥 Clothing & Preparation

겉옷을 챙겨요 = I bring outerwear

우산을 챙기다 = to pack/bring an umbrella

추위에 대비하다 = to prepare for the cold

두툼한 이불 = a thick, cushiony blanket

얇은 옷 = thin clothing

🔄 Change & Flow

태도가 변했어요 = One's attitude has changed

서서히 나타나다 = to gradually appear

점점 좋아지다 = to gradually get better

호텔에 머물다 = to stay at a hotel

차분하게 풀다 = to solve calmly

🛠️ How They Work in a Sentence

환절기에는 날씨가 쌀쌀해질 수 있으니까 겉옷을 챙기는 게 좋아요.

During the seasonal transition, the weather can turn chilly, so it's good to bring outerwear. 🧥

— Combines 환절기, 쌀쌀해지다 (the "becomes" form of 쌀쌀하다), and 챙기다 in a cause-and-preparation chain.

햇살이 강한 날에는 그늘에서 고요하게 쉬는 것도 좋아요.

On days when the sunbeams are strong, it's also nice to rest quietly in the shade. ☀️

— 햇살 and 그늘 form a natural light/shade contrast, while 고요하게 (adverb form of 고요하다) describes the manner of resting.

제 입맛에 맞는 음식을 추천해 줬는데 저는 음식을 가리는 편이라 조금 걱정했어요.

They recommended food that suits my palate, but since I tend to be picky about food, I was a little worried. 🍽️

— 입맛, 추천하다, and 가리다 appear together exactly as they would in a real conversation about dining plans.

🧩 General Formation Rule

쌀쌀하다 → 쌀쌀해요 / 쌀쌀한 / 쌀쌀해서 / 쌀쌀해지다 (becomes chilly) — regular 하다 adjective

눅눅하다 → 눅눅해요 / 눅눅한 / 눅눅해지다 (becomes soggy) — regular 하다 adjective

선선하다 → 선선해요 / 선선한 / 선선해지다 (becomes cool) — regular 하다 adjective

환하다 → 환해요 / 환한 / 환해지다 (becomes bright) — regular 하다 adjective

고요하다 → 고요해요 / 고요한 / 고요하게 (adverb form) — regular 하다 adjective

가리다 → 가려요 / 가리는 / 가렸어요 / 가리지 않다 — regular verb

두툼하다 → 두툼해요 / 두툼한 — regular 하다 adjective

얇다 → 얇아요 / 얇은 / 얇아서 — regular adjective

챙기다 → 챙겨요 / 챙긴 / 챙겨서 — ㅣ+어 → 여 contraction

대비하다 → 대비해요 / 대비한 / 대비해서 — regular 하다 verb

변하다 → 변해요 / 변한 / 변하는 / 변해서 — regular 하다 verb (gradual/internal change)

머물다 → 머물러요 / 머무는 / 머물고 — irregular: 르-type ending conjugates like 머무르다 (머물러요), but the modifier drops ㄹ before ㄴ (머무는, not 머물는)

📚 Cross-check note

All vocabulary cross-checked against korean.go.kr ✅

🪞 Synonym Alert

습하다 vs. 눅눅하다: 습하다 describes humid air or weather; 눅눅하다 describes a damp or soggy object/food affected by that humidity. 💧

선선하다 vs. 시원하다: 선선하다 is a pleasantly cool weather feeling (autumn mornings); 시원하다 is broader and covers cool drinks, AC, or relief in general. 🍃

입맛 vs. 취향: 입맛 is specifically about food/palate; 취향 is general taste or preference (music, style, etc.). 🍽️

그늘 vs. 그림자: 그늘 is a shaded area you can stand in; 그림자 is the shadow shape an object casts. 🌳

변하다 vs. 바뀌다: 변하다 is gradual or internal change (a person's attitude); 바뀌다 is an external swap or replacement (a schedule, a name). 🔄

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

❌ Treating 환절기 as just "season" → ✅ It specifically means the transitional period between seasons, when weather is unstable. 🌗

❌ Mixing up 두툼하다 (thick/cushiony) with 얇다 (thin) → ✅ They're opposites — 두툼한 이불 vs. 얇은 옷. 🧥

❌ Reading 음식을 가리다 as "to hide food" → ✅ In a food context it means "to be picky/selective about food." 🍽️

❌ Conjugating 머물다 as 머물어요 → ✅ It's irregular: 머물러요 (like 머무르다), but the modifier is 머무는 (ㄹ drops before ㄴ). 🏨

❌ Using 고요하다 and 조용하다 as always interchangeable → ✅ 고요하다 implies deep stillness/serenity (often nature, dawn); 조용하다 is everyday quiet (a quiet room). 🌌

You've reviewed 25 words across weather, scenery, food, clothing, and change — that's a real toolkit, not just a word list. 🌓✨

Try this exercise

Instructions: Choose the best word or form for each sentence. Say the full sentence aloud before checking the Answer toggle.

1. ＿＿＿＿에는 일교차가 크니까 건강 조심하세요.

(Be careful of your health during the seasonal transition since the daily temperature gap is large.) 🌗

Answer

환절기 → The transitional period between seasons.

2. 오늘 밤은 좀 ＿＿＿＿ 겉옷을 입었어요.

(Tonight is a bit chilly so I wore outerwear.) 🧥

Answer

쌀쌀해서 → 쌀쌀하다 + -아서/어서 (cause).

3. ＿＿＿＿이 비치는 창가 자리에 앉았어요.

(I sat by the window where sunbeams shine in.) ☀️

Answer

햇살 → Sunbeams; pairs naturally with 비치다 (to shine).

4. 더운 날에는 ＿＿＿＿을 찾아서 걸어요.

(On hot days, I walk while looking for shade.) 🌳

Answer

그늘 → A shaded area, not a shadow shape.

5. 요즘 ＿＿＿＿이 없어서 밥을 잘 못 먹어요.

(I have no appetite these days, so I can't eat well.) 🍚

Answer

입맛 → Food-specific palate/appetite.

6. 저는 음식을 ＿＿＿＿ 편이 아니에요.

(I'm not the type to be picky about food.) 🍽️

Answer

가리는 → 가리다 modifier form.

7. 비가 올 것 같아서 ＿＿＿＿을 챙겼어요.

(It looked like it might rain, so I brought outerwear.) ☂️

Answer

겉옷 → Natural pairing: 겉옷을 챙기다.

8. 추위에 ＿＿＿＿ 따뜻한 차를 준비했어요.

(I prepared warm tea to prepare for the cold.) ☕

Answer

대비해서 → 대비하다 + -아서/어서.

9. 날씨가 ＿＿＿＿ 더워지고 있어요.

(The weather is gradually getting hotter.) 🌡️

Answer

점점 → Marks gradual progression.

10. 친구 집에 며칠 ＿＿＿＿ 왔어요.

(I stayed at my friend's place for a few days, then came back.) 🏠

Answer

머물다가 → 머물다 (irregular) + -다가 (then, switching action).

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Vocabulary Box

환절기 → seasonal transition

쌀쌀하다 → to be chilly

햇살 → sunbeams

그늘 → shade

입맛 → palate; appetite

가리다 → to be picky (food)

겉옷 → outerwear

대비하다 → to prepare for

점점 → gradually

머물다 → to stay (irregular)

Pitfalls 💡

환절기 ≠ "season" — it's the transition between seasons.

머물다 → 머물러요 (irregular), 머무는 (modifier).

입맛 (food) vs. 취향 (general taste).

🚀

Want more reps? Visit the Practice Hub when you're ready! 🚀

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🎯 Practice Hub — Milestone: Vocab 1-100 Halfway Check-in

100 words down, 100 to go! 🌓 Each exercise below revisits one of the five themes from this check-in — weather, scenery, food, clothing, and change — so you can practice recall, collocation, and natural sentence flow.

🔊 Audio reminder: Use the Korean Helper Widgets to hear any sentence.

Exercise 1 — Season & Weather 🌬️

A. 요즘처럼 ＿＿＿＿에는 옷을 여러 겹 입는 게 좋아요.

(During a seasonal transition like these days, it's good to wear clothes in layers.) 🧥

Answer

환절기 → The unstable transitional period between seasons.

B. 저녁이 되니까 바람이 ＿＿＿＿.

(Now that it's evening, the wind is chilly.) 🌬️

Answer

쌀쌀해요 → 쌀쌀하다, present tense.

C. 한국의 여름은 덥고 ＿＿＿＿.

(Korean summers are hot and humid.) ☀️

Answer

습해요 → 습하다 describes humid air.

D. 오래된 과자를 먹었더니 ＿＿＿＿.

(I ate old crackers and they were soggy.) 🍪

Answer

눅눅했어요 → 눅눅하다, past tense.

E. ＿＿＿＿ 날씨라서 에어컨이 필요 없어요.

(The weather is cool, so we don't need the AC.) 🍃

Answer

선선한 → 선선하다 modifier form.

F. ＿＿＿＿에는 면역력이 약해지기 쉬워요.

(During the seasonal transition, immunity tends to weaken.) 🤧

Answer

환절기 → Same word, second context.

G. 밤에는 ＿＿＿＿ 얇은 외투라도 챙기세요.

(Since it gets chilly at night, bring even a thin jacket.) 🧥

Answer

쌀쌀하니까 → 쌀쌀하다 + -니까 (reason).

H. 빨래가 잘 안 마르는 걸 보니 오늘은 ＿＿＿＿.

(Seeing that the laundry isn't drying well, it must be humid today.) 👕

Answer

습한가 봐요 → 습하다 + -ㄴ가 보다 (guess/inference).

I. 비가 와서 그런지 이불이 ＿＿＿＿ 느낌이에요.

(Maybe because of the rain, the blanket feels damp.) 🛏️

Answer

눅눅한 → 눅눅하다 modifier form.

J. 더위가 지나가고 이제 좀 ＿＿＿＿졌어요.

(The heat has passed and now it's become a bit cool.) 🌤️

Answer

선선해 → 선선하다 + -아/어지다 (becomes cool).

📚

Season & Weather Reference:

환절기 → seasonal transition period

쌀쌀하다 → to be chilly

습하다 → to be humid (air)

눅눅하다 → to be soggy/damp (objects)

선선하다 → to be cool/refreshing

Exercise 2 — Light & Scenery ☀️

A. 창문으로 따뜻한 ＿＿＿＿이 들어와요.

(Warm sunbeams come in through the window.) ☀️

Answer

햇살 → Sunbeams, paired with 들어오다.

B. 너무 더우니까 ＿＿＿＿ 아래에서 좀 쉬어요.

(It's too hot, let's rest under the shade.) 🌳

Answer

그늘 → A shaded area.

C. 한강에서 보는 ＿＿＿＿이 정말 아름다워요.

(The night view seen from the Han River is really beautiful.) 🌃

Answer

야경 → Night view/cityscape.

D. 방에 불을 켜니까 갑자기 ＿＿＿＿졌어요.

(When I turned on the light, the room suddenly became bright.) 💡

Answer

환해 → 환하다 + -아/어지다 (becomes bright).

E. 새벽의 산은 아주 ＿＿＿＿.

(The mountain at dawn is very still.) 🏔️

Answer

고요해요 → 고요하다, present tense.

F. ＿＿＿＿이 너무 눈부셔서 선글라스를 꼈어요.

(The sunbeams were so dazzling that I put on sunglasses.) 🕶️

Answer

햇살 → Pairs with 눈부시다 (dazzling).

G. 한낮에는 ＿＿＿＿이 거의 없는 길이라 더웠어요.

(At midday, the road had almost no shade, so it was hot.) 🛣️

Answer

그늘 → No shade = hot road.

H. 전망대에 올라가서 도시의 ＿＿＿＿을 구경했어요.

(We went up to the observation deck and watched the city's night view.) 🏙️

Answer

야경 → 야경을 구경하다 = to view the night scenery.

I. ＿＿＿＿ 표정으로 저를 맞아 줬어요.

(They greeted me with a bright expression.) 😊

Answer

환한 → 환하다 modifier; can describe a bright face/smile too.

J. 밤이 깊어지자 거리가 ＿＿＿＿졌어요.

(As the night deepened, the street became quiet.) 🌙

Answer

고요해 → 고요하다 + -아/어지다 (becomes still/quiet).

📚

Light & Scenery Reference:

햇살 → sunbeams

그늘 → shade (area)

야경 → night view

환하다 → to be bright/radiant

고요하다 → to be still/serene

Exercise 3 — Food & Taste 🍽️

A. 요즘 더워서 그런지 ＿＿＿＿이 없어요.

(Maybe because it's hot these days, I have no appetite.) 🥵

Answer

입맛 → Food-specific appetite/palate.

B. 사람마다 음악 ＿＿＿＿이 다 달라요.

(Everyone's taste in music is different.) 🎵

Answer

취향 → General taste/preference, not food-specific.

C. 제 동생은 어릴 때부터 음식을 많이 ＿＿＿＿.

(My younger sibling has been picky about food since childhood.) 🍳

Answer

가려요 → 가리다, present tense.

D. 이 식당은 친구가 ＿＿＿＿해 준 곳이에요.

(This restaurant is a place my friend recommended.) 🍜

Answer

추천 → 추천해 주다 = to recommend (for someone).

E. ＿＿＿＿ 말하면 그 영화는 별로였어요.

(Honestly speaking, that movie wasn't great.) 🎬

Answer

솔직하게 → 솔직하게 말하면 = honestly speaking (fixed phrase).

F. 매운 음식이 제 ＿＿＿＿에 잘 맞아요.

(Spicy food really suits my palate.) 🌶️

Answer

입맛 → 입맛에 맞다 = to suit one's palate.

G. 이 옷은 제 ＿＿＿＿이 아니에요.

(These clothes aren't my style.) 👗

Answer

취향 → General taste/style, here applied to clothes.

H. 여행 중에는 음식을 ＿＿＿＿ 않는 게 좋아요.

(While traveling, it's good not to be picky about food.) ✈️

Answer

가리지 → 가리다 + -지 않다 (negation).

I. 좋은 책 있으면 ＿＿＿＿해 주세요.

(If you have a good book, please recommend it.) 📚

Answer

추천 → 추천해 주세요 = please recommend.

J. ＿＿＿＿ 얘기해 줘서 고마워요.

(Thank you for talking to me honestly.) 🙏

Answer

솔직하게 → Modifies 얘기하다 (to talk).

📚

Food & Taste Reference:

입맛 → palate; appetite (food)

취향 → taste; preference (general)

가리다 → to be picky (food)

추천 → recommendation

솔직하게 → honestly

Exercise 4 — Clothing & Preparation 🧥

A. 실내가 추워서 ＿＿＿＿을 벗지 않았어요.

(It was cold inside, so I didn't take off my outerwear.) 🏠

Answer

겉옷 → Outerwear, the layer worn over other clothes.

B. 여행 갈 때 우산을 꼭 ＿＿＿＿세요.

(When you travel, be sure to bring an umbrella.) ☂️

Answer

챙기 → 챙기다 + -세요 (polite command).

C. 갑작스러운 한파에 ＿＿＿＿ 따뜻한 옷을 준비했어요.

(To prepare for the sudden cold snap, I got warm clothes ready.) 🥶

Answer

대비해서 → 대비하다 + -아서/어서.

D. 겨울에는 ＿＿＿＿ 이불이 필요해요.

(In winter, you need a thick, cushiony blanket.) 🛏️

Answer

두툼한 → 두툼하다 modifier form.

E. 이 옷은 너무 ＿＿＿＿ 봄에만 입을 수 있어요.

(These clothes are too thin, you can only wear them in spring.) 🌸

Answer

얇아서 → 얇다 + -아서/어서 (cause).

F. 환절기에는 ＿＿＿＿을 챙기는 게 좋아요.

(During the seasonal transition, it's good to bring outerwear.) 🍂

Answer

겉옷 → Same word, second context.

G. 중요한 서류를 가방에 ＿＿＿＿ 잊지 마세요.

(Don't forget to pack the important documents in your bag.) 📄

Answer

챙기는 걸 → 챙기다 + nominalizer 것을 (the act of packing).

H. 미래를 ＿＿＿＿ 돈을 모으고 있어요.

(I'm saving money to prepare for the future.) 💰

Answer

대비해서 → 대비하다 used beyond weather, for life planning too.

I. 손이 시려서 ＿＿＿＿ 장갑을 꼈어요.

(My hands were cold so I put on thick gloves.) 🧤

Answer

두툼한 → 두툼하다 describes thick, cushiony items.

J. 지갑이 너무 ＿＿＿＿ 카드가 몇 장 안 들어가요.

(The wallet is so thin that only a few cards fit.) 💳

Answer

얇아서 → 얇다 describing a thin object.

📚

Clothing & Preparation Reference:

겉옷 → outerwear

챙기다 → to pack/bring along

대비하다 → to prepare for (risk/future)

두툼하다 → to be thick/cushiony

얇다 → to be thin

Exercise 5 — Mixed Mastery: Change & Flow 🔄

A. 그 사람의 태도가 많이 ＿＿＿＿.

(That person's attitude has changed a lot.) 🔄

Answer

변했어요 → 변하다 = gradual/internal change.

B. 약효가 ＿＿＿＿ 나타나기 시작했어요.

(The medicine's effect started to appear gradually.) 💊

Answer

서서히 → Gradually, often for slow processes.

C. 한국어 실력이 ＿＿＿＿ 늘고 있어요.

(My Korean skills are gradually improving.) 📈

Answer

점점 → Marks step-by-step progression.

D. 이 호텔에 며칠 더 ＿＿＿＿ 싶어요.

(I want to stay at this hotel a few more days.) 🏨

Answer

머물고 → 머물다 + -고 싶다 (irregular: stem stays 머물- before 고).

E. 시험 볼 때는 ＿＿＿＿ 문제를 풀어야 해요.

(When taking a test, you need to solve the problems calmly.) 📝

Answer

차분하게 → 차분하다 adverb form, describes calm manner.

F. 환절기가 되면서 날씨가 ＿＿＿＿ 시작했어요.

(As the seasonal transition arrived, the weather started to change.) 🍂

Answer

변하기 → 변하다 + -기 시작하다 (start to change).

G. 가을이 되면서 날씨가 ＿＿＿＿ 선선해지고 있어요.

(As autumn arrives, the weather is gradually becoming cool.) 🍁

Answer

점점 → Pairs with -아/어지다 forms to show gradual change.

H. 그 마을에 오래 ＿＿＿＿ 사람들은 정이 많이 들었어요.

(The people who stayed in that village a long time grew very attached.) 🏘️

Answer

머문 → 머물다 modifier form (ㄹ drops before ㄴ).

I. 입맛이 ＿＿＿＿ 바뀌면서 매운 음식을 잘 먹게 됐어요.

(As my palate gradually changed, I came to enjoy spicy food.) 🌶️

Answer

서서히 → Slow, internal change in taste.

J. 고요한 카페에서 ＿＿＿＿ 책을 읽었어요.

(I read a book calmly in a quiet café.) ☕

Answer

차분하게 → Combines naturally with 고요하다 settings.

📚

Change & Flow Reference:

변하다 → to change (gradual/internal)

서서히 → gradually (slow process)

점점 → more and more, step by step

머물다 → to stay (irregular)

차분하게 → calmly

🎉 100 words down! You reviewed 25 of them across five themes and practiced natural collocations from weather to food to change. Onward to the next 100 — 화이팅! 🌓🚀