Back to square one

English with Yoo! 는 일상생활에서 자주 쓰이는 다양한 표현들을 익히는 시간입니다.

I’ll give you a daily introduction to some meaningful and useful everyday English words and phrases! So let’s get started today!

Hi everyone, this is Jennifer Yoo and with ENGLISH WITH YOO! 안녕하세요 English with Yoo!의 Jennifer Yoo입니다.

[오디오 듣기] Back to square one

오늘의 영어 표현은 Back to square one입니다.

Have you ever heard this American English phrase, back to square one? Let’s find out what it means! 그럼 오늘의 대화를 들어보면서 ‘back to square one’가 무슨 뜻인지 알아 보겠습니다. 잘 들어보세요.

Back to square one

Mike: Hey, so did you end up buying that house you were talking about? I know that you’ve been looking for months!
Jason: Unfortunately the deal with the house I wanted fell through.
Mike: I’m sorry to hear that. Then that means that you are back to square one?
Jason: Yes, I’m back to square one. I have to start searching for homes all over again.
Mike: Don’t worry. Everything is going to work out.
Jason: Thanks!

한동안 살 집을 찾고 있던 Jason에게 Mike가 “Hey, so did you end up buying that house you were talking about? I know that you’ve been looking for months! 야, 그러니까 결국 네가 말했던 그 집을 산 거야?”라고 물어봅니다. 그러자 Jason이 “Unfortunately the deal with the house I wanted fell through 안타깝지만 거래가 안 이뤄졌어”라고 말하네요. 그러자 Mike가“I’m sorry to hear that 이런, 안됐구나. Then that means that you are back to square one? 그럼 결국 원점으로 돌아갔다는 말이네?”라고 다시 물어봅니다. 이에 Jason이 “Yes, I’m back to square one. 응, 그렇게 된 거지. I have to start searching for homes all over again 처음부터 다시 시작해야 해”라고 대답하네요. Mike가 “Don’t worry 걱정하지 마. Everything is going to work out 다 잘 될 거야.”라며 Jason에게 용기를 주자, Jason이 “Thanks! 고마워!”라고 합니다. Keep today’s phrase ‘back to square one’ in mind and let’s hear the conversation again. 그럼 다시 한번 대화를 들어볼까요?

Back to square one

Mike: Hey, so did you end up buying that house you were talking about? I know that you’ve been looking for months!
Jason: Unfortunately the deal with the house I wanted fell through.
Mike: I’m sorry to hear that. Then that means that you are back to square one?
Jason: Yes, I’m back to square one. I have to start searching for homes all over again.
Mike: Don’t worry. Everything is going to work out.
Jason: Thanks!

오늘의 표현은Back to square one입니다. If you have to go back to square one, it means that you have to stop and start all over again. 하던 일이 기대했던 것만큼 제대로 되지 않아서 처음부터 다시 시작해야 한다는 뜻입니다. 여기서 ‘square one’은 판 위에서 하는 게임인 ‘보드 게임’에서 왔는데요, 게임 시작을 첫 번째 네모에서 합니다. 그러니까 ‘square one’으로 되돌아간다는 건 원점으로 돌아가 다시 시작한다는 것이죠. Here is an example. 예를 하나 들어볼까요. 컴퓨터에 저장해 놓은 숙제를 실수로 지운 경우에 ‘I had to go back to square one and start my essay all over again because I accidently deleted it from my computer. 잘못해서 컴퓨터에 저장된 숙제를 지우는 바람에 처음부터 다시 했어.’라고 표현할 수 있겠네요.

오늘의 표현, ‘back to square one’ 꼭 기억하시고요. Now we’ll listen to this conversation for the last time.

Back to square one

Mike: Hey, so did you end up buying that house you were talking about? I know that you’ve been looking for months!
Jason: Unfortunately the deal with the house I wanted fell through.
Mike: I’m sorry to hear that. Then that means that you are back to square one?
Jason: Yes, I’m back to square one. I have to start searching for homes all over again.
Mike: Don’t worry. Everything is going to work out.
Jason: Thanks!

오늘 배우신 영어표현, ‘back to square one’는 ‘to start all over’ 이라는 뜻입니다. 다음 시간에 다시 뵙겠습니다. 지금까지 ENGLISH WITH YOO에 Jennifer Yoo입니다. Bye bye!