빨리 이리 와!

The line, explained

The door is closing, the footsteps are getting louder, and someone reaches out a hand: 빨리 이리 와! 'Come here, quick!' It is one of the most useful lines in Korean, because it shows you how to give a casual order. Korean does not need a special command form between friends. You just take the ordinary casual ending and say it with urgency. Tone does the rest.

빨리 means 'quickly' or 'hurry'. It comes from 빠르다, to be fast, and it is one of the words Korea is famous for: 빨리빨리, 'hurry, hurry', describes the country's love of speed. The double ㄹ in the middle is pronounced as a long, clear L, so it sounds like ppal-li, not ppar-i. The ㅃ at the start is a tense P, said without a puff of air.

이리 means 'this way' or 'over here', toward the speaker. Its partners are 그리 (that way, toward you) and 저리 (over there), and they follow the same pattern as 이거, 그거, 저거. You will often hear 이리 와 as a pair, almost one word: come here. Dramas use it gently too, when someone opens their arms for a hug. Same words, much softer voice.

와 is the casual command 'come!'. It comes from 오다, to come. To make the casual form, drop 다 and add -아 if the stem's vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, otherwise -어. 오 plus 아 merges into 와. Likewise 가다 becomes 가 (go!), 먹다 becomes 먹어 (eat!), and 하다 becomes 해 (do it!). The very same forms are also statements: 와 can mean 'he's coming'. Only your tone tells the listener you are giving an order.

Shout it with the film's panic: ppal-li i-ri wa! Keep the final wa short and sharp. Then swap the command and keep the hurry: 빨리 타! get in, quick; 빨리 숨어! hide, quick; 빨리 일어나! get up, quick. Remember that this is casual speech, fine for friends, family and emergencies. For a stranger, you would say 이리 오세요 instead. But when the monster is coming, nobody minds.