Translation:

새벽 3시 - 3am

3년동안 사귀었는데 카톡으로 갑자기 헤어지는 거 말이 돼애애? We dated for three years…does suddenly breaking up over text make any sense???

    *This phrase is like “We dated for three years…and you break up with me over text?? WTF??” kind of anger. 말이 돼? is like asking “does that make sense” in a WTF kind of way. It doesn’t translate smoothly in English, but it’s a common expression in Korean. 

흥분된 상태 - excited state

분노 - rage

——-

새벽 3시 - 3am

내일 너무 기대돼서 잠이 안 오네. I’m so excited for tomorrow that I can’t sleep. (“sleep isn’t coming”)

——-

흥분하다 is a word that many Korean students use incorrectly, and that’s because of the translation. 흥분하다 translates to “to be excited.” And, that’s because it means a sudden rush of emotion.

The problem is that many students want to say something like “I’m excited to go to Korea.” 저는 한국에 가는 것에 흥분해요. (X)

But, this is not how to express that feeling. There is a much better expression. 기대되다. Now, this word is translated as “to expect.” And while, it can be used to express expectations, it’s also used to express “Looking forward to”/“excited for something.”

This is also why many Koreans will say “I’m expecting it,” when they want to say “I’m looking forward to it.”

So, let’s look at how we can use these correctly.

흥분되다/하다

그 사람이 우리 언니를 욕하는 것을 듣고 흥분해서 싸울 뻔했어요. (After) I heard that person talk badly about my sister, I was so “upset” that I almost fought them.

      *In this case, 흥분하다 could be seen as “upset.” A rush of angry feelings that made the heart race. 

대학교에 합격한 걸 듣고 너무 흥분해서 도서관에서 소리를 질렀어요. (After) I heard that I was accepted into college, I was so excited that I yelled in the library. 

괜찮아. 흥분하지 말고 일단 해결할 방법을 생각해 보자. It’s okay. Don’t get worked up, instead let’s think of a solution first. 

흥분된 목소리 an excited voice

기대되다/하다

내일 한국에 가서 넘나 기대돼요. I’m so excited, because I’m going to Korea tomorrow. 

오늘 데이트 해서 진짜 기대돼요. I have a date today, so I’m really excited. 

내가 쓴 글을 기대하지 마. 완전 쓰레기야ㅋㅋㅋ Please don’t look forward to the thing I wrote. It’s completely garbage. 

내일 캡틴 마블이란 영화를 볼 거야. 너무 기대돼. Tomorrow I’m going to see the movie Captain Marvel. I’m really looking forward to it. 

Note: The difference between 되다 and 하다 is important when understanding these to words. Because 기대되다 and 기대하다 are slightly different. 하다 is used to refer to something that you are actively doing at the time you’re talking about it or in the past. 되다 typically refers to more passive actions or something that is true, but not necessarily using all your attention.

So, 기대되다 is being excited. You’re in that state passively.

But 기대하다 is a constant state of that excitement or expectation. Which is why we say 기대하지 마. Don’t be excited. Because it’s a little strange to say 기대되지 마 “Don’t become excited" in Korean. Because 되다 refers to something out of your control most of the time. That’s why it’s passive. So, it’s strange to say don’t “become” excited when you have no control over it.

Anyway, good luck everyone! 기대되다(to be excited for, to look forward to) is a great word to use. It’s used all the time. Unlike 흥분되다, which is not overly common in comparison. And also, 흥분 is  used as “sexual excitement,” so, you don’t want to say 내가 흥분했다 in the wrong situation. It might become awkward. 

Follow me for more Korean posts in the future. I have a new “guide” that I’m working on right now. So, I hope to finish it and give it to you guys to practice soon!

번역 - translation

1. *빤– *stare / *멍–stare into space/out of it / 휴지 - tissue

2. *걱정, 걱정 - worry, worry (worried, worried)

혜리야 왜 그래? 어디 아파? Hyeri, what’s wrong? Are you sick (somewhere)?

어…그냥 감기야. 난 괜찮아. Yeah…it’s just a cold. I’m okay.

3. 일단 마스크 끼고 패딩을 덮고 난 약을 사 올게! First of all, wear (this) mask and cover up with (some) padding, and I will go get some medicine.

*텁 - *places/puts*

Notes

*padding = fluffy/puffy winter jacket

*Noun을/를 사 오다/가다. = This is a rather common expression. I’ll buy something and come/go. It’s used often when buying something on your way to a different place or when you’re going to buy something and come back. 

       *배 고파? 뭘 사 갈게. Are you hungry? I’ll buy something and go./I’ll buy something on my way there. 

Vocabulary related to colds. 

감기에 걸리다 to catch a cold / 독감에 걸리다 to have(catch) the flu

    김기에 걸렸어요. I caught a cold.

감기 끼가 있다 to have the feeling you’re coming down with a cold

    감기 끼가 있어서 오늘 못 만날 것 같아요. It feels like I’m coming down with a cold, so I don’t think I can meet today.

목감기 sore throat (like when you have a “cold” but your only symptom is a sore throat) / 코감기 stuffy nose (similarly, when your symptoms are only a stuffy nose)

감기가 유행이다 this is technically “colds are trending,” but 유행하다 is used to express that something is common, so it’s a phrase to say that everyone is catching a cold these days. 

     요즘 감기가 유행이라서 조심하세요. Be careful not to catch a cold (since they are so common these days).

증상 symptom(s)

    증상이 어떠세요?/어때요? What are your symptoms? (literally “how” are your symptoms?)

머리가 아프다 to have (your/someone’s) head hurt, to have a headache / 배가 아프다 to have (your/someone’s) stomach hurt, to have a stomachache / 열이 나다 to have a fever / 코가막히다(막혔다) to have a stuffy nose *often used in past tense*

어지럽다 to be dizzy / 기침하다, 기침나다 to cough / 코가 간지럽다 for (your/someone’s) nose to be itchy / 콧물(이) 나다 to have a runny nose / 몸살 나다 to ache all over one’s body (from a cold or fatigue) / 재채기하다, 재채기나다 to sneeze

Today, I thought we should add a new hanja to the list: 力 - 힘 력/역. So, 力 means 힘 (power) and it is pronounced as 력(역 when it’s at the beginning of a word - but that is less common). 력 is a very common hanja in Korean. So, it’s great to be able to recognize it when words have something to do with strength, power or ability (strength to do something). 

Here are common words seen with 力(힘 력/역). 

집중력 ability to focus / 기억력 memory (ability to remember) 노력 effort (strength to put in effort, try, work) / 폭력 violence / 권력 power, authority / 능력 capability (power to be able to something) / 협력 cooperation (ability to work together) / 매력 charm (power to captivate, charm someone) /실력 ability (power of a skill) / 체력 strength, stamina (strength of the body) / 창의력 creativity (ability to be creative) / 중력 gravity /시력 eyesight (strength of the eyes) / 이해력 ability to understand something

Here are some example sentences.

우와 10년 전에 일어난 일을 그렇게 잘 기억해? 기억력이 대단하네. Wow, you can remember that thing that happened ten years ago that well? Your memory is amazing.

노력하면 다 잘 될 거야. If you try(put in effort), it will all work out.

그 여자는 매력적이에요. That woman is really charming. 

어제 밤에 클럽 가고 나서 오늘 아침에 출근했다고? 헐 니 체력이 쩔어 ㅋㅋ You went to work this morning after going to a club last night?

우리 언니는 이해력이 좋아서 어려운 시험 문제를 쉽게 풀 수 있어요. My older sister’s ability to understand things is really good, so she can easily solve difficult test problems. 

능력 and 실력 are two words that often confuse people since they can both be translated to ability or capability. They are quite similar, but still different. 능력 can be seen as an ability a little more innate or something that you’re born with, while 실력 is something you can improve or aquire. Which is why 능력 is normally used with 있다 and 없다 because you either have it or you don’t. But, 실력 can be used with words like 좋다, 나쁘다, 있다 and 없다. Because you can also acquire skills if you put in effort.

우리 팀장님은 진짜 능력이 있으세요. 실수 한번도 하신 적 없어요. Our team manager is really capable. She has never even made one mistake.

요즘 너 한국어 실력이 진짜 좋아지고 있는 것 같아. These days it seems like your Korean skills are really improving. 

And do you remember the hanja 없을 무? 무 can be added to the word 중력 (gravity) to become 무중력 (zero gravity). 

Next time you see 력 in a vocabulary word, ask yourself if it has anything to do with strength or power. Even take a moment to look it up! Hanja often helps me understand the true meaning of different vocabulary and remember them better. So, I hope it helps you too! 

Good luck studying.

Follow me for more Korean tips and lessons~ and content.^^

Hi guys~ I made a tea rating system for my posts so that you can know right away what level you’re going to be reading. I hope it’s useful. Today, I’m going to be talking about introducing yourself in Korean for both beginners and intermediate Korean learners. So, I’ll start by saying hi.

Thankfully, introducing yourself in Korean is pretty easy. Beginners can use a basic 안녕하세요? (Hello) and then your name +이에요/예요. 

And the difference between 이에요 and 예요 is easy. 

이에요 is used if your name ends in a consonant sound(ㄱㄴㄷㄹㅁㅂㅅㅇㅈㅊㅋㅌㅍㅎ) and 예요 is used after a vowel sound (ㅏㅓㅗㅜㅡㅣㅐㅔㅚㅟㅢㅑㅕㅛㅠㅒㅖㅘㅝㅙㅞ). 

Here are some examples and ways to introduce yourself. 

안녕하세요? 저는 김수빈이에요. Hello, I’m Subin Kim. 

    *수빈 ends with the consonant ㄴ, so 이에요 must be used.

안녕하세요? 저는 수호예요. Hello, I’m Suho. 

     *수호 ends with the vowel ㅗ, so 예요 must be used.

Or, you can use the words 제 이름 (my name) like in the picture above.

안녕하세요? 제 이름은 김수빈이에요. Hello, my name is Subin Kim. 

안녕하세요? 제 이름은 수호예요. Hello, my name is Suho. 

입니다 is used in formal speeches or maybe at a company, or sometimes between men. (Women don’t use it as often in informal situations). You might see it often on the news or when idols introduce themselves on TV shows. 

For example: 

안녕하세요? 저는 유키입니다. Hello, my name is Yuki. 

Or you can use the more advanced phrase (이)라고 하다 (I am called). 

안녕하세요? 저는 알리라고 해요. Hello, I’m called Allie. 

     *알리 ends in the vowel ㅣ, so 라고 하다 is used.

안녕하세요? 저는 동석이라고 해요. Hello, I’m called Dongseok. 

     *동석 ends in the consonant ㄱ, so 이라고 하다 is used. 

As with the first introductions, 라고 하다 is attached to names that end in a vowel, and 이라고 하다 is attached to names that end in a consonant.     

“I’m called NAME” might sound a little awkward in English, but it’s a really common way to introduce yourself. *The phrase “name(이)라고 부르다(불러요)” is taught in some books, but is not a common introduction. You might use it to say: My name is Thomas, but please call me Tom. 제 이름은 토마스지만 톰이라고 불러 주세요.* 

For school clubs or slightly more formal introductions, it’s common to use the formal version of (이)라고 하다, which is (이)라고 합니다. It’s used often if you’re introducing yourself in front of many people at one time like when joining a school club or being forced to introduce yourself to a class.

For example:

안녕하세요? 저는 제임스라고 합니다. Hello, I’m called James. 

And now you might be wondering about an informal way to introduce yourself. Well, I’ve got you covered. You can say 안녕 (informal hi) and then you can add 이야 to the end of your name if it ends with a consonant and 야 to the end of your name if it ends in a vowel. 

Or you can use the intimate speech level with (이)라고 하다, which is (이)라고 해.

For example:

안녕? 나는 수호야. Hi, I’m Suho. 

안녕? 나는 동석이야. Hi, I’m Dongseok. 

안녕? 내 이름은 알리야. Hi, I’m Allie. 

안녕? 나는 민서라고 해. Hi, I’m called Minseo. 

But, honestly, unless you were meeting a child, you probably wouldn’t introduce yourself this way. And even then, the child wouldn’t use your name, so you might not even say it. Even though it’s common to use informal speech (반말) to people younger than you, most people start talking in formal speech because it is polite, and you’re not close yet.

But people who meet in elementary to high school might greet this way, because they know their classmates are the same age as they are. So, you’ll see this informal introduction in high school dramas or webtoons.

And if you’ve read to this point, you’re probably thinking all this is great, but there are so many options. What one do I use? So, here’s my personal opinion. I think the best two options on this list are 저는 ㅇㅇ예요/ㅇㅇ이에요 for beginners and 저는 ㅇㅇ(이)라고 해요 for anyone. The first one is simple and absolutely acceptable, and the second one, while being extremely common, sounds a bit more advanced and natural. So, you can show off your skills a bit. And if you’re introducing yourself in front of a class or something, 저는 ㅇㅇ(이)라고 합니다 is a great choice. 

If you have any questions, leave a comment.

And follow me for useful Korean lessons and tips!^^

This is a post I made when I first started this blog, but I thought I’d bring it back since it’s a really great word. 부지런하다 is a word that you hear quite often in Korea. It normally translates to diligent or hard working. 

It’s used all the time as a response to hearing that you’re doing something that’s good for your mind or body.

So, if you wake up early to exercise or study instead of watching Netflix, you’re probably going to hear the phrase: 부지런하네요~

Here are two examples.
오늘 아침에 일찍 일어나서 운동했어요. I woke up early and exercised this morning.
우와 정말 부지런하네요. Wow, you really work hard./You’re really diligent.

우리 오빠는 숙제를 미리 하는 편이에요. 저보다 부지런하죠?ㅋㅋ My older brother always does his homework in advance. He works a lot harder than I do, huh? Haha

It’s basically used to praise someone for something that most people are too lazy to do or don’t like doing. It’s a great word. After learning this phrase, I realized why my Korean friends used the word “diligent” so often. 

Anyway, as always! Follow me for more Korean language posts.

Today I have another 속담(proverb/old saying). 산 넘어 산이다. 

This one is one of my favorites. Life is full of challenges one after another. And this proverb illustrates just that feeling.

So, let’s first break 산 넘어 산이다 down. 산 means mountain(s), 넘다 means to climb over, pass, cross, and 산이다 is 산(mountain) plus the copula 이다 (similar to “to be”). 

산 넘어 산이다. Literally means something like “there is (another) mountain after going over a mountain.”/ “Go over the mountain and there is another mountain.”

It’s used to express discontent that there is “one problem/challenge after another.” Once you finish one challenge, another one appears.

So, like the pictures, American college students are in a debt crisis. So, it’s probably pretty relatable for some of you. I just struggled to get through college! So, now I should be okay. But, the moment I finish my first challenge (getting through college), I’m immediately faced with another challenge (paying off college debt). 

With life always putting new problems, barriers and challenges in front of us, this is a great expression. Here are some examples.

산 넘어 산이라고 대학교를 졸업하자마자 학비를 갚아야 돼요. “It’s just one challenge after another.” As soon as I graduate, I have to repay my school costs.

인생은 쉽지는 않지. 산 넘어 산이라고 하잖아. Live isn’t easy. They say it’s one hardship after another you know.

A: 민경아, 취직했다면서? 축하해! Mingyeong. I heard you got a job? Congratulations!

B: ㅋㅋ 고마워..취직을 하긴 했는데 다음 주 영어 시험을 봐야 된대. 산 넘어 산이야. haha Thank you…I did get a job, but they said I have to take an English exam next week. It’s just one thing after another.

Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck studying everyone! I hope you don’t have too many mountains to cross while studying Korean!

Hey guys, today I have two interesting verbs for you. 

새우다 and 피우다. The reason they are interesting is that you often don’t see them in their “correct” form while talking. Some of you might have even noticed this or wondered why you don’t see 새우다 and 피우다 often or if there is a difference. 

In textbooks you’ll learn sentences like:

어제 밤을 새워서 공부했어요. I stayed up all night studying yesterday.

But, you don’t hear that sentence too often in real life conversations with friends. Instead, you hear this:

어제 밤을 새서 공부했어요. I stayed up all night studying.

Or

밤을 샜어요. I stayed up all night./I pulled an all-nighter.

In class, newspapers, and in the dictionary, you will (or should) find the verb as 새우다. But, most people (at least in Seoul) use the verb as 새다. 우 completely disappears. 피우다 is the same. In the dictionary and in your books, you’ll see 담배(를) 피우다 and 바람(을) 피우다. But, many people say 담배(를) 피다 and 바람(을) 피다.

밤을 새다 is technically incorrect. But, you’ll hear it more often than the correct version. It’s kind of like “who and whom” in the US. Most people don’t use “whom” at all. They use “who” incorrectly even if they know it’s wrong. That’s because for some weird reason using “who” wrong sounds more natural than using “whom” correctly.

Here are a few examples of the three most common words I’ve come across.

담배를 안 폈으면 좋겠어요. (*안 피웠으면) I wish you didn’t smoke cigarettes. 

밤을 새지 마. 숙제는 내일 해. (*새우지 마) Don’t stay up all night. Do your homework tomorrow.

남자 친구가 바람을 피면 끝이야! (*바람을 피우면) If (my) boyfriend cheats, it’s over/it’s the end. 

It’s strange that language sometimes sounds better when it’s wrong, right? Just one more reason to not stress about speaking “perfect Korean.” You should use the correct form when writing papers and on tests, but when you’re talking or texting, feel free to use it “incorrectly.” 

Anyway, good luck studying guys!

Hi guys, today I have a little 말장난 (pun, word play) for you.

In the picture, the guy in green says “석준아, 내 말 좀 들어 줘!” and then gives 석준 a horse. This is a common 짤 (meme) that you can find in google images for Korean puns.

말 means both “words” or “horse.” And the phrase 들어 주다 can mean “to listen to someone” or “to hold something for someone.” (듣다 to listen/들다 to hold something)

So, “내 말 좀 들어 줘” could be translated two different ways. “Please listen to what I have to say” or “please hold my horse.”

But, you know…you will probably never say “please hold my horse.” (unless it’s a toy horse?) 

Either way, I recommend looking up the 짤. You can save it and send it to a Korean friend when you want to tell them something. 

Anyway, good luck studying everyone~!

Hi guys~ today’s post is a Korean 속담 (proverb, old saying). 

백지장도 맞들면 낫다. 

First, let’s break it down.

백지장 white paper / 도 also, too / 맞들다 to lift up something together / (으)면 “if/when” grammar / 낫다 to be better

You could literally translate it as “It’s better if you lift up even a sheet of paper together.”/ “If you lift up a white sheet of paper together, it’s better.”

It’s similar to “many hands make light work” or “two heads are better than one.” 

A piece of paper is incredibly light, but even something that light is easier to lift if two people do it together. So, this is an expression about working together to make a task easier. Here are some examples of how to use it. 

(If someone is telling you you don’t have to help) 아냐 아냐 나도 도와줄게. 백지장도 맞들면 낫잖아! No, no. I’ll help you (too). Many hands make light work, you know. 

백지장도 맞들면 낫다고 제가 도와드릴게요. They say many hands make light work; I’ll help you. 

왜 혼자서 하려고 그래? 백지장도 맞들면 낫다는 말도 있잖아. 같이 하자. Why are you trying to do it yourself? They say many hands make light work. (Lit: You know there is an expression/words “many hands make light work.”) Let’s do it together.

Good luck studying guys!

Hi guys~ I’ve mentioned before that learning hanja is a great way to expand your vocabulary and also to understand vocabulary on a deeper level. Today, I have two different hanja that are used to represent the word “사람” or “person.” 

The first one is 사람 인 人.

인간 human / 타인 other person, stranger / 성인 (adult person) adult 

인재 talented person (재 for 소질 talent, aptitude for / 재능 talent)

한국인 Korean (person) / 외국인 foreign person / 인구 (인 person, 구 mouth - like the number of mouths to feed) population / 애인 (애 love, 인 person) lover, boy/girlfriend 

If you remember learning 힘 력 力 (power), then you can use that to understand the word 인력 人力 (manpower). It’s often seen in the work force as 인력 필요하다 to need people to work/manpower.

There is also 사람 자 者. 

부자 rich person *So in the picture with the lipstick, the person says “이 립스틱이 십만원이라고? 싸네…더 비싼 걸 보여 주세요. This lipstick is 100,000 won? (about 100 US dollars) That’s cheap…please show me a more expensive one.

환자 patient / 소비자 consumer / 피해자 victim / 노동자 (노동 labor 자 person) laborer 

희생자 victim (“희생 sacrifice 자 person”) / 기자 newspaper journalist 

약자 weak person (typically used to refer to women, children, and the elderly) 

범죄자 (crime person) criminal / (비)흡연자 (non)smoker (lit: (비 not) 흡 taking in/drinking 연 smoke 자 person)

Don’t worry about the difference between 사람 인 and 사람 자. These are just the hanja that appear in vocabulary words. There is no “difference,” but you cannot change them. It’s impossible to change 한국인 to 한국자. You have to use 한국인. 

Good luck studying everyone! Follow me for more Korean lessons.

Hi guys! Today’s post is about worries–more specifically three words that get translated to “worry” but are not the same. 

고민 and 걱정 are two words that always confuse beginner Korean learners and even intermediate students.

고민 is a worry or trouble, but it’s typically used when you’re trying to make a decision. When you need to make a decision, you tend to worry about it, right? It’s also typically a decision that you can’t make right away, so it might cause you discomfort, which is why it’s translated to “a trouble.” It gets used in serious situations or lightly, like when choosing what to eat or wear. 

Like the picture, 딸기를 먹을까 포도를 먹을까…고민되네. Should I eat some strawberries? or should I eat some grapes? I’ve gotta think about it.

I typically translate 고민되다 to “thinking about” something in light situations because that’s what is happening. English would not typically use the word “worry” when deciding what fruit to eat (at least in my experience).

걱정 on the other hand is a bit more serious than 고민. It’s normally something that’s causing discomfort or panic in some sense (severe or not). I think it’s more in line with the English definition of “worry.”

Like the worried girl in the picture, 연락이 안 돼서 걱정했잖아! I was worried because you didn’t answer my message(s). (연락이 안 되다 - to not be able to get in touch/contact with someone)

So, if you are worried about not being accepted into college, that’s a 걱정. If you’re trying to decide which college to go to, that’s a 고민.

Usage:

Both 고민 and 걱정 can be used with the verbs 하다 and 되다.

고민/걱정하다 is used to refer to something that you are actively thinking/worrying about. It’s also used in active constructions like 해야 하다 “have to” or 하지 마 “don’t” do something.

고민/걱정되다 is used to refer to more passive worries or something that is worrisome, but usually not keeping you up at night. 

They can also both be used as nouns(고민이다/걱정이다) to say “this is a worry.”

*Note the following are not direct translations. (I usually try to balance them, but I decided to go with mostly natural translations for this to demonstrate their differences.)

뭐 먹을까? 고민되네. What should we eat? Gotta think about it…

고민하지 말고 결정해! Don’t think/worry about it and just decide.

내일 도서관에 갈까 말까 고민이야. I’m thinking about whether I should go to the library tomorrow or not. 

그 여자랑 사귈까 말까 많이 고민했는데…안 만나는 것이 나을 것 같아요. I considered(thought about) whether I should date her or not a lot…and I think it would be better not to meet her. 

                  —————————————————————

오늘도 많이 안 먹었어? 걱정되네. 무슨 일 있어? You didn’t eat a lot today either? That’s worrisome. (I’m getting worried) Is anything going on?

어제 연락이 없어 가지고 걱정했거든! 무슨 일 생긴 줄 알았어. I didn’t hear from you yesterday, so I worried, you know! I thought something happened.

걱정하지 마. 괜찮을 거 야. Don’t worry. It will be okay.

우려 is our last “worry.” Luckily, you don’t have to worry about 우려 too much, because it’s quite advanced, but I wanted to add it to balance these words. 우려 means “worry,” but it’s used in formal situations (presentations, news etc). It’s often used as 우려가 되다/우려가 있다 and 우려의 목소리가 크다/우려하는 목소리가 크다 (the voices of worry are big/the voices expressing worry are big –which means that a lot of people have expressed being worried about a certain topic).

Like in the picture, someone is giving a presentation with the title “멸종된 동물 증가” (extinct animals increase). He would probably use the word 우려 during his presentation instead of 걱정. 

Here are some examples, but please don’t worry if they’re hard to read. These are the kinds of sentences that might be seen in news papers. 

과학자들이 지구 온난화에 대한 우려의 목소리를 내고 있다. Scientists are voicing their concerns about global warming. 

물가 상승이 우려된다. The rising cost of living is worrisome.

물가가 계속 올라가서 시민들이 우려하고 있다. Citizens are worried because the cost of living keeps going up. 

I hope you guys are having a nice weekend without any worries. 

Follow me for more Korean lessons and tips!