#한국어 공부중
Hey guys! I know it’s been a really long time since I posted anything. I thought I’d have so much time this summer to work on my blog, and things just haven’t turned out that way. While on vacation, my girlfriend and I suddenly found out we had to prepare for her visa interview 3 weeks earlier than it was scheduled. We’re actually engaged. Unfortunately, we can’t get married here, so we are preparing to go the US together. It’s been quite a process. And therefore, I have been preparing to go home. And my room even had water pouring through the ceiling at one point. It’s been a really long month haha.
But I’m happy to say that everything turned out well. And I have a little comic of my girlfriend and me. I thought it might be some good reading practice. It’s written really naturally at the upper-intermediate level. I hope you like it! (It’s based on a true story…I hate doing dishes.) If you guys like it, I will post more. They’re fun to draw for me.
It also fits in great since it’s Pride month! Although, it’s slightly late. Happy Pride everyone!
Here is a translation of the comic.
Notes:
시키* is a much cuter and softer version of the curse word 새끼 (bastard). It’s something we use with each other, but I don’t use it with anyone else. Swear words should always be used with caution. ^^
*간지러 is used instead of 간지러워 (간지럽다 to be itchy, ticklish). Sometimes words ending in “럽다” are shortened like this, especially the faster you want to get the words out. It’s technically incorrect, but you’ll hear it. For example, sometimes you hear 시끄러! instead of 시끄러워 (시끄럽다 to be loud, noisy).
Anyway, I hope everyone is having a good summer so far!
(으)면 좋겠다 is a power grammar point. It’s at the (lower) intermediate level, but it’s used all the time. It’s a core grammar point in my opinion, and you definitely need to master it.
(으)면 좋겠다 is attached to both verbs and adjectives to express one’s wishes or hopes. Many beginner students try to say “I wish/hope” by translating the word to 소원을 빌다/희망하다/바라다 or the grammar point -기를 바라다. And while they aren’t exactly wrong, it’s really easy to use them awkwardly or incorrectly in everyday situations.
And that’s why, I’d like to introduce (으)면 좋겠다. It uses (으)면 “if” and 좋겠다 “would be nice” to mean “I wish” or “I hope,” even though “wish” and “hope” aren’t always interchangeable in English. This grammar point can be used to express both. It literally expresses “I would be nice if…” One of the interesting parts of this grammar point is that context is super important when translating it. It can be used in a lot of situations unlike the English words “wish” or “hope” which have more distinguished differences.
And if you already learned (으)면 “if/when,” then you already know how to conjugate it! Words ending with a consonant use -으면 좋겠다, and words ending with no consonant use -면 좋겠다.
Verbs/Adjectives
하다 —> 하면 좋겠다 vs. 먹다 —> 먹으면 좋겠다
크다 —> 크면 좋겠다 vs. 없다 —> 없으면 좋겠다
Here are some examples.
내일 시험을 잘 보면 좋겠어요. I hope I do well on the test tomorrow. (시험을 잘 보다 - to take a test well, do well on a test)
전 여자 친구가 앞으로 나랑 연락을 안 하면 좋겠어. I hope my ex-girlfriend doesn’t contact me anymore.
둘이 항상 싸우더라고…헤어지면 좋겠어 Those two always fight…I wish they’d break up.
오늘 비가 오면 좋겠어요. I hope it rains today./It’d be nice if it rains today.
It’s also common to see this grammar used in the past tense, 았/었/였으면 좋겠다. I would actually argue that it’s more common to see it in the past tense (in my experience that is). Luckily, its core meaning doesn’t change. Textbooks are a bit hazy on the difference between the two. But some books say it’s just a little bit stronger. Think of it as a little more emphasis on your wish. (Just remember that this form is used a bit more. And the difference is really arbitrary in regards to its usage.)
너는…그런 말을 안 했으면 좋겠어. 너는 예쁘잖아. I wish you wouldn’t say that (words like that). You’re pretty…
A 아이돌이 나랑 사랑에 빠졌으면 좋겠다~ I wish idol A would fall in love with me.
내 생일 파티에 왔으면 좋겠어요. I hope you come to my birthday party./I wish you would come to my birthday party./It’d be great if you came to my birthday party.
좋은 대학교에 합격했으면 좋겠어. I hope I get accepted into a good school.
걔가 좀 조용했으면 좋겠어. I wish he would be quiet. (*note: this is not a nice thing to say~^^)
It can also be used with the copula 이다 and 아니다.
올해 우리 선생님이 남자였으면(남자면) 좋겠어. I hope our teacher is a man this year.
올해 우리 선생님이 남자가 아니었으면(아니면) 좋겠어. I hope our teacher isn’t a man this year.
You can also use (으)면 하다 instead of (으)면 좋겠다. (으)면 하다 tends to be used more often in formal speech. But the meaning remains the same.
*Note: (으)면 하다 can be used in casual speech, but (으)면 좋겠다 isn’t really used in formal speech.
여러분, 이 발표를 재미있게 보셨으면 합니다. Everyone, I hope you all enjoy this powerpoint.
주연 씨는 좀 더 일찍 수업에 오셨으면 해요. Miss Juyeon, I wish you would come to class a little bit earlier.
(이웃에게) 죄송한데요. 저희 아들이 강아지 털 알레르기가 있거든요. 그래서 강아지랑 놀지 않았으면 해요. (To a neighbor) I’m sorry. You see, our son has a dog fur allergy. So, I hope he doesn’t play with the dog. (And in context, that would equal~ I hope you don’t let him play with the dog.)
Let me know if you have any questions.
Good luck studying everyone! Follow me for more lessons and tips~
Translation:
수지야 이 뉴스 봤어? Suzie, did you see this (news)?
뭘? What?
어떤 사생팬이 A 아이돌 그룹의 기숙사에 몰래 들어가서 B의 팬티를 훔쳤대! Some stalker fan snuck into A idol’s dorm and stole B’s underwear.
미친…제정신이 아닌가 봐. No f**king way…they’re out of their mind.
Notes
*사생팬
사생(활) is one’s private life. And 팬 is the English loan word for “fan” of an artist or something. Together 사생팬 describes a fan that invades the private life of a star or artist (often to an unbelievable degree) (사생팬: 유명한 사람의 사생활을 침해하는 팬). And with Kpop as crazy as it can be, sometimes fans do unacceptable things like sneaking into a famous celebrities house or stalking them. They can be described as a 사생팬.
*훔쳤대 Someone said someone stole (something)/I heard that someone stole (something)
(V-ㄴ/는대(요) or A-대(요)) is the contracted form of ㄴ/는다고 해(요) and 다고 해(요). This grammar point is for conveying speech that one heard from someone else.
For example:
My mom says it’s okay. 엄마는 괜찮대. (엄마는 괜찮다고 해/했어.)
My sister says she isn’t going. 언니는 안 간대요. (언니는 안 간다고 해요/했어요.)
This contracted form is used all the time in casual speech since it’s shorter. It can be used in the past tense 댔어(요), but it’s used in the present more often. It’s the difference between “My mom says it’s okay” and “My mom said it’s okay.” There really isn’t a huge difference in the message you want to convey.
*팬티
The English loan word panty (팬티) can be used for anyone’s underwear regardless of age or gender. I don’t know about other countries, but I had never heard panty used for underwear that wasn’t for adult women. So, I was a little surprised when I first heard it used for men’s underwear.
*미친
미치다 means to be crazy. And 미친 can be used as an abbreviated way to say that’s crazy/insane or respond to something like “no f–ing way” or “holy shit.” (미쳤다, 미친 사건, 미친 새끼) I’m not quite sure how this abbreviated form came to be, but it’s really common. *I would also like to mention here that 미치다 “to be crazy” is quite a bit more negative in Korean than it is in English. It’s used a lot more often as a curse. It’s can be used lightly among friends, but you should be quite close, as the nuance or intonation could hurt someone’s feelings.
*제정신
제정신 is one’s “right mind.” So, 제정신 아니다 would mean “to not be in one’s right mind.” So, if someone does something that’s kind of crazy or unacceptable, you might be able to use this word. 그 사람이 경찰 앞에서 물건을 훔쳤다고요? 제정신이 아닌가 봐요. (You’re saying) that person stole something right in front of the cops? They’re out of their mind.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know if you have any questions!
It’s been a while since my last post, but I’m going to get back into the rhythm of things!
Follow me for more lessons.^^