안녕하세요 여러분! I have another Insta post I wanted to share with y’all! I have a regular lesson about -(으)면 되다 and -(으)면 안 되다 that I made a while back, but I feel like this post is a little more accurate and captures its nuance better. So that’s why I’m posting it here too! I hope it’s helpful!
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram by clicking the link below! Hope this is helpful :) See you in the next lesson! 다음에 또 봐요!
안녕하세요 여러분! I got a request to do some possible questions and answers that you might come across if you’re auditioning to be a K-pop idol! I’m not entirely familiar with the audition process or what kinds of questions might be asked of you, but here’s a list based on what I found online. I think that in order to answer these questions in Korean, you should be familiar with beginner/upper-beginner and some intermediate grammar structures and vocabulary. Check out my masterlist linked below to find some lessons that might help you answer them! I hope this is helpful for any aspiring idols! Let’s start!
Questions / 질문
이름이 뭐예요? = What is your name?
어디에서 왔어요? = Where are you from?
어디에 살아요? = Where do you live?
몇 살이세요? = How old are you?
학교에 어디 다녀요? = Where do you go to school?
학교에 어디 다녔어요? = Where did you go to school?
무슨 언어를 하세요? = What languages do you speak?
노래한 지 얼마나 됐어요? = How long have you been singing for?
춤을 춘 지 얼마나 됐어요? = How long have you been dancing for?
랩을 한 지 얼마나 됐어요? = How long have you been rapping for?
무슨 악기를 하세요? = What instruments do you play?
왜 아이돌 되고 싶으세요? = Why do you want to be an idol?
가장 좋아하는 가수/밴드 누구예요? = Who is your favorite singer/band?
취미가 뭐예요? = What are your hobbies?
Answers / 대답
안녕하세요, 제 이름은 [name]입니다. = Hello, my name is [name].
저는 [country]에서 왔어요. / 저는 [country] 사람입니다. = I am from [country].
저는 [place]에 살고 있습니다. = I live in [place].
저는 [#]살입니다. = I am [#] years old.
Use native Korean numbers when saying your age.
저는 [school’s name]에 다녀요. = I go to [school’s name].
저는 [school’s name]에 다녔어요. = I went to [school’s name].
저는 [language 1], [language 2]하고 [language 3] 합니다. = I speak [language 1], [language 2], and [language 3].
저는 노래한 지 [amount of time] 됐어요. = I have been singing for [amount of time].
저는 춤을 춘 지 [amount of time] 됐습니다. = I have been dancing for [amount of time].
저는 랩을 한 지 [amount of time] 됐습니다. = I have been rapping for [amount of time].
저는 [year]년부터 노래했습니다 / 춤을 췄습니다 / 랩을 했습니다. = I have been singing/dancing/rapping since [year].
저는 [instrument] 연주합니다. = I play [instrument].
[reason] 아이돌 되고 싶습니다. = I want to become an idol because [reason].
가장 좋아하는 가수는/그룹은 [name]입니다. = My favorite singer/group is [name].
제 취미는 [hobby]하고 [hobby] 입니다. = My hobbies are [hobby] and [hobby].
That’s about it for this list! Best of luck to you all :) See you in the next lesson! 다음에 또 봐요!
안녕하세요! Hey everyone! Here is yet another breakdown request fulfilled! If you have a song you’d like to see me break down, let me know and I’ll try to fulfill your request!
You can listen to this song here! I used Genius’s translationsandNaver Dictionary to help me out with this breakdown! I also linked my full-length lessons about the grammar structures featured in this song if you want to learn more about them. Let’s start!
사랑 촌스런 그 감정 / 근데 내 가슴이 뛰어 / 왜 나 이래 나?
Love, that old-fashioned feeling / But why is my heart racing? / What’s wrong with me?
사랑 = love
촌스런 -> from 촌스럽다, meaning “old-fashioned”
그 = that (must be placed before a noun)
감정 = feeling
근데 can usually be translated as “but” – it is sometimes used to draw attention to a different topic or something contrasting to what is currently being spoken about.
내 = my (informal)
가슴 = heart; chest
-이 is a subject particle – more about particles here!
뛰다 = to run; to jump
왜 = why
이래 comes from 이렇다, meaning “to be like this” or “to do this.” This line literally means “why am I like this?” but can also mean “what’s wrong with me?”
나도 모르게 when you call my name / 가슴 아프게 나의 심장이 쿵쿵
Unknowingly, when you call my name / Heartbreakingly, my heart is pounding
나 = I/me (informal)
-도 = too/even (depending on context)
모르다 = to not know
Adding-게 to a verb or adjective stem turns it into an adverb. 나도 모르게 means “unknowingly” or, more literally, “without me even knowing.”
아프다 = to be sick; to hurt
나의 = another way to say “my.” -의 is a possessive marker.
심장 = heart -> This refers more to the heart, while 가슴 can mean either “heart” or “chest.”
쿵쿵 is an onomatopoeia and is supposed to mimic the sound of a heartbeat.
내 뜻대로 되지 않아 / 흔한 filter조차 없어
It’s not going my way / I don’t even have any trendy filter
되다has a few different meanings. In this case, it’s a little hard to translate directly, but I would say it means “to go” (as in to go a certain way) or “to be done” (as in something is done some way).
More literally, I think this line means “It’s not going according to my meaning.” As with a lot of K-pop lyrics (and Korean in general), it’s best to focus on the meaning rather than the literal English translation, so don’t worry too much if the translation sounds odd!
흔하다, according to Naver Dictionary, means “common” or “commonplace.” Not quite sure why Genius translated it as “trendy,” but I guess if something is trendy, it becomes common because everyone is using it.
[noun] + 조차 = even [noun]
없다 = to not be there / to not have
That’s about it for this breakdown! I hope it was helpful :) See you in the next lesson! 다음에 또 봐요!
안녕하세요! Hello again everyone! I have yet another breakdown that was requested! If there’s a song you want to see broken down, let me know and I’ll try to fulfill your request!
You can listen to this song here! I used colorcodedlyrics.comandNaver Dictionary to help me translate these lyrics! I also linked my full-length lessons about the grammar structures featured in this song if you want to learn more about them. Let’s start!
거울 속에 마주친 얼굴이 어색해서 / 습관처럼 조용히 눈을 감아 / 밤이 되면 서둘러 내일로 가고 싶어
The face in the mirror is awkward / So like a habit I quietly close my eyes / When the night comes I want to hurry up and go to tomorrow
거울 = Mirror
속에 = Inside
마주치다 = to meet (usually refers to eyes meeting)
얼굴 = face
-ㄴ/은allows you to describe nouns with that verb in the past tense. So 마주친 얼굴 literally means “the face that I met.”
-이 is a subject particle – more about particles here!
어색하다 = awkward
-아/어서 means “so” or “because.” 어색해서 means “because it’s awkward” or “it’s awkward, so…”
설렘으로 차오르던 나의 숨소리와 / 머리 위로 선선히 부는 바람 / 파도가 되어 어디로든 / 달려가고 싶어 / 작은 두려움 아래 천천히 두 눈을 뜨면
My breath that rose up with excitement / And the wind that blows coolly above my head / I want to become a wave / And run anywhere / When I slowly open my eyes under the small fears
설렘 = excitement; thrill
Here, -(으)로 means “with”
차오르다 = to rise up
나의 = my (informal) -> 나 means “I,” while -의 is a possessive marker.
숨소리 = breath -> refers to the sound of breath
[verb stem] + 던is another way to describe a noun with a verb. It is used for actions that you used to do repeatedly in the past or that you did but did not complete.
불다’s stem ends in ㄹ, which gets dropped when you want it to describe a noun.
바람 = wind
파도 = wave
어디로든 = anywhere
달려가다 = to run
작다 = small
두려움 = fear -> noun form of the verb 두렵다, meaning “afraid”
아래 = below; bottom
천천히 = slowly
두 = two (this is the word for “two” that you put before a noun)
뜨다 = to open (eyes)
휩쓸려 길을 잃어도 자유로와 / 더이상 날 가두는 / 어둠에 눈 감지 않아 / 두 번 다시 날 모른 척 하지 않아
I’m free even when I’m swept away and get lost / I won’t close my eyes / in the darkness that traps me anymore / I won’t pretend to not know who I am again
안녕하세요 여러분! Hey everyone! I got yet another request for a breakdown! If you have a song you’d like to see broken down, let me know! I linked my full-length lessons about the featured grammar points throughout as well in case you want to learn more about them!
You brush against me / Listen to what I have to say / Stop in your tracks / And listen to my song
나를 = me
나 is the informal way to say “I,” while -를 is an object particle. More about particles here!
스쳐가다 = to brush against; to pass by
그대 = you -> This is a poetic/romantic way to say “you” and isn’t really used in everyday spoken Korean.
[verb stem] + 는 allows you to describe nouns with that verb. 나를 스쳐가는 그대 literally means “you who brushes against me.”
내 = my (informal)
말 = words
듣다 = to listen; to hear
듣다’s stem ends in ㄷ, so it becomes 들어줘 when conjugated.
[verb stem] + 아/어주다 means that a verb is done forsomebody and can be used when pleading that someone do something for you. In this case, he’s commanding that you listen to him.
Literally, this line means “listen to my words.”
걸음 = step(s) -> from the verb 걷다, meaning “to walk”
멈추다 = to stop
-고 is a connector that means “and.” This line means “stop in your tracks and…”
노래 = song
축 처진 고개들과 / 비틀거리는 그림자 / 그렇게 나는 불청객이 돼 / 아무도 모르는 yeah / 노래를 부르며 yeah
Among the drooping heads / And staggering shadows / I become an uninvited guest / While I sing a song / That nobody knows
축 처지다 = droop; hang; sag
고개 = head
Attach -들 to nouns to make them plural
[verb stem] + ㄴ/은 allows you to describe a noun with that verb in the past tense. So 축 처진 고개들 literally means “heads that drooped.”
과/와is attached to nouns to mean “and” or “with.” 과 is attached to nouns ending in a consonant, while 와 is attached to those ending in a vowel.
비틀거리다 = stagger; stumble; falter; totter
그림자 = shadow(s) (it can still be implied that a noun is plural without the -들 depending on the context!
그렇게 = like that
불챙객 = uninvited guest
되다 = to become
These lines were a little tricky to translate, but I think it essentially means “the drooping heads and staggering shadows, like that, I become an uninvited guest” as if he is an uninvited guest because the drooping heads and staggering shadows make him one.
아무도 = nobody
모르다 = to not know
아무도 모르다 sounds like a double negative – nobody doesn’t know. But in Korean, this is the correct way to say “nobody knows”! When using indefinite pronouns like 아무것도, 아무데도, (nothing, nowhere), etc., you need to use a negative verb like so.
부르다 -> when paired with 노래, means “to sing.”
[verb stem] + (으)며means “while [verb]” and is used when two actions are happening at the same time.
아무도 모르는 / 노래를 부를래 / 지나가는 너의 / 마음을 붙잡을 수 있길 바라며
I’ll sing a song / That nobody knows / Hoping that I can grasp your heart / As it passes
[verb stem] + ㄹ/을래(요) means “I will [verb]” or “I want to [verb].” It expresses a strong intention to do something.
지나가다 = pass; go by
너의 = your(informal)
너 means “you” (informal), and -의 is a possessive marker.
안녕하세요 여러분! Hey everyone! Today’s lesson is about -고 보니까, which is one way to express realization. Let’s start!
Use this formula:
[verb stem] + 고 보니까 + [rest of sentence]
The -까 can be dropped with no difference in meaning.
This structure is used to express your realization after you finish doing an action. Let’s look at an example:
한국어 수업을 듣고 보니까 꽤 어렵더라고요. = After taking a Korean class, I’ve realized that it’s quite difficult.
This sentence communicates your realization after you completed the action of taking a Korean class, that realization being that Korean is difficult to learn. I want to emphasize that this structure can only be used when talking about a completed action, not one that is currently in progress.
Notice that this structure is seen in sentences that have other endings communicating some sort of realization or surprise like 것 같다,-네요,and-더라고요. Let’s see some more examples!
책을 다 읽고 보니까 생각보다 재미있어요. = After reading the book, I see that it’s more interesting than I thought.
그러고 보니까 그 콘서트 표는 꽤 비싸네요. = Now that I think about it, that concert ticket it quite expensive.
그러고 보니 is a fixed expression meaning “now that I think about it” or “come to think of it.”
처음에는 김치를 싫었는데 다시 먹어보고 보니 괜찮더라고요. = At first, I didn’t like kimchi, but after trying it again, it’s okay.
원래는 걔가 좀 차가운 것 같지만 더 친해지보니 아주 착하네요. = Originally I thought she was a little cold, but now that I’ve gotten closer to her, she’s very nice.
That’s about it for this lesson! Lmk if you have any questions :) See you in the next one! 다음에 또 봐요!
안녕하세요! Today we have a short lesson about a useful structure that’s used for talking about what doing an action requires: -는 데(에). Let’s start!
-는 데(에) is used for talking about what it takes to do an action. This will become clearer in the examples, but let’s start with a formula:
[verb stem] + 는 데(에)
The -에 is optional.
This is not to be confused with -ㄴ/은/는데, which does NOT have a space between -ㄴ/은/는 and 데!
Here are some examples:
커피를 한 잔 사는 데에 천원이에요. = It is 1,000 won to buy a cup of coffee.
This example talk about what it takes to do the action of buying a cup of coffee, which is 1,000 won.
떡볶이 만드는 데에 떡고 고추장이 필요해요. = In making tteokbokki, you need rice cakes and red chili paste.
When the verb stem ends in ㄹ, drop the ㄹ!
한국어를 배우는 데에 매일 연습해야 돼요. = You have to practice everyday when learning Korean.
This example talk about what you need to do to learn Korean, which is practice everyday. Notice how you can say you need to do an action or you need a noun when using this structure!
에쎄이를 쓰는 데에 일단 주제에 대한 연구해야 돼요. = In writing an essay, you first have to do research on your topic.
That’s about it for this lesson – I hope it was helpful! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions :) 다음에 또 봐요!
anon asked: what’s the difference between -는 동안 and -(으)면서? I’m so confused
This is a great question! I am assuming you’re asking because they can be translated as the same thing into English. I understand why there will be confusion because, under context, these grammar points aren’t really distinguishable in English as they are in Korean.
You’re not talking about the same doer of the action [엄마가 설거지를 하는 동안 아빠는 화장실을 청소했어요 - Mom cleaned the dishes while dad cleaned the bathroom]
You are talking about the same doer of the action [어제 공부하는 동안 문제가 생겼어요 - I found a problem while studying yesterday]
The doer of the action is inanimate [비가 많이 오는 동안 구름이 어두워졌어요 - the clouds darkened while it poured]
Try to remember that 동안 is used for a period of time; “-는 동안”은 일정 기간 동안 사용되다. Consider the example in the first rule. Think of the context of this sentence as: during the time it took for my mom to do the dishes, my dad cleaned the bathroom. Yes, you can switch it around because contextually it means the same thing, “아빠가 화장실을 청소하는 동안 엄마는 설거지를 했어요.”
NOTE:Because “-는” attaches to the dependent clause [엄마가 설거지를 하는 동안], the verb before it does not take tense and underlyingly takes the tense of the independent clause’s verb [아빠는 화장실을 청소했어요]. I used the past tense [과거] in my examples, but you can use the present tense [현재] or future tense [미래], obviously, depending on what you want to say.
More Examples:
한국에서 사는 동안 한국어를 빨리 배웠어요 - While I lived in Korea, I learned Korean quickly.
대학교 디니는 동안 어디에서 살 거예요? - Where are you going to live while attending University?
아빠가 저녁을 준비하는 동안 저는 보통 숙제를 해요 - I usually do my homework while my dad makes dinner.
희주가 세수하는 동안 혜민은 이를 닦았어요 - While Heeju washed her face, Hyemin brushed her teeth.
제가 자는 동안 고양이는 제 식물을 먹었어요 - While I slept, my cat ate my plants.
-(으)면서; while
Use this when:
The doer of the action is the same [희주는 먹으면서 유튜브를 봐요 - Heeju watches YouTube while eating]
The action is happening simultaneously [지하철을 기다리면서 친구하고 전화했어요 - I waited for the metro while I called my friend]
Contrasting two actions [대현은 한국에서 일하고 싶다고 하면서 한국어를 못해요 - Daehyun said they wanted to work in Korea, but they don’t speak Korean]
NOTE: You can only use -(으)면서 when talking about the same doer of the action or state. For example, 희주는 일하는 동안 음악을 들었어요 and 희주는 일하면서 음악을 들었어요. BOTH work and are grammatically correct. The working and listening to music is being done by 희주, whether at the same time, or during work. However, a sentence like “희주는 일하면서 혜민은 음악을 들었어요” is grammatically incorrect. Even if 희주 and 혜민 are doing this at the same time, you must use -는 동안.
More Examples:
샤워하면서 노래를 불렀어요 - While showering, I sang
요리하면서 요리법을 봐요 - While cooking, I read a recipe
수업을 들으면서 메모를 해요 - I take notes while in class
운전하면서 문자를 보내지 마세요 - Don’t text while driving
희주는 숙제를 하면서 음악을 들어요 - While Heeju does her homework, she listens to music
Differences between the two:
You can use 동안 with nouns [명사], you cannot use (으)면서 with nouns. However, you can use (이)면서 with nouns in conjunction with 이다 [저는 대학생이면서 선생님이에요 - I am a university student and a teacher]. This expresses two states of being that happen at the same time.
You can not use -는 동안 to contrast actions
You MUST use the same doer of action with (으)면서
-는 동안 expresses an action that occurs during a period of time; -(으)면서 does not necessarily take place at a specific time
Similarities between the two:
You attach tense at the end of the sentence, you cannot attach tense to the dependent verb
They are, most of the time, interchangeable; just remember the rules above
BONUS! -(을/ㄹ) 때; when
The closest origin of “때” I could find in 한자 is “時”. “때” refers to an event/time/period of action (another translation of 時 can be 시).
Things to remember:
You can use -때 with nouns and -(을/ㄹ) 때 with verbs.
Because it refers to a specific moment, you can attach tense to -(을/ㄹ) 때
You can use this with adjectives!
Can be used with -까지 and -부터! [때 + 부터 = since// 때 + 까지 = until]
Examples:
비행기를 도착할 때 엄마하고 전화할게요 - When my plane lands, I’ll call my mom
대학생[이였을] 때 돈이 없었잖아요 - When I was a uni student, I didn’t have money, as you know
한국 친구에게 한국말로 하기 시작했을 때 마이클은 깜짝 놀랐어요 - When I started speaking Korean to my Korean friend, Michael was surprised!
공부할 때 음악을 들어요 - When I study, I listen to music
시간이 있을 때 알려주세요 - Let me know when you have time
16살 때부터 한국어를 배웠어요 - I’ve been learning Korean since I was 16
이렇게 될 때까지 더 씻어야 해요 - You have to wash it more until it’s like this
한국에 갈 때 홍대하고 제주도 방문하고 싶어요 - When I go Korea, I want to visit Jeju and Hongdae
혜민 언니는 한국에 들어갔을 때 제가 너무 슬펐어요 - I was so sad when Hyemin when back to Korea
어렸을 때 그림을 그리기 시작했어요 - I started drawing when I was a kid
Hope this helps! If there’s any more confusion, please, don’t hesitate to send another message or ask!
anon asked: what’s the difference between 먹다 and 드시겠습니다. You say they both mean eat but i am confused? Help!
@femaletype asked: next do (으)시 vs -세요 vs -ㅂ/습니다 Bc honorific vs deferential is the bane of my existence
First, I will give a list of honorific verbs and nouns, then explain the honorific ending! It’s important to note an “elevation” of formality; who is being elevated! In this case, there are three types:
verbs that elevate* the subject
verbs that elevate the object
verbs that elevate the recipient of the action (usually used with the honorific particle 께)
*elevate = who are talking about in an honorific way?
높임말 동사; Honorific Verbs
(2) 만나다 / 보다; 뵙다 [to see, to meet]
(1) 먹다; 드시다 / 식사하다 / 잡수시다 [to eat]
(1) 마시다; 드시다 [to drink]
(3) 주다;드리다 [to give]
(1) 있다; 계시다 [to stay]
(1) 죽다; 들어가시다 [to die]
(1) 아프다; 편찮으시다 [to be hurt/in pain]
(1) 말하다; 말씁하시다 [to speak]
(1) 자다; 주무시다 [to sleep]
(3) 묻다; 여쭈다 [to ask]
(1) 배고프다; 시장하시다 [to be hungry]
(2) 데리다; 모시다 [to accompany]^
^ the plain form 데리다 is more commonly used as a compound verb with 오다 or 가다, but that can be it’s own separate post if people are interested.
높임말 명사; Honorific Nouns
이름; 성함 [name]
나이; 연세 [age]
집; 댁 [house]
생일; 생신 [birthday]
밥; 진지 / 식사 [food, meal]
병; 병환 [disease, illness]
술; 약주 [alcohol]
아이; 자제분 [child]
이; 치아 [tooth]
말; 말씀 [word]
It’s important to note, that outside of these specific verbs, you can realistically elevate anyverb in Korean using (으)시.
-(으)시 vs. (스)ㅂ니다; Deferential Honorific
At this point, you should be familiar with plain style conjugation patterns (-어/아요). The deferential style is the infamous -(스)ㅂ니다 that gives the statements their formal ending. Of course, as we know, -(스)ㅂ니다 is more formal than -어/아요. If at any point, you are unsure as to which formality to use, always use the deferential style.
Honorifics can attach to both the deferential and polite styles, but are used in different contexts illustrated below:
[polite]집에 가요 - I’m going home
[deferential]집에 갑니다 - I go home
[polite + (으)시] 집에 가세요 - Go home, (hon. subject)
[deferential + (으)시] 집에 가십니다 - (hon. subject) goes home
Remember, you cannot, ever, at any point, ever, use (으)시 for yourself.
-(으)세요
When (으)시 is attached to the polite style conjugation, there are two usages; (1) to show respect, (2) to create an imperative.
The use of -(으)시 elevates the subject, object, or any recipient of the action who is older, in a higher position, or placed above you in respect. Of course, you will hear some Koreans complain about this politeness hierarchy, however, that is not an excuse to speak in an intimate way to a doctor, professor, or an elder–this is not about being close, this is about being respectful.
The biggest difference between the deferential -(스)ㅂ니다 and the honorific -(으)시 is that one acknowledges the elevation of the subject/object/recipient of action [-(으)시] while the other acknowledges the formality of the environment around them [-(스)ㅂ니다].
When talking to someone closer to your age (seemingly), you are able to use [polite + (으)시] to express politeness without being overtly formal. This is why, in restaurants, you will use phrases like:
순두부찌개 하나 좀* 주세요 - please give me tofu stew
물 좀 주세요 - please give me water
아아 한잔 좀 주세요 - please give me an iced americano
*좀 softens the request
Where the server will use an honorific term:
[드시다] 뭐 드시겠습니까? - what will you eat/drink?
[드리다] 영수증을 드릴까요? - do you want me to give you a receipt?
Note that the -까 creates an interrogative phrase.
All that said…
You can add (으)시 to any verb in order to create it’s honorific counterpart. This goes for literally any verb. If you are truly lost and cannot remember how to use the honorific form of 먹다 then you can use some form of 먹으시다. Examples:
[to answer/reply] 대답하다 + (으)시 = 대답하시다
[to sing] 노래부르다 + (으)시 = 노래부르시다
[to listen] 듣다 + (으)시 = 들으시다
Hope this helps! Honorifics are honestly difficult. So difficult, that even switching formality without honorifics is still considered rude (from intimate to plain to deferential). You’ll hear people say it’s okay to not use the proper formality because you’re a foreigner, but I think that’s a lazy solution to learning. If you want to learn properly, do it properly.
Example Sentences:
무슨 책을 읽으세요? - what book are you reading?
한국 분이세요? - are you Korean?
한국어를 가르칠 사람은 김 선생님이세요 - Mx. Kim will teach Korean
엄마가 전화하셨어요 - My mom called
부모님께서 은행에 가셨어요 - My parents went to the bank
That being said, it’s okay to mess up formalities so long as you catch the mistake and correct yourself. The listener (older Korean or friend) will greatly appreciate the self-assessment.
If there’s still some confusion, let me know!! Happy Learning :)
anon asked: I just finished reading your most recent blog and im just confused about something. you give us the translation for boda and bo-eda but why do I sometimes see a different verb beside boda? like meokeoboda? Sorry about the romanization, i dont have a korean keyboard on my phone
Hey! It’s not a problem! If you need help figuring out how to add a keyboard to your phone, it’s simpler than you think! Just go the “keyboard” function in your settings then press “add new keyboard” you should see “Korean” or 한국어.
As for your question, I’m going to assume you’re talking about 어/아/여 보다! If I’m not assuming correctly, then please send me another pm or comment on this blog! Hopefully my assumption is correct though!
Conjugate the stem, then add 보다. Not much else to it!
If we attach ~(으)시다 to the grammar point, then we make it a more formal imperative. But if you use intimate style (반말) with your friends, then conjugating 보다 regularly is fine. Here are some formal examples:
치마를 입어 보세요 - Try the skirt on
잘 생각해 보세요 - think about it well
식혜를 마셔 보세요 - try sikhye (Korean rice drink)
Intimate Style:
Sometimes my Korean friends have a hard time saying something in English, and I have a hard time understanding. Usually when this happens, I say, “한국말로 해 봐” which literally just means, “say it in Korean”. If you’re someone who finds it a bit easier to speak informally (like most learners, lol), then here are some other sentences you can use:
When NCT drops another bop and you’re desperate to share it with your friend, say: 잘 들어 봐 - listen well
When your friend is talking too fast in Korean and you can’t keep up, say: 야. 천천히 말해 봐 - yo, speak slower
When your friend has a big test coming up and you wanna support them, say: 공부 열심히 해 봐! 파이팅 - study hard! fighting
V ~ 어/아/여 보다 + 과거 = 어/아/여 봤어요; have tried (experience; 경험)
Here’s where it get’s interesting! If you conjugate 보다 in the past tense when attached to a verb, it talks about past experience. However, this is a very specific example that has happened in the past (usually a distant past, not one that happened recently). Here are some examples:
한국에 가 봤어요 - I’ve been to Korea
감자탕 먹어 봤어요 - I’ve tried gamjatang (Pork Bone Stew)
어렸을 때 미국에 살아 봤어요 - I lived in the US when I was young
If you want to ask someone if they’ve ever done something, or tried something, then just add a question mark!
감자탕 먹어 봤어요? - have you ever tried gamjatang?
노래방에 가 봤어요? - have you ever been to karaoke?
스키 타 봤어요? - have you ever been skiing?
If you want to say that you haven’t done the thing that they’re asking, then add 안 before the main verb. EX. 아니요. 감자탕 “안” 먹어 봤어요 - No. I haven’t tried gamjatang. You can also use “못” instead of “안”. I have used both in the same context and it means the same thing!
V ~ (보다) + (으)ㄴ 적(이) 있다/없다 = have done V / haven’t done V (experience; 경험)
Another way to express experience in the past with / without 보다 is (으)ㄴ 적(이) 있다/없다. 적 is a dependent noun related to time! Here are some examples:
떡볶이 먹은 적이 있어요 - I’ve eaten tteokbokki (Korean spicy rice cake)
서울에 산* 적이 없어요 - I have never lived in Seoul!
With 보다:
소주 마셔 본 적이 있어요 - I’ve tried soju
한복 입어 본 적이 없어요 - I haven’t tried wearing a Hanbok!
*살다 (to live) is an irregular ㄹ verb, therefore ㄹ acts as a vowel/is omitted in most grammatical instances. Other irregular ㄹ verbs you may know: 만들다 (to make), 알다 (to know), 울다 (to cry), 열다 (to open), 팔다 (to sell), many more!
When saying that you’ve watched something, or haven’t while using 보다 in the sense of “to see”, you wouldn’t say 봐 봤어요 or 봐 본 적–, it’s just grammatically incorrect and honestly, unnatural sounding. You would just say 본 적 or 봤어요. The Korean person you’re talking to will understand the context instantly. Here are some examples to illustrate this:
영화 기생충 봤어요(?) - Have you seen/I have seen “Parasite”(?)
드라마 알랑말랑 본 적이 있어요 - I’ve watched the drama “알랑말랑”
Hope that answers your question! I would say this grammar point is maybe A2-B1! Pretty easy and once you get it, you’ll start to understand some more intermediate sentences a lot better! If you’re still confused, or, again, I assumed wrong, then don’t hesitate to send me another message/pm! I’ll help you right away!
anon asked: I was studying and came across the sentence 별이 보여요. I looked on Papago and I’m confused. anything helps at this point. Thanks!
Hey, no worries! I got you!
The sentence 별이 보여요 actually means “the stars are seen”. 보이다 is a passive verb (수동태), whereas, 보다 is an active verb (능동태). What this means is that the subject either is doing the action or receives action from the verb.
보다 - to see 보이다 - to be seen
Passive and active verbs are super common in English (if used sparingly). For example, you can say, I threw the ball (I did the action to the ball) or, the ball was thrown by me. This shows that the action is done (passive) by the objective me, to the subjective ball.
Here are some more examples in Korean:
별을 봐요 - I see the stars
별이 보여요 - The stars are seen
사자가 토끼를 봤어요 - The lion sees the rabbit
토끼가 사자에게 보였어요 - The rabbit is seen by the lion
많은 사람들은 영화 기생충을 봤어요 - Many people watched the movie Parasite
영화 기생충은 많은 사람들에게 보여졌어요 - The movie Parasite was seen by many people
Hope this answers your question! If there’s any more confusion, please don’t hesitate to pm or send another ask! Happy Learning :)
anon asked: what’s the difference between 끊다 and 자르다?
Great question! Hopefully my answer helps! Both can mean “to cut” but here’s a better explanation:
One is used abstractly, while the other is used for more concrete situations. When you want to cut something for a recipe, or cut a piece of paper, you use 자르다. When you want to hang up the phone, or quit smoking, you use 끊다.
끊다 - cut (something abstract); not a literal cutting of something
이만 끊을게요 - I’ll hang up (on the phone)
앞으로 담배를 끊을 거예요 - From now on, I’m going to quit smoking.
자르다 - cut (something concrete); a literal cutting of something
종이를 반으로 자르세요 - cut the paper in half
이렇게 잘라야 해요 - you should cut it like this
머리 잘라서 머리가 짧아졌어요 - my hair got shorter because I cut it
anon asked: hi! i’m still in the process of learning hangul and i know there’s is no specific order to learn korean but what was the easiest route for you? this may sound silly because i’m thinking too far ahead but when/how did you get to the point of not having to use a dictionary or translator for everything? or is that something i’ll always have to do? i’ve only learned one other language and it was spanish. i think i was able to pick up on it quicker because of cognates that are similar to english and i think those also exist for english and korean but i find them more difficult to identify due to the alphabet being different. i hope i didn’t make it sound confusing. thank you for any tips! i appreciate it all
안녕하세요! 늦게 네 질문이 읽어서 미안해요!
이걸 기억하세요: 여러분은 새로운 언어를 배울 때 항상 사전을 사용할 거예요.
만약 한국어를 배우면 다른 사람들마다 다 배우는게 달라요. 우리가 이걸 이미 알고 있었어요. 그렇지만 사람들은 한국어를 대화하지 않으면 한국어를 배우지 못해요. 우리는 “아 한국에 가려고 한국어를 배워"라고 말하지만 한국어를 사용하는 나라에 살지 않아서 한국어를 배우기 어려워요. 우리 한국말로 말해야 돼요. 진짜로요.
저는 한국사람들과 한국어로 대화했기 때문에 한국어를 쉽게 배울 수 있었어요. 매일 한국어 문법과 어휘도 배우는데 한국말을 사용하지 않으면 기억을 못해요. 항상 "쓰기, 읽기가 제일 쉬워"라고 생각하고 듣기, 말하기 연습을 안 했어요. 16 살때부터 한국어를 배우기 시작했어요! 지금 22살이잖아요!! 제가 왜 한국말로 편하게 말할 수 없었을 가요?!
한국말로 대화하지 않았기 때문이에요.
이건 제 충고예요. 만약 한국어를 쉽게 배우고 싶으면 한국말로 해야 돼요. 너가 문법과 어휘도 배워야 되지만 말하기도 해야 돼요. 하루에 5분이라도요
도움이 됐으면 좋겠습니다. 잘 배우세요.
ENG Trans.:
Hello! Sorry for reading your message late.
Remember this: when you’re learning a new language, you will always use a dictionary (in a way, fluency is arbitrary).
If you want to learn Korean, everyone learns different. Of course, we already knew that. However, if a person doesn’t speak in Korean, then they won’t learn Korean. We say things like, “I am learning Korean to go to Korea,” but most of us don’t live in a country that actively uses Korean. That makes it really hard to learn Korean. If we wanna learn, we have to speak Korean. Seriously.
It wasn’t until I spoke to native Korean speakers that I actually learned Korean easily. Everyday, I would learn grammar or vocab but it would mean nothing to me if I didn’t use it. I would forget it. I used to think, “Writing and reading are the easiest,” but I never practiced speaking and listening. I’ve been learning since I was 16!!! I’m 22 now!! Why couldn’t I speak Korean comfortably???
It’s literally because I never spoke in Korean.
This is my advice. If you want to be comfortable in Korean (with or without a dictionary), use it. Learn the vocab and grammar, but you HAVE to speak Korean. Even if it’s just for 5m a day.
Today, I have two beginner grammar points! A/V지만 and V(으)ㄹ래. They are quite simple, but this post ended up being much longer than I thought it would.
지만 is a way to express opposing situations or “but.” It’s simple and to the point.
Luckily verbs and adjectives are conjugated the same way with 지만.
Present tense: All you have to do is remove the dictionary 다 from the verb/adjective and add 지만.
좋아하다
너를 좋아하지만 우리는 사귈 수 없어. I like you, but we can’t date.
먹다
저는 야채를 잘 먹지만 과일을 잘 안 먹어요. I eat vegetables well (often, a lot), but I don’t eat fruit well (often, a lot).
좋다
이 신발이 좋지만 너무 비싸요. These shoes are good, but they’re too expensive.
나쁘다
그 남자는 성격이 나쁘지만 잘 생겼어요. That guy’s personality is bad, but he’s handsome.
And, it can be used with nouns as well in the form of (이)지만.
Nouns that end in a consonant get followed by 이지만 (ex: 선생님이지만), and nouns that end in a vowel get followed by 지만 (ex: 실례지만).
저는 선생님이지만 어렸을 때 학교 가기 싫었어요. I’m a teacher, but I hated going to school when I was young.
그 사람은 우리 오빠지만 우리는 안 닮았어요. That person is my older brother, but we don’t look alike.
저는 학생이 아니지만 어려 보여서 학생 할인을 받았어요. I’m not a student, but I got the student discount because I look young.
지만 can also be used with the past tense. All you do is add 지만 to the past 았/었/였.
좋아했지만 // 먹었지만 // 좋았지만 // 나빴지만 // 학생이었지만 // 오빠였지만
It can be used with other grammatical constructions as well, but I’ll leave them out to keep this beginner.
———————————————————————————————————
V(으)ㄹ래 is also a rather simple grammar point. When I learned (으)ㄹ래, the book taught it as another future tense “will.” And because of that, I confused it with the other future tenses like (으)ㄹ 거예요 and (으)ㄹ게요. But, luckily they are all quite different from each other in usage. V(으)ㄹ래요 is used when someones will or want is involved. It’s a very strong way to say “I will” do something or “want to” do something.
For example:
A 집에 가서 공부 할 거예요. I will go home and study.
B 집에 가서 공부할래요. I will go home and study.
These two sentences are actually very different. The first sentence (A) just states that you’re going to go home and study, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to study at home. It’s just something that will happen. But the second sentence (B) means that this is what you want to do. You want to study at home. It can emphasize that you want to do the action (studying), or it can emphasize that you want to do the action specifically at your house. And probably not where you are now.
Let’s look at another example.
A 나랑 같이 갈 거야? Are you going with me?
B 나랑 같이 갈래? Will you go with me? (Want to go with me?)
These are also very different. Sentence A can be used to ask for information. “Are you going with me?…or with someone else? or…?” But sentence B asks about that persons will. “Will you go with me?/Do you want to go with me?”
Let’s look at some more examples of (으)ㄹ래.
으으…소개팅 하기 싫어. 안 갈래. uhh…I don’t want to have a blind date. I’m not going./I won’t go.
여기 좀 시끄러워서 도서관에 가서 공부할래요. This place is a bit loud, so I’ll go to the library and study.
뭐를 먹을래(요)? What do you want to eat? (informal) 뭐를 드실래요? What do you want to eat? (Formal/respectful)
난 절대 결혼하지 않을래. I will never get married.
너가 가. 난 여기 있을래. You go. I’ll stay here. (I want to stay here./I’m going to stay here.)
note: (으)ㄹ게 also means “I will,” but it’s mostly used when making promises or saying “I will” do something for someone else (favors, promises etc).
A: 문닫아야 겠어. 추워. I better shut the window. It’s cold.
B: 앗 내가 닫아 줄게. Ah, I’ll shut it (for you).
If I say, 내가 닫을래/닫아 줄래 (I will shut it/I will shut it for you), it sounds like I’m saying “Don’t close it, I want to be the one to close it!” In that sense (으)ㄹ래 is the strongest “will” among the three. To organize it quickly in a simple guide for beginners:
(으)ㄹ 거야/거예요 - general information about the probable future
(으)ㄹ게(요) - will do something for someone else
(으)ㄹ래(요) - will do something because I want to do it
This might be more confusing than it should be. So, please leave any messages if something needs clarification. And, I good luck studying everyone!
I hope you all had a good weekend! Follow me if you want to keep seeing more Korean posts.^^
Hello! Finally I’m back! Now let’s start over, I will re-post the days I already posted, but this time I will do it all complete so it can be more useful
(this link goes to her Anki page that you can download and import on your own anki to use it)
What I personally did was import it into my anki, export it as a txt. file and then pasted it on an excel file. So in that way I have the list of all the vocabulary for a better self-control and I copy them in my memrise deck. On excel I highlight in yellow the words I already know and in green the ones I don’t know and I need to add to my vocabulary deck.
This deck has over 5000 words so you will use it for a good while hahah.
Grammar
Talk to me in Korean (TTMIK) Lessons
I was using the Korean in Grammar In Use books (I finished the first one and I started the first chapter of the second one) and I highly recommend them but right now I’m really busy with college so I had to squish my time to study Korean. That’s why I decided to use the lessons TTMIK offers since they are short and I can do them faster.
Extra
Daily Routine in Korean by TTMIK
I finished this book a few days ago and it was really helpful now that I’m more advanced in my learning (I tried to use it when I just started and it was impossible for my brain to remember the phrases and make them make sense).
This deck is made by me with all the resources I have used so far for vocabulary til now. The levels are divided in 1000 words each cause I think that helped better with my organization. If you decide to use it, I hope it can be helpful for you ^^
I made this one using the guide of Hanja made by How To Study Korean (link). It’s a great guide, and I recommend it if you are interested on learning some hanja. My deck has 260 hanjas that I found the most useful and interesting. Right now I’m not studying hanja anymore cause I think the ones I learned are enough according to the level where I am now, and I wanna use that time to learn more things in Korean properly. That’s why, if you wanna learn them all I recommend you the guide made by How To Study Korean.
I hope this can be truly helpful for anyone who needs it. I will try my harderst to post more often, specially lessons and vocabulary lists. Thank you to everyone who follows the blog, I hope it can be useful to yall. And also thank you for everyone who follows me on Instagram (@/itslostfocus) where I post daily pics -not so daily, sorry I’ve busy- of my progress learning Korean.
이미 벌어진 일이나 어떤 상태가 배경임을 나타낼 때 사용해요. 일상적인 대화나 비격식적인 상황에서 주로 써요.
It’s used to indicate what’s already happened or what’s going on behind the scenes. It’s usually used in daily conversations or in informal situations.
예문(example sentences):
1. 저희가 사귄다는 사실도 이제 다 알려진 마당에 뭘 더 숨기겠어요? What else can we hide now (given the circumstances) that everyone knows we’re dating?
2. 가: 이번 회사 체육대회에서 버려진 음식 쓰레기가 이렇게나 많아요. 너무 낭비예요. There is so many discarded food waste from the company athletic competition. It’s too wasteful. 나: 굶어 죽는 사람도 있는 마당에 이렇게 많은 음식을 버려서야 되겠습니까? How can you think about throwing away food given the circumstances that there are people starving to death?
3. 가: 그 회사와 계속 거래를 할 예정이에요? Are you going to keep doing business with them? 나: 이미 신뢰가 깨진 마당에 더 이상 이 회사와 거래할 수 없어요. Under the circustances that the trust already been broken, I can no longer deal with this company anymore.
‘(으)ㄴ/는 마당에’를 사용하여 대화를 완성하십시오. Use ‘(으)ㄴ/는 마당에’ and complete the sentence.
가: 요즘 새로 나온 휴대폰을 써 보니까 좋던데 너도 이번 기회에 한번 바뀌 보는 게 어때? 나: 아르바이트를 그만둬서 생활비도______새로운 휴대폰은 꿈도 못 꿔.
가: 어려운 일을 돕자는 의도는 좋지만 이렇게 돈을 많이 써 가며 행사를 진행할 필요가 있을까요? 나: 저도 동감이에요. 당장 작은 도움을 줄 수 있는 돈도 ______행상에 이렇게 많은 돈을 쓸 필요가 없다고 생각해요.
가: 대학 다닐 떄 공부 좀 열심히 할 걸 그랬어. 학점이 낮으니까 회사에 지원해도 번번이 서류 심사에서 떨어지는 것 같아. 나: 이미 ________후회한다고 점수가 바뀌냐? 자기소개에 좀 더 공을 들여 봐.
