STUDY KOREAN

These are my personal study notes. Sometimes messy or incorrect. I'm not here to teach Korean! I just like sharing resources for self-study! Content comes from the lovely people at TTMIK, HTSK, and others (please ask). Check out the resources page below! Background illustration by Won Kang

[rockabillywife]

Im Gaining my mind. Im going Sane #positivity

[warmfigure]

sick day.. feels like summer

[study-korean]

죽란시사 (Bamboo Orchard Poetry Society)

"살구꽃이 피면 한 번 모이고, 복숭아꽃이 처음 피면 한 번 모이고, 한여름에 참외가 익으면 한 번 모이고, 초가을 날씨가 서늘할 때 서쪽 연못에서 연꽃 구경을 위해 한 번 모이고, 국화가 피면 한 번 모이고, 겨울철 큰 눈이 내리면 한 번 모이고, 세모에 화분의 매화가 피면 한 번 모이는데, 모일 때마다 술과 안주, 붓과 벼루 등을 준비하여 술을 마시며 시를 읊는 데 불편이 없도록 한다." - From the "Drinking Rules of the Soho-gye" (소호계 음주 규약), originated from the Joseon Dynasty scholar Jeong Yak-yong (Dasan)

[study-korean]

처음으로 하늘을 만나는 어린 새처럼 처음으로 땅을 밟고 일어서는 새싹처럼 우리는 하루가 저무는 저녁 무렵에도 아침처럼 새봄처럼 처음처럼 다시 새날을 시작하고 있다. ​ 산다는 것은 수많은 처음을 만들어가는 끊임없는 시작이다. - 신영복의 <처음처럼>

[study-korean]

검은 머리가 파뿌리 될 때까지

[study-korean]

뛰어 봤자 벼룩이야

Even if you jump you're still just a flea

[study-korean]

[study-korean]

🌿 풍류 (風流)

Hanja:

風 (풍): wind, style, custom

流 (류): flow, stream, trend

風流 literally translates to “wind and flow” or “flowing like the wind.”

Together, they evoke the idea of graceful, refined, and carefree enjoyment, especially in relation to art, nature, and the pleasures of life.

In Korean, 풍류 goes beyond a literal translation. It refers to:

Refined artistic taste or appreciation of beauty (esp. in poetry, music, nature)

A free-spirited, elegant way of life — often connected to Korean traditional culture (like a scholar enjoying music, tea, and the mountains)

Aesthetic and leisurely enjoyment of life, in harmony with nature

It’s often associated with classical seonbi (선비) culture — the image of the cultured, virtuous scholar who lives simply but appreciates deep beauty and the arts.

💬 Example Usage

그는 참 풍류를 아는 사람이다. → He’s someone who truly understands the art of refined living.

고요한 산사에서 거문고 소리를 들으며 풍류를 즐겼다. → Enjoyed the elegant pleasures of life listening to the geomungo in a quiet mountain temple.

[study-korean]

Bad Moods

1. 심술 부리다 (심술: 心術)

Hanja:

心 (심): heart, mind

術 (술): technique, method, art, trick

Explanation: 心術 (심술) literally means “mental technique” or “heart trick,” but in Korean usage, it evolved to mean malice, ill will, or spite — i.e., a "twisted" or "scheming" mindset. When you say someone is 심술을 부리다, you're saying they're acting out of spite or jealousy — showing negative, petty emotions through actions.

Example:

아이가 동생을 질투해서 심술을 부렸다. → “The child acted out of jealousy toward their younger sibling.”

2. 심기가 불편하다 (심기: 心氣)

Hanja:

心 (심): heart, mind

氣 (기): energy, mood, spirit

Explanation:

心氣 (심기) refers to one’s mental state or mood — literally "heart-energy" or "emotional atmosphere."

So 심기가 불편하다 literally means “the heart/spirit energy is uncomfortable”, figuratively describing someone who is irritated, annoyed, or upset — though it’s often used politely or euphemistically.

Example:

상사의 심기가 불편해 보여서 분위기가 안 좋았다. → “The boss seemed irritated, and the mood was tense.”

3. 성깔 있다 / 승깔 있다 (성깔: from 性)

Hanja:

性 (성): nature, character, temperament

Explanation:

성깔 is a colloquial or dialectal word derived from 성질 (性質), where:

性 (성) = character or temperament

質 (질) = quality or nature

성질 = temperament/nature → 성깔 is a more casual, punchy form, often used to describe a fiery, assertive, or strong-willed personality.

The variant 승깔 is a pronunciation difference in some regional dialects.

Example:

그 사람은 성깔이 있어서 말싸움하면 절대 안 져. → “That person has a fiery temper — they never lose an argument.”

[study-korean]

짬, 짬밥

🔹 Expression: 짬이 많다

Literal meaning: “To have a lot of 짬 (experience time).”

Figurative meaning: Someone has been in a certain field or group for a long time; they have seniority or experience.

짬 here refers to the accumulated time someone has spent doing something, originally used in the army to measure informal rank or “time-in.”

Example:

그 선임은 짬이 많아서 다들 말도 조심해. → "That senior has a lot of experience, so everyone watches what they say around him." Expression: 짬이 높다

Literal meaning: “To have high 짬.”

Figurative meaning: Similar to “짬이 많다,” but slightly more emphatic. It implies a high level of informal authority based on experience — even if not tied to formal rank or title.

Example:

이 바닥에서 짬이 높은 사람이 말하면 다들 따라야 해. → "When someone with high experience in this field speaks, everyone has to follow."

[study-korean]

김성춘 / 연꽃의 노래

가만히 귀 기울이면 진흙을 밀고 물 위로 꽃송이 벙그는 소리 들린다

뜨거운 햇살 속으로 서풍 불어와 연잎을 흔들어도 어디선가 들려올 님의 목소리 기다린다

덧없이 흐르는 세월 애닲은 그리움이 달빛처럼 스며오는 날 나직히 노래하련다

이 세상에 와서 사랑하고 노래하고 그리고 또 무엇을 할까

삶의 질곡 굽어진 모퉁이마다 숨겨같은 노래를 지팡이 삼고 건너 창 틈에 스며드는 달빛에게 내 노래 들려주련다

[thekimchibear]

Korean Slang을 좀치네요~

A casual phrase that was been around for a while 

뭐뭐.. “좀 하다”

“Done a bit of this / Dabbled in / Done this a bit in my day”

Simply put, it is a playful way of saying someone has done something quite a bit or is pretty good at something. Which is why it’s generally used with the ~네(요) or 거든(요) grammar endings. 

For example

“야 너 롤 해??”

“Do you play LoL (League of Legends)?”

“응, 나 좀 하지”

“Yeah, I play a bit”

But this has changed from 하다 (To do) to 치다 (To play a sport or instrument) but still can be used in everyday context.

So instead of saying “너 베이킹 잘 하네!”

“You’re pretty good at baking!”

You can say

“와아, 이 빵 잘 구웠네. 너 좀 치네”

“Woah, you baked this bread so well. Guess you’re pretty good at baking”

As always, it’s not a direct translation, but you get the gist of it. 

이제 구독자분들도 한국어를 좀 치시네요~

(Now you (the readers) know a bit of Korean too)

[thekimchibear]

The O.G.s of Korea

One recent show I watched was Trauma Code (중증외상센터) - a bit extreme but fun in that typical K-drama kind of way. Throughout the show characters get nicknames, and one of those was 조폭, which was translated as Gangster. Now I’ve heard multiple words that were translated as “gangster”, but this was a new one for me, so I decided to break down the differences.

깡패 - A thug, rough & violent. More of an individual criminal than literal gang member.

양아치 - A bully, punk, generally called this more because of their behavior, not serious crime.

날라리 - A troublemaker, delinquent. Similar to 양아치, but a bit more carefree.

조폭 - An actual violent person with power, generally in organized crime (closest to actual “gangster”).

Example Sentences

"어제 밤에 왠 깡패들이 가게에 와서 없던 자리세를 내라고 하면서 다 때려 부수고 갔지 뭐야?"

"What the hell, last night some gangsters came by the store and demanded protection fees while destroying everything."

“너 중학생 들한테 또 삥 뜯었어? 갑자기 탈색도 하고 이상한 문신도 하고, 진짜 양아치 다 됐네...”

"Did you steal the middle schooler's money again? Suddenly bleaching your hair and getting weird tattoos, you really have become a delinquent."

"학생 때 나는 완전 모범생이었고 그 애는 미래가 없는 날라리 같았는데, 나는 그냥 회사원이 되었고 걔는 유명한 유투버가 된 걸 보니 맥이 빠진다."

"When we were students I was a model student and they seemed like a futureless troublemaker, but now I'm just a office-worker and they are a famous YouTuber... so I feel so defeated."

"이 도시는 조폭들이 조직적으로 많은 사업을 운영하고 있어서, 그들과 엮이지 않고서는 진입하기가 쉽지 않아."

"The gangsters have organized and are running a lot of businesses in this city, not getting intertwined with them and entering is not easy."

Other fun related words

딴따라 - Entertainer

모번생 - Model student (opposite of 날라리)

[privetkorea]

[study-korean]

Can I ask what kind of comforting phrases in korean do you like?

Personally I'm an anxious mess who needs constant comfort and reassurance, so my husband is doomed to say some variation of these phrases every day for the rest of his life. 걱정하지마, 괜찮아, 넌 잘하고 있어, 넌 착해, 착한 아이야, 너무 자랑스러워, 나한테 의지해, 울어도 돼(ㅋㅋ) I also love some of the phrases from two of my favorite songs which I always listen to when I need comfort.

기리보이 - 지켜줄게 (from the chorus) 사자가 될게, 사자가 될게 사자가 될게, 걱정하지 마 이 노랜 너에 대한 내 테마송 산처럼 변하지 않는 내 맘 속 I got you baby, I got you baby I got you baby, I got you baby 너를 지켜줄게 아무도 없을 때 항상 있어줄게 아무도 없을 때 선우정아 - 도망가자

(basically most of the song) 걱정은 잠시 내려놓고 대신 가볍게 짐을 챙기자 실컷 웃고 다시 돌아오자 거기서는 우리 아무 생각말자

너랑 있을게 이렇게 손 내밀면 내가 잡을게 있을까, 두려울 게 어디를 간다 해도 우린 서로를 꼭 붙잡고 있으니 멀리 안 가도 괜찮을 거야 너와 함께라면 난 다 좋아 너의 맘이 편할 수 있는 곳 그게 어디든지 얘기 해줘 가보는 거야 달려도 볼까 어디로든 어떻게든 내가 옆에 있을게 마음껏 울어도 돼 그 다음에

돌아오자 씩씩하게 지쳐도 돼 내가 안아줄게 괜찮아 좀 느려도 천천히 걸어도 나만은 너랑 갈 거야 어디든

[study-korean]

Pro MBC announcers try to pronounce Rap Impossible (한 번도 안 틀리고 누구도 부르기 어려운 노래 by 형돈이와 대준이, original track here)

[study-korean]

Def.  1.가득 찬 물 따위가 잔물결을 이루며 자꾸 넘칠 듯 흔들리는 소리. 또는 그 모양. 2.물체 따위가 물결치는 것처럼 자꾸 부드럽게 흔들리는 모양. Ex.  - 물은 이제 거의 욕조를 가득 채우고 찰랑찰랑 넘쳐흐르려고 했다. - 어둠 속에서 나귀들이 찰랑찰랑 방울 소리를 내며 밤길을 가고 있었다. - 술잔에 소주를 찰랑찰랑하게 따르다.