Learning Korean

This is just a blog to motivate me to keep learning Korean and somewhere to keep my notes. I will not be teaching Korean seeing as I'm a beginner my self (kind of)

[h-eonno]

Taken from real experiences, here are some phrases said often between friends.

Click HERE for more Friendly Phrases!

Each of these posts will feature 8 sentences in any given topic, along with a breakdown of the vocabulary and sentence structure! 

BASIC SENTENCE STRUCTURE:  Subject - Time -  Object - Adverb - Verb

Let’s take a look at the vocabulary!

너무 - very, too 자책하다 - to blame oneself, to have a guilty conscience ~하지마 - don’t~

내 - mine, my 말 - words 그 - that

그 - that 얘기 - story, conversation 꺼내다 - pull out, take out, bring out ~지도 마 - don’t even~

엄청나다 - to be huge, to be great, to be enormous 엄청 - very, seriously, much 비싸다 - to be expensive

다시 - again

이번 - this time 만 - only, just 보다 - to look, to watch 주다 - to give 봐주다 - to overlook, to watch, to go easy on

내가 - I 가방 - bag 들다 - to take, to hold, to carry 주다 - to give

[koreangrumblings]

the-blue-castle

Can you give a list of your fave podcasts? There are sooooooo many!

Sure! I think I’ve posted before, but I’m too lazy to search it up, so I’ll just type it out again!

The ones I currently listen to are (in no particular order):

정영진 최욱의 불금쇼

지적 대화를 위한 넓고 얕은 지식

나는 꼽사리다

책 듣는 5분

송은이&김숙 비밀보장

조정치 레이디제인 김영준 장동민의 더라디오

KBS 무대

송은이, 김숙의 언니네 라디오

라디오문학관

떡국열차

[koreanstudytrack]

Post 18: Irregulars - part I

Most of the irregulars are applied when adding a vowel to a stem, and the actual stem is changed.

ㅅIrregular If the last letter of a stem is ㅅ, the ㅅ gets removed when adding a vowel. 짓 + 어 = 지어     / 나는 집은 지어 

ㄷIrregular If the last letter of a stem isㄷ, the ㄷ changes to ㄹ when adding a vowel. 걷 + 어 = 걸어    / 나는 걸어

ㅂIrregular If the last letter of a stem ends inㅂ, the ㅂ gets changed to 우, then gets added to the next syllable in the conjugated word. Mostly done to adjectives 쉽 + 어 = 우 + 어 = 쉬워       /그것은 쉬워

Irregularities in ᄇ irregular verbs

ㅡIrregular If the last vowel in a stem is ㅡ, you can’t determinate whether you need to add ㅏ or ㅓ. Instead, you must look at the vowel in the second last syllable. 잠그다 + 아 = 잠가 Some stems only have one syllable, orㅡ is the only syllable, ㅡ is also replaced byㅏ or ㅓ. 크다 +ㅏ/ㅓ = 거요 슬프 +ㅏ/ㅓ = 슬퍼요

[succeedinginkorean-blog]

Korean Summer Study Schedule

Mon: Vocab Tues: TTMIK lesson Listening Vocab Wed: Korean Language Community (YouTube lessons. Check em out) Vocab Thurs: Reading Speaking Vocab Fri: Review all

[studiousbees]

-다가, -아/어다가, -았/었다가, -다가는, -에다가

This has been a much-requested grammar form! -다가 is a really useful grammar point that is used often in speech, so it would be really helpful to learn how to use it well.

I will cover four different “forms” of -다가, each of which has its own meaning(s). The four forms I’ll cover will be -다가, 아/어다가, -았/었다가 (-다가 attached to a verb conjugated to past tense), and -다가는. Also, while it’s not the same as the verb endings that use -다가, I’ll explain the particle -에다가 as well.

-다가

Function

The -다가 grammar form is used to indicate interruption of an action, or the simultaneous occurrence of two actions. In English, we could translate this form roughly as “While doing X…”

Usage

-다가 is very simple to use! Just attach it to an action verb root in present tense! You can optionally remove the “가” at the end and just use it as -다 as well. Just make sure that the subject of the preceding and following clauses stays the same Let’s check it out:

Interruption of an action:

요리를 하다가 접시를 떨어트렸어요. (While cooking, I dropped a plate.)

영화를 보다가 잠들었어. (While watching a movie, I fell asleep.)

Simultaneous occurrence of two actions:

화랑 씨는 숙제를 하다가 친구들과 전화도 했어요. (While doing his homework, Hwarang also talked with his friends on the phone.)

수하 씨는 오랜만에 못 본 친구랑 통화하다가 울었어요. (While on the phone with a friend she hadn’t been able to see in a long time, Suha cried.)

-아/어다가

Function

-아/어다가 is a grammar form indicating sequential actions. The action in the preceding clause is done first, and then the action in the following clause occurs in a different location. The two actions must be related to each other, so that the action in the following clause happens dependent upon the completion of the action in the preceding clause. You can think of it as meaning “First… and then…” in English, though of course you might have to change that a bit for a more natural translation depending on the circumstances.

Usage

To use this form, simply attach -아/어다가 to the root of an action verb in the present tense. Remember to change the root as needed depending on whether or not it’s irregular!  You can optionally remove the “가” at the end and just use it as -아/어다 as well.

제 가방 좀 가져다 주세요. (Please get my bag and give it to me.)

아름 씨는 김밥을 만들어다가 친구에게 줬어요. (Areum made kimbap and gave it to her friends. 

언니는 선물을 사다가 어머니께 보냈어요. (My older sister bought a gift and sent it to mom.)

-았/었다가

Function

Using -다가 on an action verb conjugated to the past tense indicates completion of an action, after which another action action occurs. This is in contrast to -다가 with a present tense action verb, which indicates interruption of an action or simultaneous occurrence of two actions, as seen above. The verbs used in the preceding and following clauses are often contrasting or opposite, though this is not always the case.

Usage

Just conjugate the action verb that you want to use to past tense and add -다가! You can optionally remove the “가” at the end and just use this grammar as -았/었다. Also, the subject of both the preceding and following clauses must stay the same.

갔다 올게요! (I’ll go and come back! [More naturally, “I’ll be back!”])

편의점에 들렀다가 집에 갔어요. (I stopped by the convenience store and then went home.)

NOTE: This form can also be used to express that something unexpected happened after doing the action in the preceding clause.

집에 갔다가 문 앞에 웬 소포가 있었어요. (I went home and there was an unexpected package in front of the door.)

기차를 탔다가 6년만에 못 본 친구를 만났아요. (I got on the train and met a friend I hadn’t seen in six years.)

-다가는

Function

This grammar point is used to give warnings, indicating that if the action or condition of the preceding clause continues, then the negative result in the following clause will occur. It can be translated as “If… then…”. Just keep in mind that it must be used with negative consequences only!

Something important to note with this form is that, while it might seem similar to -(으)면, the two are not totally interchangeable! -다가는 refers to an action that is already known to be in progress, regardless of context, while an identical sentence that changes only -다가는 to -(으)면 refers to a condition in the preceding clause that may or may not be in progress (unless prior context makes it clear that the action is in progress, in which case the two sentences are identical).

Usage

Unlike the other -다가s that we have looked at so far, this one can be used with action and descriptive verbs both! Just attach -다가는 to the root of the verb in either present or past tense. Using a verb conjugated to the past tense changes the preceding clause from a situation that is currently in progress to speculating about a present or future event.

PRESENT

Action verbs: -다가는

담배를 계속 피우다가는 폐암에 걸릴지도 몰라요. (If you keep smoking, you might get lung cancer [LIT-I don’t know whether or not you’ll get lung cancer].)

이렇게 공부를 미루다가는 기말 시험에 떨어질 수도 있어요. (If you put off studying like this you could even fail the final exam.)

Descriptive verbs: -다가는

미세먼지가 이렇게 심하다가는 호흡기 질환 환자들이 많아질 거예요. (If the pollution stays severe like this, the number of respiratory illness patients will increase.)

날씨가 이렇게 덥다가는 특히 노인들이 열사병에 많이 걸릴 것 같아요. (If the weather stays hot like this, it seems that especially many elderly people could get heat stroke.)

PAST— I actually struggled over this section quite a bit! I had to ask some native speaker friends to help me work through it. In general, the consensus we reached is that the examples that I wrote here are correct, but it is far more common to just use -(으)면 for the same meaning.

Action verbs: -았/었다가는

어제 처럼 경기했다가는 질 거예요. (If we play like we did yesterday, then we will lose.)

음식을 너무 많이 먹었다가는 배탈이 날 거예요. (If you eat too much food, you’ll get a stomachache.)

Descriptive verbs: -았/었다가는

집안 습기가 계속 이렇게 높았다가는 곰팡이가 쉽게 생길 거예요. (If the humidity in your house is constantly high, mold will form easily.)

출산율이 계속 낮았다가는 인구가 감소할 거예요. (If the birthrate stays low, the population will decrease.)

-에다가

Function

The particle -에다가 has two main functions. One of those functions is to indicate the specific location of something, and the other is to add more information in addition to something else. You can drop the final “가” and just use this particle as -에다.

Usage

When used to indicate the specific location of something, -에다가 is attached to an adverb. When used to provide additional information, it attaches to nouns.

Specific location:

종이 밑에다가 사인해 주세요. (Please sign the bottom of the paper.)

가방을 책상 위에다가 놓았어요. (I put my bag on top of the table.)

어디에다 둘까요? (Where should I put it?)

Additional information:

김밥을 만들었어요. 게다가(그에다가) 음료수도 준비해 놨어요. (I made kimbap. In addition to that, I also prepared drinks.) 

소윤 씨는 알바하는 데다가 봉사 활동도 해요. (In addition to working a part-time job, Soyun also does volunteer activities.) NOTE: 데다가 = 데 + 에다가. For more info on -는 데, click here!

이번 주 가스요금에다가 전기요금도 내야 돼요. (This week I must pay my electricity bill in addition to my gas bill.)

And that’s about it for -다가! There’s a lot of information in this post, so take your time reading through it and feel free to ask if you find anything confusing. Happy studying, everyone~

[koreanstudytrack]

To make it clear.

This my sideblog to keep track of what I’ve studied so I can have a easier way to review, I don’t claim to be the author of my posts (even because I’m not a native speaker or fluent in Korean yet to do that), I also never intended to have 1,528 followers (thats my number as I write this), I legit transcript my notes to here and I don’t write down where each lesson is because I use multiple resources to study, like you should also be doing. You can easily find where my resources are from by simply searching the topic of my post. To make it clear and easy I use: 

How To Study Korean

Talk To Me In Korean

Seemile - Youtube channel

Go! Billy Korean

Korean From Zero - Youtube channel

My Korean 1 and 2

 Topikguide

Learn With Oliver

Plus all the thing my friends share with me so as you can imagine is a lot to keep track of and keeping track of what I use to learn Korean ins’t my priority, learning Korean is, and again thats why I created this blog, to help me learn Korean, if I can help someone in the process great but thats not my goal or priority.

PS here’s the post with all of my resources, not only the main ones

[studiousbees]

What’s the difference?? Honorifics vs. formality levels

This is a pretty heavy topic but it’s vital to understand the difference between honorifics and formality levels as well as what each of those concepts individually (especially formality levels) entails to properly navigate the social structure that is built into Korean language and society. The concept and mechanics of using honorifics and different formality levels can be difficult to grasp especially if your native language doesn’t have similar systems, but they are crucial to communicating smoothly with others.

I expect this post to get a bit lengthy, so grab a snack (or three) and click the Read More to proceed~

Keep reading

[learnkoreanwithmusic-deactivate]

SEVENTEEN - Fronting

I woke up 꿈마저도 baby 널 따라 다니는 꿈꿔 어떡해 다른 소녀들 너만큼은 안돼 세븐틴은 표정관리 안돼 내가 그래 yeah yeah 내가 그래 yeah yeah 다른 소녀들 너만큼은 안돼 세븐틴은 표정관리 안돼 baby baby

I woke up, even in dreams baby I still dream of chasing you, what should i do? There is no other girl like you Seventeen can’t control these feelings I’m just like that, yeah yeah I’m just like that, yeah yeah There is no other girl like you Seventeen can’t control these feelings, baby baby

꿈 - dream (noun)

너 - you

따르다 - follow

다니다 - go to and from

꿈꾸다 - dream (verb)

어떠하다 - how

다르다 - different

소녀 - girl

만큼 - as…as…

안되다 - not be

세븐틴은 - seventeen

표정 - expression

관리 - control

내 - I/me/my

그래 - so/yes

She says she loves my rap 음악 하는 남자가 좀 멋진 것 같대 무심한 척 말해 이거 별거 아닌데 그 다음 그녀는 말해 너 자꾸 front 할래 And then she like 어디 놀러 가 쟤 한밤중의 한강은 어때 강가를 옆에 두고 바람은 선선하게 다 잊고 너와 걸어갈래 어깨에 머리를 살포시 기댄 다음에 고개를 살짝 올려다 봐줄 때 Yeah I try to play it cool But 결국엔 넌 날 웃게 만들어 Yeah that’s you

She says she loves my rap “Men that do music have a cool vibe” I say without thinking “That’s nothing” And then she said Are you always going to ‘front’ like this? No i don’t. And then she like, where are we going? How about the Hangang river until the late night? With the river next to the cool wind Forget everything while talking Rest your head on my shoulders next And look up at me slightly from there Yeah I try to play it cool But eventually you make me laugh Yeah that’s you

음악 - music

하다 - do

남자 - man

좀 - a little

멋지다 - cool/good

것 - thing/person

같다 - like

무심하다 - casual/innocent

척 - without hesitation

말하다 - say

이거 - this

별거 - seperation

아니다 - no

그 - the/that

다음 - next

그녀 - she

너 - you

자꾸 - frequently/repeatedly

어디 - where

놀다 - play/have fun

가다 - go

한밤중 - midnight

어떠하다 - how

강가 - riverside

옆 - next to

바람 - wind

선선하다 - cool

다 - all

잊다 - forget

너 - you

걸어가다 - walk

어깨 - shoulder

머리 - head

살포시 - softly/gently/quietly

기대다 - rest (on/against)

다음 - next

고개 - head

살짝 - slightly

올리다 - raise

보다 - look/see

때 - when

결국 - ultimately/in the end

나 - I

웃다 - laugh/smile

만들다 - make

오빠라고 치고 너라고 불러도 돼 근데 내 표정은 꿀 먹은 꼬맹이네 아까 힐끔 널 봤는데 아뿔싸 눈이 마주쳐 멍 때려 아침밥을 언쳤네 니 꼬리에 홀렸네 날 보고 비웃어 자꾸 왜 내가 뭐 어떤데 집에 가 거울 속 표정 보니 그래 티가 나네 정말 행복해 보이네

Can I call your name instead of ‘Oppa’? But my face is as if a boy’s eating honey I’m taking little glances at you Facing you and making eye contact I’m going crazy, I’m unable to digest breakfast Attracted by your ‘tail’ Watching me laugh As I keep asking what should I do Going home then seeing my face in the mirror Yea, It looks like it’s really lucky

오빠 - older brother/male friend/boyfriend

너 - you

부르다 - call

되다 - be/become

근데 - but

내 - I/me/my

표정 - expression

꿀 - honey

먹다 - eat

꼬맹이 - boy

아까 - a short while a go

힐끗 - catching a glimpse

보다 - look/see

아뿔싸 - oops

눈 - eyes

마주치다 - happen to meet

멍 - bruise

때리다 - hit

아침밥 - breakfast

니 - you/your

꼬리 - tail

홀리다 - be possessed

나 - I

비웃다 - laugh

자꾸 - frequently/repeatedly

왜 - why

뭐 - what

어떻다 - how/what

집 - house/home

가다 - go

거울 - mirror

그래 - yes/so

정말 - really

행복하다 - happy

보이다 - look/see

Keep reading

[learnkoreanwithmusic-deactivate]

SEVENTEEN - Rock

Just You 너만이 내 내 세상을 흔들어놔 Just You 너만이 내 고통의 이유 (B B Baby)

Just You Only you can rock my world Just You Only you can be the reason for my pain (B B Baby)

너 - you

만 - only

내 - I/me/my

세상 - world

흔들다 - shake

고통 - pain

이유 - reason

구름 속을 파고드는 듯 내 맘을 가볍게 제껴내 모든걸 너로부터 시작해서 끝나게 해

As if digging in the clouds My heart is floating lighty Everything starts with you, so you should end it

구름 - cloud

속 - in

파고들다 - burrow into

내 - I/me/my

맘 - heart

가볍게 - lightly/softly

모든 - all/everything

너 - you

부터 - from

시작하다 - start

끝나다 - end

하다 - do

기분 좋은 고통 계속해서 더 벼랑 끝에 몰아세워 더 아찔함을 줘 잡힐 때쯤 또 다시 사라지는 널 온몸이 굳어 눈으로만 쫓을 수 있는걸

The pain that feels good continues Driving me to the edge, making me more dizzy By the time i think i caught you i had lost you again My whole body stiffens, only my eyes kept chasing you

기분 - feelings/mood

좋다 - good

고통 - pain

계속하다 - continue

더 - more

벼랑 - cliff/edge

끝 - end

몰아세우다 - give somebody a hard time

아찔하다 - dizzy

주다 - give

잡히다 - be caught

때 - when

또 - again

다시 - again

사라지다 - disappear

너 - you

온몸 - whole body

굳다 - harden/stiffen

눈 - eyes

만 - only

쫓다 - chase

ㄹ/을 수 있다 - can

Keep reading

[learnkoreanwithmusic-deactivate]

Twice - Like Ooh-Ahh

모두 나를 가지고 매일 가만 안 두죠 내가 너무 예쁘죠 나 때문에 다 힘들죠 어딜 걷고 있어도 빨간 바닥인거죠 Red carpet 같은 기분 모두 날 쳐다 보죠

People can’t leave me alone for a single minute, I’m so pretty, I make everyone smitten No matter where I go, the floors are red Like walking down a red carpet, Everyone is staring at me

모두 - everyone

나 - I

가지고 - have/with

매일 - every day

가만 - wait

내 - I/me/my

너무 - very/so

예쁘다 - pretty

때문에 - because of

다 - all/everyone

힘들다 - difficult

어디 - where

걷다 - walk

있다 - be/exist

빨갛다 - red

바닥 - floor

같다 - like

기분 - feeling/moon

쳐다보다 - look/stare

어떤 사람은 어머님이 누구냐고 신선하게 말 걸어도 아무 느낌이 안 들죠 oh 하지만 나도 누군가 하고 사랑에 빠져보고 싶어 Baby 잘 들어요 내 Boy

Some people ask “Who’s your mama?” They take a fresh approach, But I don’t feel a thing But I wanna fall in love with someone Wanna fall in love baby Listen up my boy

어떤 - some/what

사람 - person/people

어머님 - mum

누구 - who

신선하다 - fresh/new

말 - word/language

아무 - any/no

느낌 - feeling

하지만 - but/however

나 - I

누군가 - someone

하다 - do

사랑 - love

빠지다 - fall/be in love with

고 싶다 - want to

듣다 - listen

내 - I/me/my

단 한번도 느껴본 적 없는 걸 알게 해주는 (사람 기다리고 있는 걸) 얼마가 돼도 기다리고 싶어 I just wanna fall in love

I’m waiting for someone who can make me feel Something like never before (That’s who I’m waiting for) I’ll wait, no matter how long it takes I just wanna fall in love

단 한 번 - only once

느끼다 - feel

없다 - not be/not exist

알다 - know

해주다 - do for/do as a favour

사람 - person/people

기다리다 - wait

기다리고 있다 - waiting

얼마 - how much

되다 - be/become

고 싶다 - want to

어떻게 내가 움직일 수 없게 날 Ooh Ahh Ooh Ahh 하게 만들어줘 가짜 가짜 진심 없는 가짜 잘 가 잘 가 Huh (OOH-AHH하게) 어떻게 이제 더 할말이 없게 날 Ooh Ahh Ooh Ahh 하게 만들어줘 Bla La La La 말만하지 말고 느껴지게 Huh (OOH-AHH하게)

What to do, keep me still Make me like Ooh Ahh Ooh Ahh Fake, fake, empty-hearted fake Goodbye, good riddance huh (Like OOH-AHH) What to do, make me speechless Make me like Ooh Ahh Ooh Ahh Bla La La La stop talking, start doing Make me feel huh (Like OOH-AHH)

어떻게 - how/what

내 - I/me/my

움직이다 - move

ㄹ/을 수 없다 - cannot

나 - I

하다 - do

만들어지다 - make

가짜 - fake

진심 - sincere/sincerity

없다 - not be/not exist

잘 - well

가다 - go

이제 - now

더 - more

할말 - one’s say

말하다 - speak

느끼다 - feel

Keep reading

[learnkoreanwithmusic-deactivate]

Directory is now updated.

Here is the updated directory. Most links should now be working.

[learnkoreanwithmusic-deactivate]

BTS - Blood, Sweat and Tears

내 피 땀 눈물 내 마지막 춤을 다 가져가 가 내 피 땀 눈물 내 차가운 숨을 다 가져가 가 내 피 땀 눈물

My blood, sweat and tears My last dance Take it away My blood, sweat and tears My cold breath Take it away My blood, sweat and tears

내 - I/me/my

피 - blood

땀 - sweat

눈물 - tears

마지막 - last

춤 - dance

다 - all/every

가져가다 - take

차갑다 - cold

숨 - breath

내 피 땀 눈물도 내 몸 마음 영혼도 너의 것인 걸 잘 알고 있어 이건 나를 벌받게 할 주문

Even my blood, sweat and tears Even my body, heart and soul I know that it’s all yours This is a spell that’ll punish me

내 - I/me/my

피 - blood

땀 - sweat

눈물 - tears

몸 - body

마음 - heart

영혼 - soul

너의 - your

것 - thing

잘 - well

알다 - know

있다 - be/exist

이건 - this

나 - I

벌받다 - be punished

하다 - do

주문 - spell

Peaches and cream Sweeter than sweet Chocolate cheeks And chocolate wings But 너의 날개는 악마의 것 너의 그 sweet 앞엔 bitter bitter

Peaches and cream Sweeter than sweet Chocolate cheeks And chocolate wings But your wings are wings of the devil In front of your sweet is bitter bitter

너의 - your

날개 - wings

악마 - devil

것 - thing

그 - the/that

앞 - front

Kiss me 아파도 돼 어서 날 조여줘 더 이상 아플 수도 없게 Baby 취해도 돼 이제 널 들이켜 목 깊숙이 너란 위스키

Kiss me, I don’t care if it hurts, Hurry and choke me So I can’t hurt any more Baby, I don’t care if I get drunk, I’ll drink you in now Your whiskey, deep into my throat

아프다 - painful

되다 - be/become

어서 - quick

나 - I

조이다 - tighten

더 - more

이상 - more

~ㄹ/을 수 없다 - cannot

취하다 - get drunk

이제 - now

너 - you

들이켜다 - drink

목 - throat

깊숙이 - deep

위스키 - whiskey

내 피 땀 눈물 내 마지막 춤을 다 가져가 가 내 피 땀 눈물 내 차가운 숨을 다 가져가 가

My blood, sweat and tears My last dance Take it away My blood, sweat and tears My cold breath Take it away

내 - I/me/my

피 - blood

땀 - sweat

눈물 - tears

마지막 - last

춤 - dance

다 - all/every

가져가다 - take

차갑다 - cold

숨 - breath

원해 많이 많이 많이 많이 원해 많이 많이 많이 많이 많이 많이 원해 많이 많이 많이 많이 원해 많이 많이 많이 많이 많이 많이

I want you a lot, a lot, a lot I want you a lot, a lot, a lot I want you a lot, a lot, a lot I want you a lot, a lot, a lot

원하다 - want

많다 - many

Keep reading

[letslearnhangeul]

날씨가 어때요? How’s the weather?~

“Rain rain come again”….or is it go away? Either way, today let’s learn how to describe different types of weather in Korean!~

*remember to try and sound out each word before peeking at the romanization!~

날이 맑아요 (nal yi malk ah yo) It’s sunny/warm 비가 와요 (bi ga wa yo) It’s raining 바람이 불어요 (ba ram yi bul eo yo) It’s windy 눈이 와요 (noon yi wa yo) It’s snowing 더워요 (deo wo yo) It’s hot 추워요 (chu wo yo) It’s cold 시원해요 (shi won hae yo) It’s cool, it’s chill 습해요 (seub hae yo) It’s humid (oh please no) 후려요 (heu ryeo yo) It’s cloudy :3

안개가 꼈어요 (an gae ga ggyeot sseo yo) It’s foggy

Hope this helps and happy studying!~

[koreangrumblings]

Korean Idiom: 가시방석

Imagine sitting on a thorn-covered cushion.  Not the most comfortable choice of seating.  가시방석, literally meaning a “cushion of thorns”, is used to describe a tense, uncomfortable situation or feeling.

It can be used in a full phrase preceding -에 앉다:

가시방석에 앉아 있는 것 같았어요. It felt like I was sitting on a cushion of thorns. (It was a really uncomfortable situation.)

Or on its own as an exclamation.

완전히 가시방석이네! It’s so uncomfortable/tense!

엄마랑 아빠랑 싸워 가시방석에 앉아 있는 기분이에요. / 엄마랑 아빠랑 싸우고 있는데 얼마나 가시방석이네… Mom and dad fighting is making things tense.

[koreangrumblings]

N(으)로서

N(으)로서 is an adverbial marker used to establish a noun’s identity, position, or qualification.  Simply put, it can be translated into English as “As a…”: As a teacher; As a woman; As an American.

학생으로서 공부를 해야 해요. As a student, you have to study.

사람으로서 어떻게 그렇게 잔인할 수가 있어요? How could he be so cruel as a person?

그 사람은 군인으로서는 탁월했지만, 대통령으로서는 최악이었다. He was outstanding as a soldier (in the capacity of soldier), but as president (in the capacity of president), he was the worst.

한국은 미혼모로서 살기에 아주 안 좋은 나라예요. Korea is not a good country to live in as an unwed mother.

[koreangrumblings]

HI! I see that you read books in Korean and although I'm a beginner-intermediate I would like to improve my reading skills. What tips can you give for reading since after a few sentences I become really frustrated as I don't know a lot of the words. Please help!

Hello!

When it comes to reading, there are four things I did to motivate and help me improve:

1) Buy something that you want to read in Korean.  It can be a magazine, a 만화, a self-help book, a novel you’ve already read and love translated in Korean, or an original Korean novel.  I found that having something on my bookcase waiting for me pushed me to work hard and build up my reading skills.

2) Vocabulary is key. However, I don’t recommend picking up a book in Korean, underlining every unknown word you come across, and searching the dictionary.  That would just be tedious.  Yonsei offers a great set of books called Korean Vocabulary Practice for Foreigners that comes in a volume for beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced learners.  I definitely recommend them to fill in any gaps in your vocab.

3) Yonsei also offers a series of graded readers that also comes with a slew of useful vocabulary as well as various reading comprehension exercises.  Since this is a textbook, I say go wild with these when it comes to taking down notes and looking up new words!  These reading passages are geared towards Korean learners, and as I progressed through the books, I found myself growing more confident in my reading ability.

4) Understandably, if you don’t want to spend the money on pricey textbooks, webtoons webtoons webtoons!  Check out the webtoon pages for Naver and Daum, click on whatever strikes your fancy, and prepare to spend hours absorbed.  I would usually recommend against looking up every unknown word, but each webtoon episode is short enough that I think doing so while reading them would not disrupt your reading process too badly (it’s harder to fully grasp the content or increase your reading speed if you’re stopping every other word to do a definition search).  An added positive to using webtoons is that the grammar and vocabulary used in them more closely mirrors how Koreans actually speak than what you would find in a novel, so you can also acclimate yourself to commonly used Korean.  If webtoons are not your thing, search a category you’re interested in (Celebrity News, Sports, Politics) on Naver or Daum and choose an article.  Again, these are usually short enough that you can go nuts with the highlighter and not have it affect your reading speed or comprehension!

Above all else, as your reading, don’t see the forest for the trees.  If you stress over every word or grammar structure you don’t know, you’ll find yourself getting increasingly frustrated and discouraged.  Save your dictionary for words that crop up again and again and again (trust me—they’ll be a lot of those words!)  If you reach a tough spot in your book, push through—you don’t have to understand every single aspect of a sentence to grasp the story.  Reading should be something fun and enjoyable!

I hope you find something in what I did useful for your own studies–good luck!

(Anyone and everyone is invited to add on their own tips as well! Please do!)

[koreangrumblings]

N못지않게

못지않게 is the extreme form of 처럼.  Used for comparisons, 못지않게 is used when the comparison is not only similar, but also exceeds that similarity.  In the above image, 마트 못지않은 풍성함 indicates not only that the refrigerator is as well-stocked as a supermarket, but that it can surpass supermarkets in that regard.

요즘 초등학생들은 옛날 고등학생 못지않게 공부를 많이 해요. These days elementary school students study as much as, if not more than, high school students of yore.

저희 어머니는 요리사 못지않게 요리를 잘 하세요. Our mother cooks as well as, if not better than, a chef.

 올해도 작년 못지않게 덥겠습니다. This year will be as hot as, if not hotter than, last year.