Learn Korean Easily

Hi. I am on a Christmas/New Year holiday. The plan was to write more often but I got lazy. Nothing new about that. :) I managed to hang out with a friend of mine a few times though. We are miserably single. So every time we ended up renting on and on about how this was possible! After a much longer contemplation, the only logical conclusion is that this is an act of karma. ;) Anyway, most of days, I am just sitting around, eating one meal a day - really big though - and watching TV news on the wild weather around the globe. I feel sorry for those affected and hope it gets better soon. To help you stay positive, I would like to share this expression. :) Think of it as a small misfortune that prevents a bigger one. 액땜했다고 생각하세요. 액땜, aekddem, preventing misfortune 했다고, hatdago, have done 생각하세요, sangakhaseyo, think as such (생각하다) 액땜했다고 생각하세요. aekddemhatdago sangakhaseyo. This is an expression that we use to cheer up someone who has experienced a misfortune. Lost wallet, small accident, argu...

Hi. Recently, the US president Barack Obama signed a bill to repeal "Don't ask don't tell" policy . Not only this is a significant event to many gay people, it also is a good news to all of us because the world is becoming more tolerant towards people with different beliefs and choices in life. Lady Gaga had a strong voice on this and she was recognized for her work . She and her 25 million fans on facebook can certainly contribute to making the world a better place. I wish Dalai Lama had 25 million fans on his facebook page . We will be able to change the world much faster following his simple teaching: kindness and compassion towards other beings, without seeing an eyesore like a meat dress or a US-airport-security-proof transparent dress . I am a little scared of what Lady Gaga is capable of now. Do I just need to work on my tolerance? :P She is pushing the limits. 별의별 짓을 다 하네요. 별의별, byolebyol, all sorts of 짓을, jitsol, an act + suffix 다, da, all 하네요, haneyo, do ...

Hi all. I love all kinds of animal shows on TV but I have to say that "Harry's Practice" is one of my favourites. Its intro song is so cute and catchy I used to sing along. :) It was really disappointing when the show ended for good quite a few years ago. But it was all for the better. Now we have this hunk of a man on " Bondi Vet ". :) Anyway, I was watching this show tonight. There were many good episodes even though there was one slightly annoying thing. It was how they sliced up each episode and showed one minute of one episode and then another. It was like, cat->dog->goat->cat->rabbit->dog->cat->rabbit... I was on an emotional roller-coaster ride thanks to this style of editing. It was driving me mental! I am totally losing my senses. 정신이 하나도 없어요. 정신이, jungsinyi, conciousness + suffix 하나도, hanado, not even one 없어요, upsoyo, is not there 정신이 하나도 없어요. jungshinyi hanado upsoyo. 정신 could also mean spirit as in " 일당백 정신 " from a fe...

Hi. I came across this news about an actor injured while performing a live stunt in a musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”. Hmm... I thought the reason why the movie version of it had so much CG was because it was rather dangerous to be performed by real human. :( Anyway, I hope he gets better soon. You'd better know what you are doing. 만만하게 보면 큰 코 다친다. 만만하게, manmanhage, negligible or trivial (만만하다) 보면, bomyon, see (보다) 큰, kun, big 코, ko, nose 다친다, dachinda, hurt (다치다) 만만하게 보면 큰 코 다친다. manmanhage bomyon kun ko dachinda. 만만하다 means something is not taken seriously. U-Kiss has a song called " 만만하니 " which could be translated as "You think I am a joke?" judging from their attitude on the video clip. :) '큰 코 다친다' is an expression meaning 'you may fail despite your confidence'. It is an interesting idiom because not may Koreans have a big nose. So it got me thinking. Maybe an inspiration of this expression is people who are arrogant just because t...

Hi. I am not sure if you heard about what I would label as " Chickengate ". Basically, a big shopping chain in Korea decided to sell fried chicken at a fraction of the market price. A lot of small franchises got angry as this disrupted their business significantly. That company had to close the sale of cheap chicken after nine days. I am sure those people who were willing to stand in a queue for hours to eat cheap chicken are very disappointed. This obsessiveness over food reminded me of this proverb. Even a ghost looks better on a full stomach. 먹고 죽은 귀신은 때깔도 좋다. 먹고, moggo, after eaten 죽은, jugun, dead 귀신은, guisinun, ghost + suffix 때깔도, ddaeggaldo, even skin complexion 좋다, jota, good 먹고 죽은 귀신은 때깔도 좋다. moggo jugun quisinun ddaeggaldo jota. If someone is about to die from hunger then sees someone else's food, he would say this and eat even if he gets punished from stealing. He/She dies either way. So, this expression is useful when you want to eat something regardless conseq...

Hi. It is a very grateful thing if you have a job in this economically uncertain time. But there is a price to pay. To be able to keep your job these days, you need to become a Super Employee. Super Employees are people who can perform duties which are not the responsibilities that they have signed up for originally. And of course their performance on these tasks should be as professional because there is no room for mistakes. As an example, the pilots at Japan Airlines were asked to clean the cabin so that they can cut cost from cleaning crew. What a great idea! Why didn't think of this to begin with? I am a Super Employee. 저는 일당백 직원입니다. 저는, jonun, I (polite) 일당백, ildangback, one who is as capable of one hundred 직원입니다, jigwonimnida, am employee 저는 일당백 직원입니다. jonun ildangback jigwonimnida. 일 is one. 당 is per as in "per week". 백 is one hundred. So 일당백 literally mean one hundred of something per one. And we use this expression when one has to cover for many people. For exa...

Hi. Things at work were not great yesterday. A lot of things didn't work out the way I hoped. Probably the most productive activity for me was that I cooked sausages for BBQ lunch at work. They were cooked to perfection! :) Anyway, I left work feeling helpless. I found my car at the car park and open the door. I threw my bag to the seat on the other side as I collapsed into the driver's seat... only to find out that there was no wheel in front of me. I was sitting in the wrong seat. D'oh! No one else was there but it was still embarrassing. :( I am forgetful these days. 제가 요즘 깜박깜박 해요. 제가, jega, I (polite form) 요즘, yozm, these days 깜박, ggambbak, describing forgetfulness 해요, haeyo, do (하다) 제가 요즘 깜박깜박 해요. jega yozm ggambbakggambbak haeyo. 깜박 can also be used to describe when light is twinkling or when eyes are blinking. I think this expression is describing forgetfulness using a twinkling light as analogy. The mind is sometimes there and sometimes not. :) There is a slight dif...

Hi. The tension between South and North Korea is at the highest peak in the longest time I can remember. I don't understand why things have to be the way they are but I know for sure there is no good to come out of this. It has been a while since I gave up my hope on unification. I feel like I was naive to think that was even possible. It might be the best if we sign a permanent peace deal and go separate ways. Unless we want both of the countries to be wiped out, we just have to stop this nonsense. The whole thing reminded me of this expression but I hope you don't need to use this ever. You die and I die today. 오늘 너 죽고 나 죽자. 오늘, ohnul, today 너, no, you 죽고, jukgo, die (죽다) 나, na, I 죽자, jukja, let's die (죽다) 오늘 너 죽고 나 죽자. ohnul no jukgo na jukja. This is an expression for you when you are serious about retaliation at any cost, even your own life! When a wife is faced with her husband's secret lover, she might say this as she grabs the lover's hair. If someone was ch...

Hi. I went out to dinner with a friend who was Japanese earlier tonight. She was planning go to Korea soon and I helped her to refresh her Korean skills. :) We were talking about food and she pointed out a funny expression that she couldn't find anything like that in Japanese. This is so delicious! 둘이 먹다 하나가 죽어도 모르겠어요. 둘이, duri, two people + suffix 먹다, mokda, while eating (먹다) 하나가, hanaga, one of us 죽어도, jugodo, even if die (죽다) 모르겠어요, morugetsoyo, I wouldn't notice (모르다) 둘이 먹다 하나가 죽어도 모르겠어요. duri mokda hanaga jugodo morugetsoyo. I wrote about how to count in Korea here and here . This is an example of conditional case like '죽어 도 '. The Korean food is so delicious, it can make you totally oblivious of what is going on around you. It is out of this world! Gobble up! :)

Hi all. I had to pick up my clothes from a dry-cleaning place today. They were quite a few items. The shop attendant found my stuff from the rack and handed them to me after glancing at an invoice off the cloth-hanger. I studied the invoice too after I got it. The items were charged in two groups. The first group was 27 dollars and the second group was 20 dollars. OK, 47 dollars in total. Then, the shop attendant told me that it was 27 dollars in total. hmm... she didn't seem to notice the second group. I gave her my credit card and signed on a receipt of 27 dollars of course. But, as I was leaving the shop, the guilt started coming over me. So I went back to the counter and paid the remaining 20 dollars. I am glad I did it because I could forget about it straightaway and didn't have to waste my time imagining a thriller story to conceal my deceit all day in case they chase after me. To this date, a lot of miseries are caused by people who claims something to be theirs when in ...

Hi. I was preparing a late dinner after working late tonight. As if it was not exhausting enough, I found this thing on the wall in the kitchen. It was the biggest spider I have ever seen. It was easily bigger than my palm! I was shaking in my books. 간이 철렁 내려앉았어요. 간이, gani, liver + suffix 철렁, cheolong, a look of water waving or overflowing 내려앉았어요, neryoanjatsoyo, collapse or sink (내려앉다) 간이 철렁 내려앉았어요. gani cheolong neryoanjatsoyo. 간이 철렁 내려앉다 or 간이 철렁하다 in short means that you are so totally shocked and have a cold sweat. 간, liver, is an important organ so there is some interesting expressions with it. 간에 기별도 안간다. -> The liver doesn't even notice it. (Used when food is not enough to feel full) 간이 크다. -> Your liver is so big. (Used when someone is brave or fearless) 간이 부었다. -> Your liver is swollen. (Used when someone is reckless or imprudent) I liver totally sank today! :(

Hi. I have this big LCD monitor at home. 20 inches, I think. The monitor was working fine except there was a big black square patch on the top right corner. I had no idea where that was coming from. I used it to watch TV connected to a set-top box because it was no good for the internet browsing. It was OKish to watch TV but I was finally annoyed enough about the black patch yesterday and bought a new TV. Yay! :) I was going to remove the monitor but I though I might ask a friend who might want it. I explained the problem to a friend of mine and he had a look at the monitor. Then, he fixed the problem in a matter of minutes. It was caused by the PIP (Picture-in-picture) mode being activated. I was like.. totally blushing from embarrassment... I didn't even know the monitor was capable of PIP. Anyway, this happening reminded me of this expression. If you are ignorant your hands and feet will suffer. 무식하면 손발이 고생이다. 무식하면, musichamyon, being ignorant (무식하다) 손, soan, hand 발이, balyi, foo...

Hi all. Earlier today, I was on my way to the gym after a nice morning jog with a couple of friends. I was driving on a motorway when I saw two pillows lying across the first and second lanes! One of them was a normal pillow but the other one was one of those extra long body pillows. Luckily I was driving on the third lane but it looked so dangerous. I hope there was no big accidents because of that. A big accident almost happened. 큰 사고 날 뻔했어요. 큰, kn, big 사고, sago, accident 날, nal, occur (나다) 뻔했어요, bbunhatsoyo, almost happened (뻔하다) 큰 사고 날 뻔했어요. kn sago nal bbunhatsoyo. When something has almost happened, we use -ㄹ 뻔하다 expression. I almost missed the bus. -> 버스를 놓칠 뻔했어요. The movie was so funny, it almost killed me with laughter. -> 영화가 너무 재밌어서, 웃다가 죽을 뻔했어요. You can use 일 (il, incident or event) instead of 사고 in today's sentence. While 사고 is implying a physical accident, '큰 일 날 뻔했어요' can be used to in other non-physical cases too. For example, it can be used when some ...

Hi all. What is the chance to get stood up in the connected world? Very slim, I guess. But it could be still happening like it happened to me tonight. :) I was going to meet a friend from down town earlier but she never showed up. No SMS, no facebook wall post, no twitter message.. nothing. Now I am getting worried. I just hope she is fine. I got stood up. 바람맞았어요. 바람, baram, wind 맞았어요, majatsoyo, got hit 바람맞았어요. barammajatsoyo. 바람맞다 also means being paralysed from the stroke. So basically this expression is saying, when you get stood up, you look as miserable as you are suffering from a stroke. Pretty harsh, don't you think? lol I am seeing another friend tomorrow to go for a run together. I am not going to be stood up this time because I am seeing her from her place! She'd better be there! :)

Hi everyone. I am sorry that I haven't been updating new lessons for a long time. I have an excuse and that is not surprisingly "too much work"! But then I realized that I had started this blog to switch off from work. :) Anyway, I worked late quite a few nights recently and didn't go to the gym as often as I used to. I managed to go for a swim last Saturday and someone asked me if I was a professional swimmer! Not because my swimming was awesome but because I have broad shoulders. :P Despite the physical advantage, I am actually scared of water and only swim in shallow water. Are you a professional swimmer by any chance? 혹시 수영 선수에요? 혹시, hoksi, by any chance 수영, suyoung, swimming 선수에요, sunsooaeyo, are you an athlete? 혹시 수영 선수에요? hoksi suyoung sunsooaeyo? 혹시 can be used in many circumstances. When you are guessing or unsure: Are you Korean by any chance? -> 혹시 한국 사람이에요? When there is a possibility: Call me if something happens. -> 혹시 무슨 일 있으면 전화해요. When there is...

Hi all. It was a Bridge to Brisbane day today and I ran ten kilometers amongst forty thousand runners and walkers! It was a beautiful day to run and there were some very inspiring runners at all ages and in all interesting costumes. :) Check out some photos from the event. :) This is a dialogue number fifteen! A: Who are you going to vote for? B: I have no idea. A: Why is politics so boring? B: Because all politicians are the same. A: I wish I didn't have to care about politics. A: 누구 뽑을 거에요? nugu bbobul goaeyo? B: 아무 생각이 없어요. amu sengagi upsoyo. A: 정치는 왜 이렇게 지루하죠? jongchinun wae yirotke jiruhajo? B: 왜냐면 정치인은 다 똑같으니까요. waenyamyun jongchiineun da ddokgatuniggayo. A: 정치에 신경을 안 쓰면 속이 시원하겠어요. jongchiae singyongeul an ssumyun sogi siwonhagetsoyo. Let me know if you want me to elaborate on any sentences. Bye for now! :)

Hi guys. I lost my faith in politics in Korea long time ago when the ex-presidents went to jail one after another. :( Democracy in South Korea is progressing slowly but there is still a lot of crap going on. One good thing about living in a foreign country is that I can switch off from it. I couldn't be happier about not having to care about politics. 정치에 신경을 안 써도 되니 속이 다 시원하네요. 정치에, jongchiae, politics + suffic 신경을, singyongeul, care or attention + suffix 안, an, not 써도, ssodo, consume (쓰다) 되니, dueni, it is allowed (되다) 속이, sogi, mind + suffix 다, da, all 시원하네요, siwonhaneyo, cool or no blockage in this context (시원하다) 정치에 신경을 안 써도 되니 속이 다 시원하네요. jongchiae singyongeul an ssodo dueni sogi da siwonhaneyo. 신경을 (안) 쓰다 is an expression meaning '(not) paying attention or (not) care something'. 건강에 신경을 써요. -> Taking care of health. 건강에 신경을 안 써요. -> Not taking care of health. 블로그에 신경을 많이 써요. -> (I) pay a lot of attention to the blog. 속이 시원하다 means satisfied or relieved as if ...

Hi all. People say all politicians are the same. But we always hope for some good ones. In this election in Australia, Wyatt Roy at the age of 20 was elected as a member of parliament. Yep, he is twenty years old! We all certainly hope he is different from the same old politicians! :) All politicians are the same. 정치인은 다 똑같아요. 정치인은, jongchiineun, politician + suffix 다, da, all 똑같아요, ddokgatayo, exactly same (똑같다) 정치인은 다 똑같아요. jongchiineun da ddokgatayo. The word 정치인 is consist of 정치 (politics) plus 인 (people). You can add 인 to may other nouns to make people. 방송인 -> Media figures 음악인 -> Musical people 기업인 -> businesspeople You can say just 같다 without 똑 when two things are the same. 똑 emphasize how they are exactly the same. 나는 Wyatt Roy와 나이가 (똑)같다. -> I am (exactly) the same age as Watt Roy. 나는 Wyatt Roy와 꿈이 (똑)같다. -> I have (exactly) the same dreams as Wyatt Roy's. 이 사과는 저 배와 가격이 (똑)같다. -> This apple has (exactly) the same price as that pear. 이 쌍둥이는 똑같이 생겼다. -...

Hi all. I thought I was going to tell which party had won by the end of last night. I was wrong about that. But I was correct about that the preferences were split in half. There are some more votes to be counted, but neither of the parties got majority yet. Both parties are trying to win the support from three independent seats. It will be nail biting for those leaders. Election was all boring until I found out about my ex-workmate entered the election as a Senate candidate in Adelaide this evening!! I am not going to name her name here but she was representing The Secular Party of Australia . Good on her! But I still think politics is boring. :P Why is politics so boring? 정치는 왜 이렇게 지루하죠? 정치는, jongchinun, politics + suffix 왜, wae, why 이렇게, yirotke, like this 지루하죠, jiruhajo, boring (지루하다) 정치는 왜 이렇게 지루하죠? jongchinun wae yirotke jiruhajo? I am going to talk about the difference between '왜' and '왜 이렇게' today. I think we use just '왜', if we are after really serious ...

Hi! Tomorrow, I will vote for the federal election in Australia. It is effectively my first vote as an Australian citizen. I am very excited. :) According to the latest poll results shows that voters' preference is divided in almost exact half and half between the current government and the opposition. No one will be able to tell how it is going to turn out until every vote is counted. Well good thing about this is that the counting will be as exciting as a premier football game. :) I know who I am going to vote for. Hope it turns out the way I wish. Who are you going to vote for? 누구 뽑을 거에요? 누구, nugu, who 뽑을, bbobul, pick (뽑다) 거에요, goaeyo, is going to 누구 뽑을 거에요? nugu bbobul goaeyo? Let's talk about Korean word for 'who'. There are 누구 and 누가 (nuga). 누구 is used when the person in question is an object. On the other hand, 누가 is an nominative form, i.e. the subject of the sentence. For example, by tomorrow night, someone might ask me; 누가 뽑혔어요? -> Who has been elected? He...

Hi guys. I just heard from my sister that 폭염 was continuing in Korea. And I found a better way than swimming in a valley to stay cool. Some lucky people are enjoying skiing in the middle of summer from indoor sky slope. See it from here . :) A: This summer is abnormally hot. B: It really is. A: Why don't we go for a swim in the valley? B: How about skiing? A: OK, but let's see some stamina food first. B: I feel energized after having stamina food! A: Me too. Oh, it starts raining! B: Now I breathe a sigh of relief. A: The heat will get reduced. A: 이번 여름은 이상하게 무덥네요. yibun yeorumeun yisanghagae mudupnaeyo. B: 정말 그러네요. jeongmal geroneyo. A: 계곡에 수영하러 안 갈래요? gaegogae sooyoungharo an gallaeyo? B: 스키는 어때요? skinun oaddaeyo? A: 좋아요, 하지만 보양식을 먼저 먹어요. yoayo, hajiman boyangsikeul monjo mogoyo. B: 보양식을 먹었더니 힘이 솟는데요! boyangsikeul mogutdoni himi sonnundaeyo! A: 저도요. 오, 비가 오기 시작하는데요! jodoyo. oh, biga ogi sijakhanundaeyo! B: 이제 살 것 같아요! yijae sal gut gatayo. A: 더위가 한풀 꺾이겠어요. durweega hanpool gg...

Hi all. I am back to Brisbane after a short holiday in South Korea. I didn't go to a single beach but what matters is spending time with the loved ones. :) I managed to read a few books too. One of them had a title called "Apptizen" and it was referring to people who are actively using smartphones and social network service application such as Twitter or Facebook to shape public opinion. A new generation after Netizen. Pretty clever isn't it. Anyway, I am happy to be back to Brisbane where the temperature is just right. Having escaped from the heat, now I breathe a sigh of relief. 더위를 피하니 이제 살 것 같아요. 더위를, durweeleul, heat + suffix 피하니, peehani, avoid (피하다) 이제, yijae, now 살, sal, to live (살다) 것 같아요, gut gatayo, likely to do something (같다) 더위를 피하니 이제 살 것 같아요. durweeleul peehani yijae sal gut gatayo. -니 이제 살 것 같다 is a quite common expression. Like, I just had late dinner after a long day and I say; 밥을 먹으니 이제 살 것 같아요. If I feel better after taking medicine, I would say; 약...

Hi everyone! :) I am in Korea enjoying the time with family and friends. I was going to have a break from blogging during the holiday but I just thought I would do it anyway if I wanted! :) The first few days in Korea were really tough for me because of the heat wave, day and night. It was unbearable! Thankfully, last couple of days were better with some rain as Korea is under influence of a typhoon or 태풍. The heat wave have flinched because of this rain. 이번 비로 인하여 더위가 한풀 꺾였어요. 이번, yibun, this time 비로, biro, rain + suffix 인하여, inhayeo, because of 더위가, durweega, heat + suffix 한풀, hanpool, a big chunck of severity 꺾였어요, ggokyotsoyo, break or snap (꺾이다) 이번 비로 인하여 더위가 한풀 꺾였어요. yibun biro inhayeo durweega hanpool ggokyotsoyo. -로 인하여 is to indicate a cause or reason of what happens in the following phrase. 인하여 can be omitted. For example, 휴가로 인하여 블로그 업데이트가 안 돼요 -> The blog doesn't get updated due to holiday. 취미로 블로그를 해요. -> (I) blog for a hobby. 한풀 꺾이다 is an expression and means t...

Hi. There are three specific days which indicate the start, peak and end of the hottest summer period. They are called 초복, 중복 and 말복 respectively. There is a complicated method to calculate those days, which I won't be able to explain here, but 하지 or summer solstice is the reference point to calculate the first day. Anyway, as a tradition we enjoy various stamina food around these days. The most famous one is 삼계탕 . This Sunday is 말복 and luckily I will be enjoy authentic 삼계탕 in Korea this time. :) I feel energized after having stamina food! 보양식을 먹었더니 힘이 솟는데요! 보양식을, boyangsikeul, stamina food + suffix 먹었더니, mogutdoni, because (I) ate (먹다) 힘이, himi, energy + suffix 솟는데요, sonnundaeyo, raising (솟다) 보양식을 먹었더니 힘이 솟는데요! boyangsikeul mogutdoni himi sonnundaeyo! -더니 is an ending style that makes the first phrase a cause of the second phrase. For example: 땀을 흘렸더니 목이 말라요. -> I sweated and that's why I am thirsty. 수영을 했더니 상쾌하네요. -> I swam and that's why I feel refreshed. 매일 공부했더니...

Hi. Sweating like a pig is an interesting expression as I haven't seen any pigs sweating. :) An equivalent expression in Korean makes no sense to me either. :) I am sweating like a pig. 팥죽 같은 땀이 줄줄 흐르네요. 팥죽, patjuk, red bean porridge 같은, gateon, as such (같다) 땀이, ddami, sweat + suffix 줄줄, juljul, look of liquid running down the surface 흐르네요, huruneyo, running (흐르다) 팥죽 같은 땀이 줄줄 흐르네요. patjuk gateon ddami juljul huruneyo. I sweat like red bean porridge running down my face?? I have no idea what the origin of this expression is. 팥죽 is a seasonal food that we enjoy in winter, especially on winter solstice. If the sweat is not that heavy, we also use '구슬 같은 땀' which literally means 'beads of sweat'. Tomorrow's expression is "I feel energized after having stamina food!" Bye!

Hi everyone. How do you deal with it when it is too hot? How about jumping in to the cold weather in a valley. There is a perfect spot in South Korea called 얼음골 (Eoreumgol, Ice Valley) As the name suggests, you can see ice from there even in the middle of summer. No matter how hot the weather is, you will be freezing once you get in the water. How interesting is that? I wonder if there are similar places in other countries. Swimming in the valley is as popular as going to the beach in Korea. It is too hot! Why don't we go for a swim in the valley? 너무 더운데 계곡에 수영하러 안 갈래요? 너무, nurmu, too much 더운데, duoundae, as it is hot (덥다) 계곡에, gaegogae, valley + suffix 수영하러, sooyoungharo, to swim (수영하다) 안, an, not 갈래요, gallaeyo, would you like to go (가다) 너무 더운데 계곡에 수영하러 안 갈래요? nurmu duoundae gaegogae sooyoungharo an gallaeyo? Even though there are two separate sentences in English, I made it to be one sentence in Korean to use -ㄴ데 expression. -ㄴ데 following a adjective or verb indicates a preconditi...

Hi guys, I will be visiting South Korea in a few days so am keeping an eye on the weather forecast. It is good that 장마 is finally over, but the temperature is going through the roof! I can see myself complaining about that already. :) This week, let's talk about hot weather and good ideas to avoid it. This summer is abnormally hot. 이번 여름은 이상하게 무덥네요. 이번, yibun, this time 여름은, yeorumeun, summer + suffix 이상하게, yisanghagae, strangely (이상하다) 무덥네요, mudupnaeyo, sultry (덥다) 이번 여름은 이상하게 무덥네요. yibun yeorumeun yisanghagae mudupnaeyo. 이 means this and 번 means order or count. As 저 means that, 저번 is a previous time or last time. If you want to talk about 저번 여름, the ending of 덥네요 has to change as well to match the tense like this: 저번 여름은 이상하게 무더웠어요. If you are a great prophet who can predict next summer's weather: 다음번 여름은 이상하게 무더울 거에요 . :) 이번/저번/다음번 + noun is a useful expression to give an event a sense of order as used in this post . 이상하다 is something is strange and abnormal. And we call an...

Hi all. Hope you all had a great weekend! I had a very good weekend. There were a few drizzly days in Brisbane last week so it was extra wonderful to have a good weather this weekend. :) And thanks so much for your repeated visits and following my blog. I really appreciate it. :) Min: Please top up 5000 won on my T-money card. Clerk: OK. The balance is 6000 won now. Min: By the way, what is the best to way get to Insadong from here? Clerk: Taxi is the best way. Min: Thank you. Min: Is this the right direction to Insadong? Driver: Yes, it is. Are you running late? Min: Yes, but please do not speed. Driver: Sure. Min: Mr. Driver, do you mind if I get off here? Driver: No, that's fine. The fare is 4500 won. Min: I would like to pay by T-money. Min: 티머니 카드에 오천원 충전해 주세요. T-money cardae ohchunwon chungjonhae jusaeyo. Clerk: 네. 이제 잔액은 육천원입니다. nae. yijae janekeun yookchunwonimnida. Min: 그런데 여기서 인사동 가는 가장 좋은 방법은 뭐에요? gerundae, yogiso insadong ganun gajang joeun bangbubeun moaeyo? Clerk: 택시...

Hi all. I sometimes wonder how come Korea has not produced the world number one Formula 1 driver yet because there are plenty of fearless speed racers including most of taxi drivers. Speeding by taxi drivers is very common in Korea especially at night times. They can easily avoid speed cameras because the navigation systems warn them in advance. If it ever gets to a point where you think your life is on the line, ask the driver to slow down. Most of them will do so when asked. :) Mr. Driver, can you slow down a little bit, please? 기사님, 조금만 천천히 가 주시겠어요? 기사님, gisanim, Mr. Driver 조금만, jogumman, a little bit 천천히, chunchunhee, slowly 가, ga, to go (가다) 주시겠어요, joosigetsoyo, do a favour when following a verb (주다) 기사님, 조금만 천천히 가 주시겠어요? gisanim, jogumman chunchunhee ga joosigetsoyo? We had a couple of sentences containing 'verb + 주다' expression recently, here and here . 주시겠어요 is a more polite question form. Of course, you can say it in a plain sentence, i.e. 기사님 조금만 천천히 가 주세요. If you ar...

Hi guys. Let's say, you have arrived at your subway station safely. That's great! But it is too soon to be relieved. You have accomplished only a half of the challenge and the second half is finding the right exit. :) You will see what I mean if you take a look at this map . It is where the city hall is and shows how many subway stations multiplied by the number of exits are concentrated in a small area. So, include the right exit number to your planning before you travel. A subway exit is great for a meeting spot so this expression might be helpful. :) From which exit should we meet? 몇번 출구에서 만날까요? 몇번, myotbun, which number 출구에서, chulgooaeso, exit + suffix 만날까요, mannalggayo, should we meet? (만나다) 몇번 출구에서 만날까요? myotbun chulgooaeso mannalggayo? 몇 means 'some unknown number' and 번 is a count word. There are different ways of counting in Korean as describe here . In short, '일, 이, 삼..' style is used for things in order while '하나, 둘, 셋..' style is for counting...

Hi all. Taxis are relatively cheap in Korea so I often use them whenever I visit. The problem is that the traffic jam in Seoul can be horrifyingly bad and the taxi won't move while the meter keeps ticking. :( When I see people walking move faster than my taxi, my mind starts see-sawing between "Should I get off here and take a subway?" and "It will get better.. let's see after this intersection..". It could happen to you too. So remember this expression. :) Mr. Driver, do you mind if I get off here? 기사님, 여기서 내려도 될까요? 기사님, gisanim, Mr. Driver + suffix 여기서, yogiso, here 내려도, naeryodo, if (I) get off (내리다) 될까요, duelggayo, is it OK (되다) 기사님, 여기서 내려도 될까요? gisanim, yogiso naeryodo duelggayo? 님 in 기사님 is a title that could be used to honor both men and women. You can put this after many nouns like 선생님(sunsangnim, teacher) and 교수님(gyosoonim, professor) or after a name instead of using 씨. So you could call me either Min님 or Min씨. 님 can be used after on-line IDes whil...

Hi. I have travelled fair bit and one of my scariest nightmares as a traveller would be getting on a subway in the opposite direction and ending up in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night! Luckily, it hasn't happened to me yet. :) The transport system is quite complex in Seoul and it is very easy to get disoriented. So make sure you are travelling in the right direction. :) Is this the right direction to Gangnam? 이 쪽이 강남 가는 방향 맞아요? 이, yi, this 쪽이, jjokyi, direction + suffix 강남, gangnam, Gangnam 가는, ganun, going (가다) 방향, banghyang, direction 맞아요, majayo, right (맞다) 이 쪽이 강남 가는 방향 맞아요? yi jjokyi gangnam ganun banghyang majayo? The first 이 is indicating an object is nearer from you. If the object is further from you, 저 is used. For example: 이 사과 -> this apple 저 사과 -> that apple 쪽 means direction but it never used by itself. I.e. it always follows 이, 저, or adjective phrase. For example: 사람들이 모여있는 쪽 -> direction where people are gathered 소리가 나는 쪽 -> direction from...

Hi all. Isn't it daunting to figure out a bus fare, find the right coins or notes and make sure you get the correct changes and so on when you visit a country for the first time? I hereby declare that it is a thing in the past! :) We have something called T-money which you can use on bus, taxi and subway in Seoul and some other cities. You can even use it at a convenient store to pay for the goods. Most convenient stores sell T-money cards and you can top up T-money from there too. So use this when you visit Seoul if you don't want to come back with a bag full of coins. :) Please top up 5000 won on my T-money card. 티머니 카드에 오천원 충전해 주세요. 티머니, T-money, T-money 카드에, cardae, card + suffix 오천원, ohchunwon, 5000 + won 충전해, chungjonhae, recharge (충전하다) 주세요, jusaeyo, give me (주다) 티머니 카드에 오천원 충전해 주세요. T-money cardae ohchunwon chungjonhae jusaeyo. The won is the Korean currency. Thanks to the inflation over the past half-century, the numbers are quite big compared to their value. Your ch...

Hi all. The best way to get around Seoul is using the subway system . There are already more than ten lines and we are still building for more! Line 2 is a circle line and it is probably the most crowded one. I am not exaggerating this but it is quite possible that your feet are pointing completely different directions if you are travelling on Line 2 at peak hours. And you will be amazed to see that people are still reading, watching mobile TV, chatting or texting on the phone, or even sleeping standing up. :D As there are many interchange stations, there can be a few different ways to get from A to B. So you need to work out the best route or ask people like this. What is the best to way get there? 거기로 가는 가장 좋은 방법은 뭐에요? 거기로, gogiro, there + suffix for direction 가는, ganun, going (가다) 가장, gajang, the best 좋은, joeun, good (좋다) 방법은, bangbubeun, method + suffix 뭐에요, moaeyo, what is it? 거기로 가는 가장 좋은 방법은 뭐에요? gogiro ganun gajang joeun bangbubeun moaeyo? Depending on your preference, replace ...

Hi all. Hope you had a good weekend. :) I went to an art gallery to see Ron Mueck's sculptures today. Ron Mueck is an Australian artist who is famous for his hyper-realistic reproduction of human figures. His work was extraordinary. Check out the photos from here . Here is the dialogue number twelve on shopping. Owner: Welcome to my shop. John: I am looking for a gift for my friend. Owner: Do you have something specific on your mind? John: Yes. I am looking for something like this. Owner: We have something similar. John: I like it but it is too expensive. Owner: Our price is cheaper than the shop's over there. John: Can you give me a discount? Owner: No. I am not making any money from this business. John: I'll come back after thinking about it. Owner: 어서오세요. oasooasaeyo. John: 친구에게 줄 선물을 찾고 있어요. chinguaegae jul sunmuleul chatgo yitsoyo. Owner: 특별히 생각하는 것이 있나요? tekbyolhi sanggakhanun gutsi yitnayo? John: 예. 이렇게 생긴 것을 찾고 있어요. yea. yirutke senggin gutsol, chatgo yitsoyo. Owner...

Hi. I ran again this morning and did a bit better by running 6K! And I don't feel exhausted which is even greater! A couple of trainings that I did during the week is paying off, I think. :) Since I don't feel like I need a six hour nap like I did last week, I am going to go out and do some gift shopping for a friend whose birthday is coming up. :) I am looking for a gift for my friend. 친구에게 줄 선물을 찾고 있어요. 친구에게, chinguaegae, friend + suffix for target of action 줄, jul, give (주다) 선물을, sunmuleul, gift + suffix 찾고, chatgo, looking (찾다) 있어요, yitsoyo, is/am doing something (있다) 친구한테 줄 선물을 찾고 있어요. chinguaegae jul sunmuleul chatgo yitsoyo. 줄 is a verb and the base form is 주다. By changing the ending to -ㄹ style, it make '친구에게 줄' an adjective phrase describing 선물. If you are familiar with Korean, you will know there are honorific forms. If not, you can read about it from here . Let's cover that as today's expression is a good example. :) If you are looking for something f...

Hi. Sometimes, while you are shopping, you encounter items that you know they belong to you even before you buy them. :) Like, I was just doing some ' eye shopping ' a few weeks ago. ;) I wasn't going to buy anything! But as I was walking pass the shoes section at a department store, one pair of shoes stood out of all and started talking to me. 'Hey, pick me up!', 'Try me on, please'. And I did... because I couldn't resist the feeling that they belonged to me. And guess what happened next, I liked them and bought them. Everything happened in such a short time. lol Anyway, we have a beautiful expression to say I really like it. I like it. 마음에 들어요. 마음에, maeumae, heart or mind + sufix 들어요, duloyo, satisfying (들다) 마음에 들어요. maeumae duloyo. This is an expression used when you like something with a very satisfying feeling. If you want to ask someone about their likeness, just add a question mark and finish the sentence with a raising tone when you read. It is v...

Hi. Shop attendants in Korea are generally more attentive than those I see in Australia. Sometimes, I felt a bit uncomfortable when all I wanted to do is some window shopping. :) After I browsed items while the attendant was following me, I would say a white lie that I would come back. I think this is a very common expression to get away from them. :) I'll come back after thinking about it. 생각해 보고 다시 올게요. 생각해, sangakhae, think (생각하다) 보고, bogo, see (보다) 다시, dasi, again 올게요, olgaeyo, will come (오다) 생각해 보고 다시 올게요. sangakhae bogo dasi olgaeyo. 'verb + 보다 is a expression to say that you experience or do something even though 보다's original meaning is 'see'. '생각해 보다' means you will do some thinking. '입어 보다' means you will try the clothes on and '비교해 보다' means you compare things. And 보다 can change the ending in various ways to carry slightly different meanings. 생각해 봤어요. -> (I) have thought about it. (past tense) 생각해 볼게요. -> (I) will think abou...

Hi guys. I found a Korean lesson on Youtube today. This episode is about shopping too. Check it out from here . :) Sometimes you already know what you want to buy and you might need to describe its shape or color to the shop attendant. But that's really difficult when you are not familiar with the language. If might be easier to show a picture and say: I am looking for something like this. 이렇게 생긴 것을 찾고 있어요. 이렇게, yirutke, like this 생긴, senggin, looking (생기다) 것을, gutsol, thing + suffix 찾고, chatgo, look + suffix 있어요, yitsoyo, am/is doing something 이렇게 생긴 것을 찾고 있어요. yirutke senggin gutsol, chatgo yitsoyo. 이렇게 is used when you point something physically close to you while 저렇게 is used when the object is located further from you. The form of adjective + 것 is useful to describe an arbitrary object. For example: 더 큰 것 -> something bigger 더 작은 것 -> something smaller 파란 것 -> the blue one 흰 것 -> the white one verb+고 있어요 is a present continuous form. 쇼핑하고 있어요. -> I am doing shopp...

Hi all. My parents have been running a kitchenware shop for almost forty years! I admire them for their dedication. :) I often saw people trying to get a better deal at my parents' shop since I was young. Most of customers were local and my parents knew some of them very well. And they will come up with all kinds of reasons for a discount. And my parents often replied like this: I am not making any money from this business. 하나도 안 남는 장사에요. 하나도, hanado, not even one 안, an, not 남는, namnun, remain + suffix 장사에요, jangsaaeyo, retail business is 하나도 안 남는 장사에요. hanado an namnun jangsaaeyo. 하나도 is commonly used when you want to emphasize that there is nothing at all. For example, compared to saying just "없어요", "하나도 없어요" means "there is nothing at all". You can use this to refer people as well as object. 버터가 하나도 없어요. -> There is no butter left. 사람이 하나도 없어요. -> There is no one. Please see here and here where 안 for negation is explained. If you find someon...

Hi! A new member, maggiesedapgiler, told me that he was going to Seoul next month! I am going to cover some useful expressions for him so he can shop and negotiate the price. :) There are many great places for shopping in Seoul. Please visit here for detailed information on shopping experience in Seoul. You can see some basic expressions from there. 좀 깍아주세요(Jom ggakajuseyo, Give me a discount, please) is a good starting point but if you want to pressure the shop owner further, try this. :) I think it was cheaper from the shop over there. 저쪽 가게가 더 싼 것 같아요. 저쪽, jochok, over there or that way 가게가, gagaega, shop + suffix 더, de, more 싼, ssan, cheap (싸다) 것 같아요, gut gatayo, I think it is.. 저쪽 가게가 더 싼 것 같아요. jochok gagaega de ssan gut gatayo. There is only one form in Korean to make an adjective comparative, which is "더". For example: 여기가 더 비싼 것 같아요. -> It is more expensive here. 이 옷이 더 이쁜 것 같아요. -> This cloth is prettier. 조금 더 깎아주세요. -> Give me a little bit more discount. ...

Hi all. Boryeong Mud Festival is probably one of the most popular summer festivals in Korea and it is on now! Check out the official website in English . There are some spelling errors and wrong expressions on the website though. ;) Here is the dialogue number eleven about holidays! :) Min: What is your favourite holiday destination? Kim: I love Italy. But I go to South Korea this summer! Min: Where do you stay? Kim: I will stay at Grand Hyatt Seoul . Min: That is a five star hotel! I envy you. Kim: I am thrilled! I am going to stay there for three nights and four days. Min: Accommodations are expensive in the peak season, aren't they? Kim: The prices were reasonable even though it was the high season. Min: That's good to hear. Kim: What about you? Do you have a plan for your holiday? Min: I am flat broke. I am just going to read books at home this holiday. Kim: I am sorry to hear that. Min: 가장 좋아하는 휴양지가 어디에요? gajang joahanun hyuyangjiga oadiaeyo? Kim: 이탈리아를 제일 좋아해요. 하지만 이번 여름...

Hi everyone. So, I got up at 6AM and went for a run this morning. It was a beautiful day and the view was great along the Brisbane River. I was so pumped up but managed to run only four kilometres and it nearly killed me. :P Top of the range running shoes weren't really a big help yet. I just need stronger legs and lungs! I will do it again next week to get those. :) I am just going to read books at home this holiday. 이번 휴가는 그냥 집에서 책이나 읽으려구요. 이번, yibun, this 휴가는, hyuganun, holiday + suffix 그냥, gunyang, just 집에서, jibaeso, home + suffix 책이나, chekyina, book + suffix for only 읽으려구요, ilguryoguyo, going to read, (읽다) 이번 휴가는 그냥 집에서 책이나 읽으려구요. yibun hyuganun gunyang jibaeso chekyina ilguryoguyo. -이나 or -나 following a noun indicates the object is the only preference or option. When to use -이나 or -나 depends on the ending sound of the noun. If the sound of the noun ends with a consonant like 책, you need to use -이나. But if the ending sound is a vowel like 잡지(jabji, magazine) you need to use ...

Hi guys. I have been promoting my blog on some Korean language communities because I wanted to share my work with more people. And I am so happy to see 카에르 who joined today. :) 카에르씨 환영합니다! I hope you enjoy my blog. I will be on holiday for three nights and four days. 나는 3박 4일 동안 휴가를 가질거에요. 나는, nanun, I + suffix 3박, sambak, three nights 4일, sail, four days 동안, dongan, during 휴가를, hyugaleol, holiday + suffix 가질거에요, gajilguoaeyo, will have (가지다) 나는 3박 4일 동안 휴가를 가질거에요. nanun sambak sail dongan hyugaleol gajilguoaeyo. Obviously, it makes perfect sense even if you omit 3박. But somehow it is very common to say -박 -일 when we talk about the length of a holiday. Maybe that's because there are holiday packages like 7 nights 9 days if one night is spend on the plane or something. There are even no nights two days packages. Especially in winter ski-lovers will go on these trips. They get on a tour bus or train at 10PM and sleep while travelling. And they ski after arriving at a sky resort by th...

Hi all. I like R&B music and I am thrilled to see Ne-Yo next weekend at Winterbeatz 2010! I like his songs especially " Miss Independent " and " Closer ". It is going to be awesome! Anyway, back to our subject which is holiday. :) The flight tickets are expensive in the peak season. 성수기에는 비행기 표가 비싸요. 성수기에는, sungsoogiaenun, peak season + suffix 비행기, beehanggi, airplane 표가, pyoga, ticket + suffix 비싸요, beessayo, is expensive (비싸다) 성수기에는 비행기 표가 비싸요. sungsoogiaenun beehanggi pyoga beessayo. The opposite of 성수기 is 비수기. And the opposite of 비싸다 is 싸다. Hence, 비수기에는 표가 싸요 means 'tickets are cheap in the low season'. By changing the ending of 성수기 에는 , you can change the meaning slightly. 성수기 이기때문에 표가 비싸요. -> Tickets are expensive because it is the high season. 성수기 라서 표가 비싸요. -> Tickets are expensive because it is the high season. 성수기 에만 표가 비싸요. -> Tickets are expensive only in the high season. 성수기 라도 표가 싸요. -> Tickets are cheap even though it is the...

Hi. I was listening to some music earlier this evening. " Make me wanna die " from "The pretty reckless" is pretty cool. The lead vocal, Taylor Momsen, is actually an actress who plays the role of Jenny on The Gossip Girl. How talented is she! :) This is a five star hotel. 이 호텔은 별 다섯개 짜리 호텔이에요. 이, yi, this 호텔은, hoteleun, hotel + suffix 별, byol, star 다섯, dasot, five 개짜리, gaejjari, count word + as many 호텔이에요, hotelyiaeyo, is such a hotel 이 호텔은 별 다섯 개짜리 호텔이에요. yi hoteleun byol dasot gaejjari hotelyiaeyo. -짜리 is used when you want to express the quantity or quality of something. It carries the value of the object is equal to the quantity in comparison. But depending on the context, it could mean that either the object as cheap or as expensive. For example, A: Your bag looks so expensive. B: Not at all. 이 가방은 만 원짜리에요. -> This bag is only 10000 won. A: Your bag looks like a fake. B: No way! 이 가방은 백만 원짜리에요! -> This bag is as expensive as one million won! More example...

Hi. I have a couple of Christmas in July parties this month. Quite different to the most of you who live in the northern hemisphere and plan for your summer holiday, I guess. :) I am planning to escape from the cold weather and visit my home country in August to enjoy the heat. Al-right, al-right, the cold weather is just an excuse. It is still 20 degrees Celsius in Brisbane during the day time. ;) What is your favourite holiday destination? 가장 좋아하는 휴양지가 어디에요? 가장, gajang, the most 좋아하는, joahanun, like + suffix (좋아하다) 휴양지가, hyuyangjiga, holiday destination + suffix 어디에요, oadiaeyo, where is it 가장 좋아하는 휴양지가 어디에요? gajang joahanun hyuyangjiga oadiaeyo? You can use 가장 with most of adjectives to make it superlative. For example, 가장 크다. -> It is the biggest. 가장 밝다. -> It is the brightest. 가장 맛있다. -> It tastes the best. 당신을 가장 사랑해. -> I love you the most. More about holidays this week. :) Bye for now.

Hi all. Did anyone notice that I missed a post yesterday? Sorry about that. There were too many outdoor activities on the weekend. :) Anyway, here is the tenth dialogue. Yay! Min: Is Eclipse showing already? Jenny: Yes. I saw it today because tickets were sold out yesterday. Min: How was it? Jenny: The special effects were very impressive and the acting was really convincing. Min: I saw Toy Story 3. It was the best movie ever! Min: Eclipse가 벌써 상영하나요? Eclipsega burlsso sanyounghanayo? Jenny: 네. 어제는 표가 매진되서 오늘 봤어요. nae. oajaenun pyoga maejindueso ohneol bwatsoyo. Min: 어땠어요? oaddatsoyo? Jenny: 특수 효과가 굉장하고 연기는 정말 실감났어요. teoksoo hyoguaga guengjanghago yeonginun jeongmal silgamnatsoyo. Min: 나는 Toy Story 3를 봤어요. 지금까지 본 최고의 영화였어요! nanun Toy Story 3 leol bwatsoyo. jigumggaji bon chuegoui youngwhayotsoyo! Actually, I haven't seen both of the movies. I might see Toy Story 3 tomorrow night. :)

Hi. How often to you get totally satisfied from watching a movie? Titanic wasn't too bad. Avatar was great. " Black " was very moving too. But as a animal lover, "Yellow Dog" is one of my favourite movies. It is a simple story about a stranded dog which is finding its way home. But I never cried that much seeing a movie. What an acting by the dog! And I truly believe that animals have the same emotions as human being have. It was the best movie ever! 지금까지 본 최고의 영화였어요! 지금까지, jigumggaji, present + suffix 본, bon, seen 최고의, chuegoui, the best 영화였어요, youngwhayotsoyo, movie was 지금까지 본 최고의 영화였어요! jigumggaji bon chuegoui youngwhayotsoyo! -까지 used to indicate that certain timing that ends a period. 한시까지 오세요. -> Please come by one o'clock. Bye!

Hi. Great actors and actresses are who can make any story convincing and believable. I like Julia Roberts as she is one of them and am looking forward to her next film called " Eat, Pray, Love ". The movie is based on a true story, a book of the same title. I guess an actress is even greater if she can make a true story truer. I bet Julia Roberts will do. :) Her acting was really convincing. 그녀의 연기는 정말 실감났어요. 그녀의, genyeoei, she + suffix 연기는, yeonginun, acting + suffix 정말, jeongmal, really 실감났어요, silgamnatsoyo, convincing (실감나다) 그녀의 연기는 정말 실감났어요. genyeoei yeonginun jeongmal silgamnatsoyo. Hope you have a great weekend. :)

Hi. I do enjoy art films occasionally but some movies just leave me puzzled. For example, I never got what Stanley Kubrick tried to say in "Eyes Wide Shut". What about "Being John Malkovich" by Spike Jonze? They are just too deep for me. I think it is fair enough to admit that I didn't get it. :P My favourite movies include "When Harry Met Sally", "Before Sunrise", "WALL·E", "Groundhog Day" and so on... easy ones. ;) I don't get it. 무슨 뜻인지 모르겠어요. 무슨, mooson, what 뜻인지, ddeotsinji, meaning + suffix 모르겠어요, morugetsoyo, don't know (모르다) 무슨 뜻인지 모르겠어요. mooson ddeotsinji morugetsoyo. It is the same if you say "무슨 말 인지 모르겠어요." 말 in this case means what he/she is saying. Or "무슨 이야기 인지 모르겠어요." to mean "I don't know what the story is about." Colloquially, 무슨 can be reduced to one syllable 뭔(mwon). If you really don't have a single clue, add 도대체(dodaeche). It is the same effect as adding ...

Hi. Going to the movies is probably the most popular dating course in Korea. There are many cinemas but as well as people in Korea. So it is the best to book tickets in advance if you want to see a popular movie at a cinema in the downtown. Tickets are sold out. 표가 매진됐어요. 표가, pyoga, ticket + suffix 매진됐어요, maejinduatsoyo, sold out (매진되다) 표가 매진됐어요. pyoga maejinduatsoyo. 매진되다 is a passive form because of -되다 ending. Similarly 영화가 상영되다 means the movie is shown, 영화가 시작되다 means the movie has been started, 상영이 중단되다 means the movie is stopped from showing and so on. It was a short one today. :) See you tomorrow.

Hi. I was going to see Grown Ups today but my work finished to late. :( This one looked so funny from the preview . I might try it later. It has no special effects but hopefully gives some good laughs. But there are quite opposite movies as well. The special effects were very impressive but the story was not so much. 특수 효과는 굉장했는데 이야기는 별로였어요. 특수, teoksoo, special 효과는, hyoguanun, effect + suffix 굉장했는데, guengjanghatnundae, amazing or impressive (굉장하다) 이야기는, yiyaginun, story + suffix 별로였어요, byolloyotsoyo, not so good (별로이다) 특수 효과는 굉장했는데 이야기는 별로였어요. teoksoo hyoguanun guengjanghatnundae yiyaginun byolloyotsoyo. Are you looking for a conjunction word corresponding to 'but'? It is implied in the ending of 굉장했는데. Actually, 굉장했는데 can be split into two parts, '굉장했다. 그런데' and 그런데(gerundae) is a conjunction word meaning but or however. 굉장하다 can be used when things are amazing, superb, or very big in scale. 그는 키가 굉장히 크다. -> He is really really tall. 축제가 굉장했다. -> The festival w...

Hi everyone. Are you guys going to see Eclipse? I saw the first two installments of the Twilight Saga already but unfortunately they didn't do much for me. Especially the second one, New Moon, was a big, big disappointment! I almost fell asleep because it was so boring. I think I still see the third one anyway and it might even turn out to be OK because I don't expect anything this time. Anyway: Is Eclipse showing already? Eclipse가 벌써 상영하나요? 벌써, burlsso, already 상영하나요, sanyounghanayo, movie is showing? (상영하다) Eclipse가 벌써 상영하나요? Eclipsega burlsso sanyounghanayo? 벌써 is an adverb used to describe certain timings. It has slightly different meanings depending on the context. The first case is like in today's sentence, you use it to indicate something is happening sooner than expected. 벌써 2010년 7월이네요. -> It is already July 2010. 벌써 가려구요? -> leaving this soon? The second case it when something is done already or when you want to emphasize something has been done long before....

Hello. How's your weekend going? I had a good day playing golf this morning. It was a new course that I tried. There were lots of challenges but I managed to score par on the fourth. Yay! :) Here is the dialogue number 9. Jenny: Who is your favourite K-pop singer? Fiona: I love Rain! Jenny: What do you like about him? Fiona: He is handsome and his body is hot and his voice is so beautiful! Jenny: I like his new song too. It is very catchy. Fiona: Check out his music video too. He is so elegant in it. Jenny: 제일 좋아하는 한국 가수가 누구에요? jaeil joahanun hanguk gasuga nuguaeyo? Fiona: 나느 Rain을 사랑해요! nanun Raineul saranghaeyo! Jenny: 그의 어떤 점을 좋아해요? geoi oaddun jumeul joahaeyo? Fiona: 잘 생기고, 몸도 끝내주고, 목소리는 감미로워요! jal sangigo momdo ggennejugo moksorinun gammirowayo. Jenny: 나도 그의 신곡을 좋아해요. 귀에 착착 감겨요. nado geui singokeul joahaeyo. guiae chakchak gamgyeoyo. Fiona: 뮤직비디오도 보세요. 정말 귀티가 흘러요. musicbididodo bosaeyo. jeongmal guiteega hurloyo. Recently, there was a survey on the most popular K-pop song amon...

Hi guys. There are many Hanryu male singers for example 신승훈 , 신혜성 , 류시원 and so on who have a soft voice. Very soft and very dreamy. So, of course we have an expression for it. :) He has a tender voice. 그는 감미로운 목소리를 가졌어요. 그는, genun, he + suffix 감미로운, gammiroun, soft (감미롭다) 목소리를, moksorileul, voice + suffix 가졌어요, gajeotsoyo, have (가지다) 그는 감미로운 목소리를 가졌어요. genun gammiroun moksorileul gajeotsoyo. The word 감미 has a Chinese origin and can be written in Chinese like 甘味. It literally means sweet taste. But, it is very common to use 감미롭다 to describe music, voice or anything that has a sweet nature. 감미로운 음악 -> lovely tender music 감미로운 꿈 -> sweet dream 감미로운 미소 -> sweet smile Hope you have a 감미로운 night. :)

Hi all. I guess it is mandatory for a singer to have a hot body these days. :) Have you heard about Rain ? He is like a Korean version of Usher. He starred in a move called " Ninja Assassin " recently. I think he has the best body out of all singers in K-pop. He definitely deserved " Biggest Badass Star " award at 2010 MTV Movie Awards. :) He has got a hot body! 그는 몸이 끝내줘요! 그는, genun, he + suffix 몸이, momi, body + suffix 끝내줘요, ggennejuoyo, wonderful (끝내주다) 그는 몸이 끝내줘요! genun momi ggennejuoyo! 끝내주다 literally means it finishes off everything else, hence it is the best! You can use this expression for anything; taste, appearance, movies, idea, event, anything. :) 맛이 끝내줘요. -> Absolutely delicious. 영화가 끝내줘요. -> The movie is fantastic. 파티가 끝내줬어요. -> The concert was great. You can also make 끝내주다 more a form of adjective and say 끝내주는 맛, 끝내주는 영화, 끝내주는 파티 etc. BTW, there is an interesting word, 짱 (jjang) which means something is the best of the best. So, 몸짱 (momjjang) ...

Hi guys. Some stars really good at maintaining a perfectly elegant persona publicly, they just make me wonder if they ever burp or release gas inappropriately. Let me give you examples. 이영애 from 대장금 and 배용준 from 겨울연가 . I wouldn't be surprised even if they never do such gross things. lol. Anyway, we have a perfect expression in Korean for that kind of people. She is so elegant whatever she does. 그녀는 뭘 해도 귀티가 흐르네요. 그녀는, genyuonun, she + suffix 뭘, mual, whatever 해도, haedo, even if.. does something (하다) 귀티가, guiteega, sense of elegance + suffix 흐르네요, huruneyo, run or flow (흐르다) 그녀는 뭘 해도 귀티가 흐르네요. genyuonun mual haedo guiteega huruneyo. It is literally saying the sense of elegance is flowing out of that person. How graceful is this. :) The opposite is not that different. If you say 촌티 (chontee), that is exactly opposite of 귀티. Do you remember when Susan Boyle first appeared on 'Britain's Got Talent' show? At first, 그녀는 촌티가 흘렀어요. But since the show, she has transformed a...

Hi. Ooh, it's the lights, Action, Hollywood~ It's from Beyonce's song called " Welcome To Hollywood " I like. While the melody is very glamorous, the lyrics contrast the dark side of the city well. Indeed, one thing I don't understand about Hollywood is that how come it is OK for paparazzi to harass people just because they are public figures. I think stars sometimes have to pay to much for doing what they love. I think we need to respect stars' private lives. 제 생각엔 스타의 사생활을 존중해야 할 것 같아요. 제, jae, I (polite form lowering oneself) 생각엔, sangaken, think of it (생각하다) 스타의, stareui, star + suffix 사생활을, sasanghwaleul, private life + suffix 존중해야, jonjunghaeya, respect (존중하다) 할 것 같아요, hal gut gatayo. I think such that... 제 생각엔 스타의 사생활을 존중해야 할 것 같아요. jae sangaken stareui sasanghwaleul jonjunghaeya hal gut gatayo. The suffix 의 from '스타 의 사생활' is one for ownership. '나 의 사생활' means my private life. '동방신기 의 새 앨범' means Dongbangsingi's new a...

Hi all. I think hook songs have taken over K-pop these days. Hook songs are those that a simple rhythm or phrase repeat many times. A good example would be " Bo Peep Bo Peep " from "T-ara". I wonder if I could make such a song because it seems so simple. lol. But I guess it requires a real talent to make those songs really catchy. This song is so catchy! 이 노래는 정말 귀에 착착 감기네요! 이, yi, this 노래는, noraenun, song + suffix 정말, jeongmal, really 귀에, guiae, ear + suffix 착착, chakchack, a mimetic word describing a characteristic that is sticky 감기네요, gamginaeyo, be wound (감기다) 이 노래는 정말 귀에 착착 감기네요! yi noraenun jeongmal guiae chakchak gamginaeyo! '귀에 착착 감기다' must be the first idiom appeared in this blog. This idiom literally means that the song is sticking to your ears. You can also say '귀에 착착 붙는다' to mean it is catchy. '붙는다' is verb meaning 'stick'. If the song is not catchy just say '귀에 착착 안 감기네요'. Similarly you can say '입에 착착 감긴다'...

Hi. It seems there are so many popular K-pop singers and groups these days. I remember seeing Dongbangsingi on TV once and being surprised how perfect they were. Their appearance, singing, dancing and star quality, they seem to have it all. Beautiful human beings. :) Who is your favourite K-pop singer? 제일 좋아하는 한국 가수가 누구에요? 제일, jaeil, the most 좋아하는, joahanun, like (좋아하다) 한국, hanguk, Korea 가수가, gasuga, singer + suffix 누구에요, nuguaeyo, who is 제일 좋아하는 한국 가수가 누구에요? jaeil joahanun hanguk gasuga nuguaeyo? In response, you can say: 동방신기를 좋아해요. -> I like Dongbangsingi. 동방신기가 최고에요. -> Dongbangsingi is the best. 아직은 없어요. -> I don't have any yet. 글쎄요. 여러명을 좋아해요. -> Hard to tell. I like a few. 한국 노래를 안 좋아해요. -> I don't like K-pop. 들어본 적이 없어요. -> I haven't listened to any K-pop. If I have to choose, my favourite K-pop band would be Big Bang . They are not as perfect looking as Dongbangsingi. But they are such a good mix of different yet interesting characters. And I li...

Hello. It is already time for dialogue 8! I had another treatment yesterday and my skin does look better! :) I don't want to admit it but I guess I am high maintenance. :) Julie: You look younger than your age. Min: Thanks but the skin trouble is driving me crazy! Julie: Have you tried any natural treatments such as tea tree cream. Min: Yes I have. It was helping. Julie: You should never ever squeeze those pimples. Min: What if it never goes away? Julie: It will. And your skin looks much better recently. Min: Thank you. Julie: 당신은 동안 이네요. dangsineun dongan yineyo. Min: 고마워요. 하지만 피부가 안 좋아서 미치겠어요! gomawoyo. hasiman pibuga an joaso michigetsoyo! Julie: 티트리 크림 같은 자연 치료 방법을 써봤어요? teatree cream gotton jayeon chiryo bangbupeul ssobatsoyo? Min: 네. 도움이 됐어요. ne. doumyi duetsoyo. Julie: 여드름을 절대로 짜면 안 돼요. yeodurumeul jeoldaero jjamyeon an dueyo! Min: 영원히 안 없어지면 어쩌지요? youngwonhee an upsojimyeon ajjuajiyo? Julie: 없어질 거에요. 그리고 요즘 피부가 더 좋아 보이는데요. upsojil goeyo. guerigo yosm pibuga de joa boyinunda...