May 2013
8 posts
5 tags
6 tags
V+는 것이 좋다 ~ It is good (or better) to do V
Using the expression V+는 것이 좋다 to say that ‘it is good/better to do V’.
Examples
미리 준비하는 것이 좋다. It is good to be prepared in advance.
운동을 할 때는 물을 마시는 것이 좋다. It’s good to drink water while exercising.
거짓말은 하지 않는 것이 좋다. It is better not to lie. View Post
5 tags
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Music Vocab: Miss Korea (미스코리아) – Lee Hyori (이효리)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Huu3H5ei_-8&w=551&h=340]
신기루: mirage
매달리다: to dangle (from)
명품: masterpiece
놀라다: to be surprised by or to wonder (at)
불안: anxiety, apprehension
사라지다: to disappear, vanish
유리거울: glass mirror 지치다: to be tired, be… View Post
5 tags
Difference between V+다 보니 and V+다가
yoochunsa replied to your post: V+다 보니 ~ While doing/being V
Is there a big difference between this and -다가?
The wonderful Korean Grammar in Use: Intermediate textbook notes that +다가 is used when one action is interrupted and another action begins, whereas +다 보니 refers to something occuring in the middle of a continuous action, rather than interrupting it.
먹다가 졸았어요. I was eating and dozed off...
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April 2013
13 posts
6 tags
V+다 보니 ~ While doing/being V
By adding +다 보니 to a verb stem, we indicate that while one thing happens, a second thing also occurs. That is, while doing or being V.
Examples
열심히 공부하다 보니 날이 어두워졌어요. It got dark while I was studying hard.
좋아하는 일하다보니 스트레스도 없어요. I’m not stressed while doing… View Post
5 tags
Weekly Roundup 28/4
A weekly roundup of interesting Korean, Korea and language related links from around the web
- Korean pet names at The Korea Blog
- Chatter about the Daegu Miss Korea contestants at KoreaBang
- Telecom companies handicap foreigners at The Korea Times
- ze… View Post
6 tags
Intermediate TOPIK Practice #4
Some more difficult question from the 18th TOPIK paper. Getting into some grammar now.
Question: 다음 ( )에 알맞은 것을 고르십시오. Question: Choose the correct answer to go in the brackets
14. (3점)
가 : 어제 잘 못 잤나 봐요. 자꾸 하품을 하네요.
나 : 네. 재미있는 영화를 ( ) 잘 못 잤어요.
① 보면서 ②… View Post
4 tags
Lifelong Learning and A Few Online Resources
I’m a big believer in lifelong learning – not just learning for the sake of getting a degree or job – but simply for personal enrichment. And for the fun! Learning Korean is just a part of it, I love reading about behavioural economics and have started… View Post
Weekly Roundup 21/4
A weekly roundup of interesting Korean, Korea and language related links from around the web
- 22 reasons why we don’t succeed in language learning and why they are rubbish at Fluent in 3 Months
- Make learning Korean a habit — Habit Mastery at zenhabits View Post
A/V+(으)ㄹ 까 봐(서) ~ For fear that A/V, in the case...
An interesting piece of grammar, by adding (으)ㄹ 까 봐(서) to a verb or adjective stem, we say ‘For fear that A/V’ or ‘In the case that A/V’. Often the (서) is left out when speaking.
Examples
시함이 어려울까 봐 공부를 열심히 했어요. I feared the test would be difficult, so I… View Post
Weekly Roundup 14/4
A weekly roundup of interesting Korean, Korea and language related links from around the web
- Netizen reactions to North Korea telling foreigners to leave the south at KoreaBang
- Beyond Hallyuinvestigates just how worried are South Koreans about North… View Post
Music Vocab: Rose – Lee Hi (이하이)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff_SuAzll90&w=551&h=340]
가시: thorn, prickle
날카롭다: to be sharp, pointed
향기롭다: to be fragrant, sweet-smelling
함부로: thoughtlessly, mindlessly
자신감: confidence
안쓰럽다: to be pathetic, pitiable
발걸음: step, pace 초라하다: to be… View Post
Weekly Roundup 7/4
A weekly roundup of interesting Korean, Korea and language related links from around the web
- The Grand Narrative‘s final Korean Gender Reader
- Disturbing hagwon advertising at KoreaBang
- Also at KoreaBang, the increased smuggling of ‘Human flesh… View Post
N+(으)로 여겨지다 ~ to be regarded to be N
By adding the ending (으)로 여겨지다 to a noun, we may express that something is regarded or considered as N.
Examples
한국에서 4은 불길한 숫자로 여겨진다. The number 4 is considered unlucky in Korea.
‘로미오와 줄리엣’는 고전작품으로 여겨진다. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is considered a classic.
체코어는… View Post
Intermediate TOPIK Practice #4
Some more difficult question from the 18th TOPIK paper. Really tests your vocab knowledge!
Question: 다음 밑줄 친 부분과 의미가 반대인 것을 고르십시오. Question: Choose the word with the opposite meaning to the underlined section (bolded in this case)
12. (3점)
열대야 현상이 나타나면서밤에… View Post
March 2013
14 posts
Weekly Roundup 31/3
A weekly roundup of interesting Korean, Korea and language related links from around the web
- NK News on current Korean peninsula tensions
- Netizen comments on recent declarations from North Korea on Netizen Buzz
- LifeLoveKoreacompares some dictionary… View Post
Music Vocab: Expectation (기대해) – Girl's Day (걸스데이)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUtGJtyoIfg&w=551&h=340]
불안: anxiety, apprehension
뒷자리: back seat
통화: phone call, phone conversation
불만: dissatisfaction, complaint
자존심: one’s pride, self-respect
신경 쓰다: to bother, to show concern 다정하다: to be kind,… View Post
Weekly Roundup 24/3
The first weekly roundup of interesting Korean, Korea and language related links from around the web
- Hangukdrama mulls over whether it’s worth learning Hanja
- The Grand Narrative discusses gendered innocence in the Korean Sociological Image series
-Kor… View Post
N+을/를 ...(이)라고 부르다 (하다) ~ to call N ..., to name N...
Using this pattern, we can say call N something. 하다 and 부르다 can be swapped without changing the meaning.
Examples
사람들은 그 여자를 천사라고 불렀다. People call that girl ‘an angel’.
아이들은 선생님을 호랑이 선생님이라고 불렀다. The children call their teacher ‘tiger teacher’.
이 꽃을 해바라기라고… View Post
Intermediate TOPIK Practice #3
Some more difficult question from the 18th TOPIK paper. These test your knowledge of the multiple definitions for certain words.
Question: 다음 ( )에 공통적으로 들어갈 동사를 고르십시오. Question: Choose the correct verb to fit in each sentence.
10. (4점) 지갑을 차에 ( ) 내려 돈이 하나도… View Post
Anonymous asked: Uhm yes! I am so excited I found your blog this is already helping me so much! I just started learning korean so I am not any good yet but woo none the less. I am on a Brisbane to Seoul mission, if you will.
Anonymous asked: What's the difference between 보고싶다 and 그립다? Based on what I know, 보고싶다 literally means 'I want to see.' but I've heard it used for 'I miss you.' too.
V+기도 하다 ~ Sometimes V happens
Any interesting little grammar point, V+기도 하다 is used to express when V sometimes occurs.
Examples
나는 기쁠 때 울기도 해요. Sometimes I cry when I’m happy.
봄에 보통 춥지만 가끔 덥기도 해요. It’s usually cold in the spring, but it is sometimes warm.
주말에 영화를 보기도 해요. Sometimes I go… View Post
February 2013
10 posts
Intermediate TOPIK Practice #2
Battling on with the Intermediate TOPIK questions. These questions are from the 18th TOPIK paper.
Question: 다음 밑줄 친 부분과 의미가 비슷한 것을 고르십시오. Question: Choose the word with the similar meaning as the underlined word.
6. 내가 선생님께 거짓말을 했다는 것을 친구가 알게 되어 무척 창피했다.… View Post
Studying Linguistics
Chose a linguistics unit as an elective for my (last!!) semester of uni, which starts today — never been so excited before to study a unit!
Have you studied linguistics formally before? Any tips or good resources? View Post
V+면서 (2) ~ But
Previously I’ve covered how V+면서 can be used to express that two actions are occuring simultaneously — however it can also be used to express when two actions are occuring in conflict.
Example
수미 씨가 기분이 안 좋으면서 좋은 척 해요. Sumi is pretending to feel good, but… View Post
Quick Bite -- Past/Present/Future in Korean
I’ve started working through Korean Grammar in Use: Intermediate and grammar is explained in both Korean and English, which is great – I’d love to become less reliant on English explanations but not quite ready to take the plunge yet.
Here are 3 must know… View Post
Intermediate TOPIK Practice #1
Taking the leap into intermediate TOPIK papers! These questions are hard — trying to focus on how easy they will seem in a few years instead though!
These questions are from the 18th TOPIK paper.
Question: 다음 ( )에 알맞은 것을 고르십시오. (각 3점) Question: Find the… View Post
Thank you to the person who let me know about the typo ^^ (I can’t answer via the ask box for some reason…but much appreciated!)
Music Vocab: 있다 없으니까 (Gone Not Around Any Longer)...
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtVhwsACgTw&w=551&h=340]
진하다: to be thick, heavy, strong
번호: number
액자: (picture) frame
망가지다: to break down, be destroyed, to be ruined
기대다: to lean (on/against)
비틀거리다: to stumble, stagger
취하다: to be (get) drunk View Post
V+(으)면서도 ~ in spite of, yet
A grammar point I first came across in the Complete Guide to the TOPIK: Intermediate, V+(으)면서도 is used to describe a situation where two things a contrary or conflicting to each other.
Examples
영화는 재미있으면서도 슬펐어요. The film was funny yet sad.
김밥이 싸면서도 맛있어요. Ki… View Post
January 2013
14 posts
TOPIK Youtube Videos
Oh my god, these are amazing!
As My Korean Corner and 주비랑 recently blogged about, there is a TOPIK Youtube channel. It mostly seems focused toward intermediate learners, but the breakdowns of past TOPIK questions are brilliant.
[youtube=http://www.youtube… View Post
V+는지, A+(으)ㄴ지 ~ Who/ what/ why/ where/ when/ how/...
Proceded by either who, what, why, when, where, whether or how, this ending connects a clause the requires additional information. Corresponds to ‘whether or not A/V’ in certain cases.
Examples
너무 맛있었어요! 어떻게 만들었는지 가르쳐 주세요. It was delicious! Please tell me… View Post shared via WordPress.com
