Questions tagged [vocabulary]

General questions about word meanings, or finding an appropriate word.

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Is 아버님 only used in"연인사이"?

I asked a young Korean person: When I talk to a child, I want to ask "What does your father do?". This question should ask "아버님은 무슨 일을 하셔냐?/하셔니?"?. She said that i should ask "...
Thai Trinh's user avatar
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I’m practicing “journal style” writing in Korean with a new book. Is this sentence correct?

다다음 주부터 가을방학 시작한다. The examples in my book don’t use a particle next to school vacation. I also wasn’t sure if “다다음“ is week after next? Is there a different informal way to say “in two weeks”? Thanks!...
Maggie Audelle's user avatar
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1 answer
50 views

아리운 meaning, explanation

The second part of the Alchemy of Souls OST is a song called 아리운 (Aching). While it is obvious to say that 아리운 means aching, I would like an explanation of what kind of word it is, as I can't seem to ...
pavelkomin's user avatar
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52 views

Difference between 구경하다 and 구하다 : Look Around

What is the word difference between these two words: 구경하다 and 구하다 ? Do they both mean look around?
mattsmith5's user avatar
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1 answer
124 views

What is the difference between 강사 and 선생님

What is the difference between 강사 and 선생님 ? They both mean teacher, trying to understand difference.
mattsmith5's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
71 views

What is Difference between 못 vs 수 없어요?

What is Difference between 못 vs 수 없어요 ? I am reading both mean Cannot do something.
mattsmith5's user avatar
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1 answer
46 views

What is the base form for 되세요?

What is the base form for 되세요 Example Hello Formal: 이름이 어떻게 되세요 ?
mattsmith5's user avatar
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1 answer
68 views

Difference between 반 and 수업?

What is the difference between 반 and 수업 ? Do they both mean class?
mattsmith5's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
142 views

How to say "Goodbye forever"

How do you say , "goodbye forever" to someone? In sort of TV playful dramatic tone? Example: You're boyfriend/girlfriend is leaving the country, or someone you won't see ever again. Is it ...
mattsmith5's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
54 views

Moving Story Ending: 결말 or 엔딩

When referring to the "End of a movie or story", should I use 결말 or 엔딩 . I can't telling using Papago or Google translate. Also, how to refer to Beginning of Movie? Is it 시작?
mattsmith5's user avatar
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89 views

Difference between Seat: 자리 and 좌석?

What is the difference between 자리 and 좌석 ? They both mean seat in Korean dictionary. Are they used in different contexts?
mattsmith5's user avatar
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Installed Korean fonts in Apple Font Book all have "동" where in English we would have "Aa"—why?

Installed Korean fonts in Apple Font Book all have "동" where in English we would have "Aa"—why? And is the meaning here "east" or something else?
shainanigans's user avatar
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2 answers
47 views

Korean Sports: More commonly used Synonyms

In researching commonly used sports terms. What is more commonly used for "Boxing" in Korea? 권투 or 복싱? My teacher says 복싱 is used more these days. 권투 is more traditional. How about ...
mattsmith5's user avatar
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1 answer
93 views

Meaning 열심히 and where does it come from?

"열심히 공부하다" is a common phrase which means "study hard". What does 열심히 come from: 열심하다 ? What 열심히 conjugation and formality is this? Present informal?
mattsmith5's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
96 views

What is the male equivalent of 사모님?

When talking about the wife of your male teacher/boss/customer/etc, to show respect you would use the word 사모님. What is the male equivalent of this word? If you are respectfully trying to talk about ...
user17915's user avatar
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164 views

How to Say "Garden" in Korean, and root meanings?

How do I Say "Garden" in Korean? Is it 정원? Sometimes google translate can be wrong, and does not use commonly used words. 정원 Also, does Garden derive from "정" meaning love/...
mattsmith5's user avatar
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2 answers
81 views

meaning of (noun?)조차

I was watching a youtube video earlier and I found two of these "조차" particles come up in the video: 모든 인간관계의 문제, 모든 범죄조차도 저는 그 통제권을 가지려는 욕망에서 온다고 생각 하거든요. 그리고 보통 이런 사람은 본인조차도 통제하지 못하고 있을 ...
greentea's user avatar
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1 answer
82 views

Why isn't 푸릉 a word?

In 순우리말, the basic color terms are 하양(white), 검정(black), 빨강(red), 노랑(yellow), and 파랑(blue). (There is also 보라(purple), but this word has Mongolian origins.) This seems to violate the results of Berlin ...
Dannyu NDos's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
100 views

Terminology confusion: Basic vowels, complex vowels, etc

I've been taught that this is true about Korean: 10 basic vowels (기본모음): ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅣ 11 complex vowels (복합모음): ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅒ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅟ, ㅢ 14 basic consonants (기본자음) : ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ...
Chas Warren's user avatar
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What does 경 mean for sight seeing and scenery?

What does 경 mean? Is there a root meaning? 경치 - scenery, view 구경하다 - to go sightseeing Also, is there a meaning for 구 in verb (to go sightseeing) ?
mattsmith5's user avatar
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1 answer
107 views

Difference between 때 and 시간

What is the the difference between 때 and 시간 ? I read they both mean time, trying to understand.
mattsmith5's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
140 views

meaning of 도록 in a specific sentence

« 내일 아침에는 일찍 일어나도록 노력해 볼게. » (« I’ll try to wake up early tomorrow morning. ») What does 도록 mean in this sentence ? I read somewhere it usually meant “so that” or “in order to”, but I don’t see how ...
Margaux's user avatar
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1 answer
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Korea root meanings: 작다 - small 적다 - to be few

Is there a relationship between these two words (since they sound similar)? I always try to look at roots , meanings, and suffixes, like I do in other languages. Or is this just a coincidence ? 작다 - ...
mattsmith5's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
116 views

Korean causative verbs vs. English causative verbs

Kind of a weird question, but please bear with me. I want to know whether Korean and English behave similarly with respect to how causative verbs are formed. In English there are two types of ...
Deep_Television's user avatar
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1 answer
256 views

Korean He/She pronouns used

Does Korea have third person pronouns for he/she? I read them in the dictionary, but someone mentioned they aren't really used. He/she pronouns are mostly used in books, but not conversations. Is this ...
mattsmith5's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
287 views

Can 오합지졸 describe the Halloween Crowd in Itaewon, South Korea?

오합지졸 - 까마귀 烏, 합합 合, 같지 之, 군사 卒 - 아무 규율도 통일도 없이 몰려다니는 무리 - A crowd that rushes around without any discipline or unity Can the crowd from the 2022 Halloween tragedy in Itaewon be said to be an oh-...
제이 죤스톤's user avatar
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1 answer
133 views

What is the verb base for 지냈어요?

What is the verb base for the word 지냈어요 ? And what is the definition? This is seen a lot in "How are you?" phrase. 잘 지냈어요? I want to understand the verb base.
mattsmith5's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
458 views

Korea Counter for Pages and Chapters in a book

Is there a Number Counter for pages? I don't see it. I see one for Books, but not for Pages in a book. Also, is there a counter for Chapter in a book? I want to refer to Chapter 5, Page 72 when ...
mattsmith5's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
188 views

거래처 possible meanings

I have a question about possible meanings of 거래처. In my textbook, it's defined as "client", but from the example sentence below, it seems like it can refer to a place as well. 빨리 갑시다. 거래처에서 ...
Timmy Xie's user avatar
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1 answer
110 views

Meaning of 앞으로 남고 뒤로 밑지다

'앞으로 벌고 뒤로 손해본다'라고도 표현되는 것 같던데 현재 값어치/현금 유동성과 관련된 말인 것 같습니다만 정확히 어떤 의미로 쓰이는지 해석 부탁드립니다. 감사합니다. It seems to have something to do with the time value of money, but I can't wrap my head around it. Will ...
user13229973's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
146 views

Does Korean have short expressions like German's schadenfreude or Japanese Ikigai?

I'm looking to study Korean, and am interested in language in general, and was curious if Korean had any such short expressions that represents a larger feeling/story.
A O's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
327 views

Thank you for your Patience to a Teacher

I have a Korean teacher that is very nice and Patient with me especially, as I'm trying to learn. How do I say, "Thank you for your Patience" I read this, but this seems more like a ...
mattsmith5's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
68 views

How to say "Save yourselves!" in Korean?

What is a natural way to say "Save yourselves!" in Korean? Context: someone yelling this to his friends when danger is imminent, and they can leave everything and everyone behind.
parksonlee's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is the difference between 어때 and 어떻게?

I mostly understand the difference between them (what do you think about xx vs. how yy), but I’ve seen the sentence 그 여자에 대해 어떻게 생각해요? Does this mean that 어떻게 can also be used to say “what do you ...
Random Person's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
71 views

The native understanding of 이/그/저-러/렇-다

I’ve been very interested in figuring out how natives understand these words. How being by what way are they conceptually understood and used. That is to say, when reading—or saying—something like 그런데 ...
率龜_'s user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
183 views

What do these korean workplace titles mean?

I'm here to ask a question, what do 실장 and 팀장 mean in a company scale like celebrity agency? Thanks in advance
Queenbeez's user avatar
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1 answer
68 views

Korean word for "right" as opposed to "left" is 오른, which sounds similar to 옳은, the word for "right" as opposed to "wrong". Is this a coincidence?

If the word 오른 is related to 옳은, it mean that in the Korean language, these concepts are associated, like in English. But no association between these two concepts is found in Japanese or Chinese, ...
alicec's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
103 views

Korean prefix similar to "un-" in as in "unschooling."

The English prefix "un-" has an interesting, versatile use case. "Unschooling", for example, means education, but not in the way most people think of it: no teachers, grades, ...
Leftium's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
125 views

What does 어느 in 화창한 어느 아침 means?

I have googled to see what does 어느 mean and what I understand is that it is used to ask questions. I am confused what does it mean in the above sentence. Please also explain the sentence structure ...
coffee's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
82 views

Troubles with machine translation of a simple sentence

How come these three sentences have the same translation into English, yet they don't look very similar? 난 당신이 괜찮았으면 좋겠어. 나는 당신이 괜찮 으면 좋겠다. 괜찮으시길 바랍니다. Sorry, I'm not a Korean learner, I just want to ...
Anonymous's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
199 views

How to say "I work for" without implying "I work at"

My language buddy asked me what I did for a living, and I told her I was a company employee. Then she asked which company and I didn't know how to answer. For context, I work for a large hospital ...
Vera's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
120 views

what's the difference between 바래 and 좋겠어?

I asked someone to translate "I hope you understand" in Korean and i received two answers. 니가 이해하길 바래. and 니가 이해해줬으면 좋겠어. is there a difference in intensity of formality? or is it just ...
zzswers's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
341 views

쭈꾸미: meaning "octopus"?

I'm watching Hotel del Luna, episode 6, and in that there are several lines containing the above word, eg: 나는 쭈꾸미 먹으러 가려고 나온 거야. 그렇게 차려 입고 이 밤에 쭈꾸미를 먹으러 가자고요? 이건 내가 쭈꾸미 먹으러 갈 때 차려고 사둔 귀걸이야. In the ...
donnek's user avatar
  • 111
2 votes
1 answer
85 views

Good resources to study colloquial speech

I am have been studying for awhile and am trying to become more natural in my writing and speaking. After speaking and texting to a few native Korean speakers they have commented my style is very &...
Bella_Blue's user avatar
  • 180
4 votes
2 answers
106 views

How often is “서바나” used to refer to Spain?

Naver lists “서바나” as a translation of Spain. Is this used at all in modern Korean? Is it archaic or frowned upon compared to “스페인”?
2021kolpi's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
133 views

How does "주간" translate to "daytime?"

I thought 주간 means "week" or "weekly" (literally "span of one week"), but if you add an "에" or even just "야간" for context, it becomes "daytime.&...
Leftium's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
833 views

How is ...등 used in a sentence?

I've seen 등 inputted after listing something, and I think I understand what it means, but I can't find sentences showing what to write after that. How do I continue on the sentence after writing 등? It ...
starlly's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
406 views

What is the difference between 줄다 and 줄어들다?

I understand that 들다 can be added to some verbs to give emphasis of the direction of the verbs (ex: 날아들다 = fly into), but I got confused with the word 'decrease' (도시의 인구가 계속 줄어들고 있다) What exactly 들다 ...
Ariel Jonathan's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
332 views

Meaning of 쏙 in 마음에 쏙 들었다

I came across this word in a sentence like: 마음에 쏙 들었다 It means roughly "to like", however I can't find any meaning for 쏙 apart from some unrelated shrimp creature.
aaa90210's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
442 views

What are the differences between these 업소, 작업, 근무, 기업, 업체, 영업 and 사업

I understand 업소 as the place of the work, 근무 as office work, and 작업 as work that is related more to the physical work. The similarities between 기업, 업체, 영업 and 사업 confuses me Any example provided will ...
Ariel Jonathan's user avatar

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