10
votes
Accepted
How can I ask someone to repeat a statement in Korean?
"네?" is a semi-formal and probably the simplest way. If you talk to friends, you can simply say "응?". If you talk to someone really close to you, you can also say "뭐?"
- 1,668
9
votes
Accepted
How should I use the pronoun 당신?
In general, "당신" is a honorific expression indicating the listener, but the listener may be not close to the speaker.
당신의 이름이 무엇인지 알고 싶습니다.
당신을 기억하고 있겠습니다.
However, "당신" can be a ...
- 1,072
7
votes
Accepted
Addressing someone on the street you have never met and who is of ambiguous age
For strangers being approached in real life, 반말 is never an option. 존댓말 is obligatory, and is mostly 해요체 - informal (as this isn't a business meeting) but polite.
However, whether you need ...
- 2,533
5
votes
What's the honorific to represent a female's older sister?
There seems to be no honorific expression of 언니.
{언니}는 여성끼리의 호칭어다. 앞서 확인한 다른 호칭어와 같이 친족 집단에서 사용되며 비 친족 집단에서 [친밀]의 공유를 중심으로 사용되는 공통점을 가진다. 하지만 다른 어휘소가 {형님}, {오라버니}, {누님}같은 확장 어휘소를 가지는 것과 달리 {언니}는 ...
- 1,072
4
votes
How can I ask someone to repeat a statement in Korean?
You don't necessarily need to ask directly. For example:
(죄송합니다,) (잘) 못 들었어요. ((Sorry,) I didn't hear what you said.)
There is no explicit request, but they will understand that you want to listen ...
- 1,072
3
votes
What's the meaning and appropriate usage of 잘 부탁드립니다?
It is spoken in reference to any relationship expected to last for some time, in which you, the speaker, will be dependent (however tenuously) on the kind disposition of the other, i.e. the addressee.
...
- 1,337
3
votes
Accepted
Is there a difference between -뜹니다 and -씁니다?
i'm a korean.
-뜹니다. is not formal expression.
If someone want to show cuteness, the word goes like that.
like 'ㅃ', 'ㄸ', 'ㅉ' pronunciation, These consonant sound 'cute' to korean.
So they use these ...
- 56
3
votes
교수님 성함께서는 vs 교수님 성함은
When you say 우리 교수님 성함, you're omitting the possessive particle 의. (Which is totally fine, by the way.) Therefore, the topic particle should follow the actual subject - 성함 - not its possessive entity. ...
- 521
3
votes
What is a polite term of address to use for a friend's mother?
아주머니 is the best word for this. 아줌마 is informal and sounds a little immature.
- 7,536
3
votes
Accepted
If you accidentally use an inappropriate level of politeness, what is the best way to 'recover'?
It would be unacceptable from a native Korean speaker, but from a foreigner, they'll understand. Honorifics are hard, and they know it's hard to learn.
In my opinion, you should just correct it right ...
- 178
2
votes
Accepted
Can 어떻게 돼요 be seen the polite way to say 뭐예요 ('what is it')?
As a general rule, just like in English, people think it's more polite if you can say the same sentence using more (meaningless) words.
For example, you can ask a person's name by
Could you tell me ...
- 1,149
2
votes
Is it grammatically correct to add 요 to everything?
No, you can't add it to everything. For example you can't add it certain (for lack of a better word) 'standard' endings such as (스)ㅂ니다, (십)시오, (으)ㅂ시다, (어/아/여)라, (는)구나, 게, (이)오, and a few things like ...
- 1,257
2
votes
If you accidentally use an inappropriate level of politeness, what is the best way to 'recover'?
As a beginner and recently traved to Korea for an extended stay in order to get first hand experience, I can tell you most Koreans will not be offended if you overall, respect them with your choice of ...
- 321
2
votes
If you accidentally use an inappropriate level of politeness, what is the best way to 'recover'?
"몇 살이에요?" is not as offensive as "어디가?" "밥 만들어줄까?" As others pointed out, you can get away with your mistakes because you are a foreigner. If you were a Korean, you would be fired because it's simply ...
- 164
2
votes
What does this North Korean woman mean by joking about "ear wax" when they are about to eat?
Welcome!
The food you are referring to seems to be 편육, which really is a ham made from pig's head. It is quite popular in South Korea, and from the video I presume that it also is in the North as ...
- 610
2
votes
Addressing someone on the street you have never met and who is of ambiguous age
The problem is difficult for me, too. I add more on Michaelyus's
answer (When I was twenties, I use 저기요 but nowadays I use
avoiding personal pronouns)
As I observe Koreans (who knows Korean culture ...
- 3,049
2
votes
Addressing someone on the street you have never met and who is of ambiguous age
Interrupt a stranger for the purpose of further communication by saying:
실례합니다 (shee-lay hamneeda)
A frequently heard substitution to this is:
죄송합니다 (chay-sohng hamneeda)
However, according to ...
- 3,283
2
votes
Is 옥체 used to refer to people's body?
There's a fine line between "polite" and "too polite." In modern Korean, terms like 옥체 is pretty much confined to historical dramas, as Korea no longer has a king. I'd argue that ...
- 7,452
1
vote
Is 옥체 used to refer to people's body?
Naver's online dictionary lists a collection of the definitions of this word from various other dictionaries (표준국어대사전, 고려대한국어대사전, 우리말샘)
https://ko.dict.naver.com/#/entry/koko/...
- 2,954
1
vote
Would this make sense in a religious context?
If you're praying on your own, it is probably the most private setting one can think of, and there is really no rule or convention for such very private things. If you're praying with other people, ...
- 2,692
1
vote
Accepted
갖다 vs 가지다: much like 해 instead of 하?
Commenting on what you said, a verb's present tense form is always different from the infinitive form (base form). 알다 is only the base form, and 안다 is the present tense -다 form (ㄹ-irregular ...
- 2,692
1
vote
What's the meaning and appropriate usage of 잘 부탁드립니다?
The expression can be used in informal situations too. For example, when you ask a favor to someone, you can say "잘 부탁해요" to wish them to take good care of the favor.
Generally, it means "please take ...
- 7,536
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