한국어 - WEEK 12 Korean 1 (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies)

The book I am using is 한국어1 which is the Korean for Foreigners course book of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. The book has 35 chapters. Target end date is February 18, 2012.

월요일: Chapter Twenty Four  – 부산이 어디에 있어요?

Koreans use the particle ~에 and attach it to the end of a time related word or anything to mean “per”. Per month is 한달에, thrice a month would be한달에 3번 or literally “one month per, three times”. Per person is한사람에 while per room is한방에.

화요일: Chapter Twenty Five  – 부산에 가는표 있어요?

Remember how to turn verbs into noun modifiers by adding a final –n sound? Apparently they use such constructions a lot for verbs. For those occurring in the present, what’s added is ~는to the verb stem. For example, a Seoul-bound train could be referred to as a 서울에가는기차 which if translated literally would sound like a “Seoul going train”. You have to get used to this construction because they apparently use this a lot. So take note if you hear some –n endings, it might be an adjective derived from a verb!

수요일: Chapter Twenty Five  – 부산이 어디에 있어요?

In English we express reasons by stating the result, adding “because” and then linking it with the reason. In Korean it’s the opposite way, at least for this construction. The key word is 그래서 which means “so”. Koreans tend to state the reason first, add that term, and then finally add the result. I woke up late because I slept late in Korean would be 늦게잤어요. 그래서, 늦게 일어났어요 which is more like: I slept late, so I woke up late. Koreans use a special verb construction to get rid of the extra word so they just attach the ending ~서 to the stem of the first verb and then run in the two sentences together so that the earlier example would now look like: 늦게잤어서, 늦게 일어났어요. Congratulations, you just saved two syllables.

목요일: Chapter Twenty Six  – 어디에서 찍은 것이에요?

To emphasize something, Koreans add the ending ~네요 to the verb stem. What’s the use of this construction? Well, you just use it to arrest more attention than you should when you want to exaggerate or really focus on something. 저는 필리핀사람이에요 is a simple I am Filipino. 저는 필리핀사람이네요, on the other hand would be like saying: I’m Filipino, you know!

금요일: Chapter Twenty Six  – 어디에서 찍은 것이에요?

Remember how to turn verbs into noun modifiers by adding a final –n sound? Apparently they use such constructions a lot for verbs. The one we learned previously is for things that happened in the present. For those occurring in the past , what’s added is ~(으)ㄴ. Let’s take the Seoul-bound train as an example again. It was a Seoul-bound train (as opposed to it is) would be written as서울에간기차예요.

For next week I would be covering lesson twenty seven, twenty eight, and half of lesson twenty nine. We can do this, guys! AJA! The goal is to pass the lowest level of TOPIK in April 2012! =)