한국어 - WEEK 13 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 Seven – 여행을 갈거에요

Koreans use another verb construction to talk about plans by adding ~(으)려고하다 to the verb stem. This confuses me because we’ve already learned another verb construction for the “future”. I guess I will find out in the next few months as my studies progress as to which is more appropriate to use. For now, let’s “conjugate” 구경하다 which means to go sightseeing in these two forms: 구경할거에요 would mean I will go sightseeing while 구경하려고해요 would be I plan to go sightseeing. Honestly, I hear the first version more, or perhaps I just don’t recognize the second one that often. Honestly, the first construction is easier to memorize.

화요일: Chapter Twenty Seven  –여행을 갈거에요

This next one is kind of complicated. We’ve already learned how to modify verbs by adding some endings that make them act as noun modifiers. There are two different forms for past and present but they have the same consonant ending sound. What about the future? This time you end the verb with (으)ㄹ before placing the noun next to it. 읽을 책 means the book I will read. If translated literally this would sound a bit complicated to reproduce. It is counter intuitive specially if you are basing everything on English. The structures are just not the same.

수요일: Chapter Twenty Seven  –여행을 갈거에요

Add the suffix ~때 to any time period to mean “in/when”. During vacation would be 방학 때. At lunch time would be 점심때.

목요일: Chapter Twenty Eight  – 어디에서 찍은 것이에요?

Suggestions! In Korean they use the ending ~(으)ㄹ까요 to denote a suggestion, very much similar to the English “Shall we..?” Just attach the ending to the verb stem and there you have it, a suggestion! Are you hungry? Shall we eat? 밥을 먹을까요? You are suggesting something and the important thing to note is you are actually asking for the other person’s opinion! Shall we go to the house? 집에갈까요?

금요일: Chapter Twenty Eight  – 어디에서 찍은 것이에요?

We’ve already learned how to use ~하고 for enumeration. You could also use ~과/와 depending on the final sound of whatever that is you are mentioning. The book says that this alternative form is mainly used in books, and suggests using the other one for colloquial speech. To mean “together” you could add ~같이 right after any of those particles mentioned. 저하고 같이 가요? You want to go together?

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