Month: October 2008

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Something Good or Liked with 좋아요

It’s good to be back blogging, it’s been a while since I last posted.  This verb is something that I learned first even before I studied about 한국어 (Hangug-o) and 한글 (Hangeul) further.  I like this word because its about expressing one’s appreciation of something that is good or something that is liked.

The word is 좋아 (choh.a) it is a descriptive verb which means ‘good or fine’ as such this verb takes a subject.  The subject of the sentence is usually marked with particles -이/-가 (-i/-ga) or -은/는 (-eun/-nun) there are previous posting about this particle.  There can only be one noun involved as subject of this verb.  Example:

  • 이것이 좋아요 (I koti choh.ayo) or ‘This is good’ when translated in English.
  • 그 사람이 좋아요 (Ku sarami choh.ayo) or That person is good

When it is used in this form 좋아해요 (choh.ahaeyo) it becomes a processive verb and can now take direct objects marked with particle -을/-를 (-eul/-reul).  There is likewise an earlier posting about this particle. In this form this verb means to like an <object>. Example:

  • 이것을 좋아해요 (I koteul choh.ahaeyo) or ‘This is liked’ if transferred literally but it can also mean ‘I like this’ since subject of sentence is usually dropped in Korean sentences. 
  • 그 사람을 좋아해요 (Ku sarameul choh.ahaeyo) or ‘That person is liked’ but can also mean I like that person.

So if you can be bold (that was a strong word hmm maybe strong?) enough to say you like someone, you can simply say 너를 좋아해요 (Noreul choh.ahaeyo) or you can actually drop 너를  and just look straight to the eyes of the person that you like 🙂

한국어를 너무 좋해요! (Hangugeoreul neomu chohahaeyo!) I like the Korean Language so much.

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I Miss You in Korean

Aside from Happy Birthday and I Love You, perhaps the next most requested translation from English to Korean is the phrase ‘I Miss You’.

The most common way to express this is 너를 보고 싶어요 (Noreul bogo shipoyo) literally translated as I want to see you but it does mean I miss you.  One can also say 너를 그리워요 (Noreul kuriwoyo) which translates directly to I miss you.

You can replace 너를 (Noreul which means you) with the name of the person that you miss.

Missing someone? Go tell the person you miss him/her in Korean =)

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Verb Ending -(으)ㄹ래요

I am introduced to a new verb ending today which is -(으)ㄹ래요 or [eu/l-raeyo].  This verb ending means any of the following expression:

  • I wanna <verb>
  • feel like <verbing>
  • I’d prefer to <verb>

Attached to base of verb with final consonant is -을래요 (eulraeyo) and for based of verb with final vowel -ㄹ래요(lraeyo).  Example woul be:

  • 나는 서울에 갈래요 (Naneun Seoure kalraeyo; this means I wanna go to Seoul)
  • 나는 비빔밥을 먹을래요 (Naneun bibimbapeul mokeulraeyo; this means I want to eat bibimbap)

This verb ending is preferred when asking question rather than -고 싶어 which forces the answer to be yes or no.  It likewise serve as gentle suggestion.  Please also note that this verb ending is attached to the unextended ‘l’ verb such as 살래요 (salraeyo) which can either mean want to buy or want to live.  In such cases the meaning of the verb can be derived based on context.

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Another Generalizer 아무 (amu)

This post helps increase vocabulary.  The two syllable 아무 (amu) is a generalizer that means ‘any’ so this can be usually found in front of a noun. It can also mean any old [noun] = 아무[noun].

  • 아무 나 (amuna) anybody, anyone
  • 아무 것이나 – anything
  • 아무 데나 – any place
  • 아무 데서나 – from any place
  • 아무 때나 – anytime

You will constantly hear this two syllables in Korean conversation and even on songs.

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Tentative Questions in Future Form (으)ㄹ까 해요

Previously, i have learned the use of the verb ending -(으)ㄹ까요.  This post is about its cousin in the form ㄹ까 해요 [(eu)lkka haeyo].  This verb ending involving 까 means thinking of doing thus-and-so.  See example below:

  • Question – 요즘 피곤해요? (Yojeum pigonhaeyo?  – Are you tired lately?)
  • Answer – 네, 시골에 좀 쉬러 갈까 해요 (Ne, shigore chom swiro kalkka haeyo. – Yes, I am thinking of going to the countryside for a rest)

해 (hae) being versitile can mean ‘does’ and sometimes as an auxilliary verb ‘is’ can also mean thinks.  See examples below:

  • 세 시쯤에 먹을까 해요 – (Se shijjeume meokeulkka haeyo) I am thinking of eating at around three o’clock.
  • 서울에 갈까 해요 – (Seoure kalkka haeyo) I am thinking of going to Seoul.
  • 테니스를 칠까 해요 – (Tennisreul chilkka haeyo) I am thinking of playing tennis.

This way (으)ㄹ까 해요 can be regarded as the equivalent of I’m thinking or shall I {verb}.

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Suggestions and Tentative Questions (으)ㄹ 까(요)

Today, I have learned a new verb ending which is  (으)ㄹ 까 (요).  This two shaped verb ending is attached to base verb in this manner:

  • -ㄹ까(요): -lkka(yo) attached to verb ending in vowel, i.e 갈까요 (가 – ga for go), 슬까요 (스-su for write)
  • 을까(요): -eulka(yo) attached to verb ending in consonant, i.e 먹을까요 (먹 – mok for eat), 읽을까요 (읽 – ilk for read)

This verb ending is consist of prospective modifier in the form of -(으)ㄹ and post modifier 까 which means it is a question of [verb].  So using the example above 갈까요 (Kalkkayo) this would mean ‘shall well go?’  and 슬까요 (seulkkayo) would then mean ‘shall we write?’

A tip is given on tricky verbs such as 구 (Gu which means to broil) and 더 (Deo which means hot) these verbs while they end in vowel instead of attaching -ㄹ까요, transformation is 구울까요 (Gu-ulkkayo) and 더울까요 (Deoulkkayo) respectively.  These verbs which are considered w-verb takes 울 prospective modifier.

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I Love You in Korean

This is one of the frequently asked question in Yahoo Answers, how do you say ‘I Love You’ in Korean’?  Well the most common way to say it is:

사랑해요 (Saranghaeyo) but intimately this can be simply said — 사랑해 (Saranghae). You may also hear it uttered this way 너를 사랑해 (Neoreul Saranghae) or 너를 사랑해요 (Neoreul Saranghaeyo).  Note that 너를 (neoreul) is added which is actually 너 (neo which means you) and the object particle 를 (reul) so the word you becomes the object of the verb Saranghae.  This is oftentimes dropped specially if you are talking directly to the person which makes ‘you’ obvious during conversation.

You may probably heard of 사랑합니다 (Saranghamnida) which is the formal version, well this is not commonly used during conversation.  As mentioned in previous post verb ending -ㅂ니다 is formal polite, the style that you use for formal conversation.  This however is widely used in some songs.

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1st Day – Formal School

After careful thinking and searching for a Korean Language School — I have enrolled my self in Korean Class 1 at the Univesity of the Philippines in Diliman.  This is my first day in a formal school to learn Korean and Hangul. 

I am just proud of what I have learned by myself.  The day 1 lesson is very basic and good thing I am done and over with it.  Its all about understanding the characters, vowel, consonants, some rules in writing and pronunciation. Exactly the same context in my Elementary Korean Book.  Looking at my recent entries, I have gone this far and decided to have formal schooling just now.  I don’t regret enrolling this late because it somehow gives me advantage to digest the lecture more than just worrying on understanding the characters. 

My fellow students were sighing and were really having a hard time with the characters and pronunciation.  I am truly looking forward with the succeeding lessons.  There are 4 courses and this is just 1 of the 4 so I am wondering if after completing the entire course — I can be just like my teacher who is not even a Korean but could fluently speak and write well in Korean.