Month: November 2008

Posted on

Typing Korean Characters in PC

Aside from blogging I am also an avid fan of Yahoo Answers.  These are the common questions being asked by those who are interested in typing Korean Characters known as 한글 (Hangeul sometimes romanized as Hangul) in their PC:

  • How do I enable display of Korean Characters on my screen?
  • How can I type Korean Characters from my PC?

I also did try a lot of foolish things before.  I downloaded a lot of Korean Fonts and they are never displayed properly on my screen and what is worst I don’t know what to type to display a certain character.  Anyway, if you are Microsoft Windows and Office XP user, Global IME is pre-installed in your computer. You just need to enable it doing the following simple steps (Note:  Please ensure you have your Operating System – OS installation disc with you) : 

  • Open the Control Panel of your computer then select ‘Regional and Language Options’. 
  • Go to ther Language Tab and select ‘Install East Asian Font’ tick box as seen below:

global-ime01

  • At this point, you will be asked to insert your Windows installation disk as your PC tries to decompress the file.  Locate the file from the CD (in most cases the files being asked are automatically located during the process –there are about 3 reference files needed from the installation disc)
  • Once this is done, you can then add Korean (and other East Asian Language such as Mandarin and Japanese) as one of the languages you can input with using your computer, see screen shot below:

global-ime02

  • The language bar will then be installed in your windows task bar like the one shown below:

global-ime03

  • To select Korean Input Method click on EN then select KO (Korean) to allow typing in 한글, notice that the windows task bar changes from EN to KO.  You can switch from alphabet to 한글 keyboard by just pressing ‘alt’ key.

global-ime04

  • The Global IME works from almost all application that allows you type in text, but there are also exceptions.  Samsung PCs are normally marked with Korean Characters in the keyboard, incase you are using another type (just like my laptop) here is a guide on the 한글 characters in your keyboard (you just have to memorize it unless you want to mark your keyboard with it):

korean-keyboard

  • If its hard for you to memorize the keyboard and do not wish to put any markings on it, you can draw the characters using the IME Writing Pad, just select it from your language bar.  The writing pad is guided, as you know, Korean writes in block formation.   The maximum number of characters that can be inputed is 4, panel from the right will suggest the block of characters, select from the suggestion on which block to use and it will automatically reflect on your document.  When using the writing pad be sure you are familiar with the correct strokes in writing 한글 as it plays an important role in character block recognition otherwise you might be wondering why the block that you just draw is not available from the panel.

global-ime05

If you are using Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows 95, or Windows NT 4.0 and not running Office XP then you have to download the Global IME file 5.02 to enable East Asian Font in your PC.  Check out the Microsoft site.  The Global IME is pre-installed only for Windows and Office XP user.

Advertisement
Posted on

Honorific Subject Marker 께서(는)

The honorific style is just one of the complications in learning Korean (한국어).  I had several posts on this style which includes the honorific verbs and nouns.  Despite knowing the existence of this style, I am still surprised to know that particles do have honorifics too. 

The particle 께서 is used to mark an esteemed person as a subject. This means that it is equivalent to the function of an earlier particle that I have posted, the subject particle 이/가.   Example:  선생님께서 가셨어요 (Sonsaengnimkkeso kasyeosseoyo – The esteemed teacher left).

This particle is used only for persons. It can be used alone or followed by topic particle (는). As such, you may encounter statements like: 어머니께서는 무엇을 하세요? (Eomeonikkesoneun mueoseul haseyo? – What does you mother do?)  Removing the topic particle 는  renders the statement to have the same correct meaning.

As I have always been writing about particles, it is pronounced without pause along with the noun to which it is attached.

Posted on

15000 Clicks and More…

I couldn’t remember the exact day that I put up this blogsite, I was just blogging on what I learned from doing self study of the Korean Language. I know this figure is relatively small compared to a lot of blog site out there, but hitting it 15,000 and receiving comments and lots of thank you’s inpires me to go on.

Please keep it up with me. 너무 고마워요!

Posted on

Practical Tips on Learning Korean

I am writing some of my recommended activities in learning Korean.  This is based on my experience as Korean Language entusiast.  To learn this language really needs passion, so I just couldn’t imagine how challenging it is for someone who needs to learn Korean because it is simply required in their profession or job.

There are 4 things worth considering which I find helpful in my day to day learning of Korean.

  • Learn how to read Hangul.  If you really intend to understand the language you need to study their writing system and pronunciation rules using Hangul.  Romanization will not help you speed your fluency.  You will only be troubled by the way characters are translalated from Hangul to alphabet as there are different ways to romanize Hangul.  I remember in my earlier days of learning, i had language exchange partners who i wrote emails with in romanized Korean and they are so confused on what I mean.  Like the word 십팔 (shippal) which is actually eighteen, another word sounding like this means vulgar.  The word 씨발 (sshipal) means fu*k.  Although they are romanized differently since there is no single standard in romanization,  one should be cautious in using this word the romanized way.
  • Buy a book that explains the Korean language structure and use.  Instead of buying phrase book, get to know how sentence are formed.  How words are structured for conversational use.  I remember buying every phrase book that I saw from the bookstore simply because there are pointers from one book which is not discussed on the other book.  I ended up having 5 phrase book and it contains almost the same thing except for a portion or section.  Each of the book tells me how to say 안녕하세요, 반갑습니다 etc.  At the end of the day you will only memorize these words and never really know how each word is used.  You might end up wondering why nouns or verbs have different pronunciation (and later discover that there is such thing as particles or post-positioning in Korean). I suggest you invest on a book that explains the language the linguistics approach.  I am very much happy with my Elementary Korean Book.  I learned a lot from it.
  • Invest on a good English-Korean Dictionary.  Make sure you buy the one that has Hangul characters on it and not a pure romanized Korean-English dictionary.  If you are confused on word, search on my posting about dictionary entry =)
  • Watch Korean movies and listen to Korean songs. Reading the book may trouble you with the pronunciation so you can validate sounds when you listen to native speaker speacilly on the characters that become glutha rest or with dual sound (ㄹ-l/r; ㄱ-g/k).  There are likewise nuisance in the pronunciation of Korean words so this will help you.  Listening to music will also help you practice Korean translation. It likewise help you validate what you have learned on you own. 

I know it sometimes becomes a bore but you just have to be patient.  Try to read something in Korean a day may it be a lesson from a book, a post in the internet, etc. and if it seems to be tiring get hold of your dictionaty and learn at least 2 to 3 new words… this way you learn slowly but surely.  Happy Learning.

Posted on

Verb: Sequential Form (으) 니까

This suffix when attached to a regular base or past base form of the verb denotes sequence like the way English uses ‘since’ and ‘as’ to connect two clauses.  It denotes close sequence of action.   This is how it is formed:

Since or as

 Base Past Base Probable Future*
하나까hanikka

does

 했으니까haesunikka

did

 할 거니까hal konikka

will do
먹으니까Meokeunikka

Eat

 먹었으니까meokeosseunikka

ate

 먹을 거니까moekeul konikka

will eat

* i have not posted on this verb form yet.

Verb in sequential form is often used as first clause with the second clause as suggestion. Here is an example:

제인이 만찬에 먹었으니까 지금 맥주를 마십시다 (Jeini manchane meokeoseunikka chikeum maekjureul mashipshida) – Since Jane ate dinner let’s now drink beer.

Another use of this verb form is to express something that happened in the past.  The first clause normally pertains to the speaker ‘I’ and then the second clause can be something (a resulting action) or an action of someone else. Example:

한국어를 공부하니까, 너무 재미 있어요 (Hangugeo kongbuhanikka, nomu chaemi issoyo). – Now that I study Korean, it’s a lot of fun.

Posted on

Pointing Object or Subject

This is something that I learned in Korean 1 at the University that I am currently enrolled with.  How to express location.

  • 이 (i) mean this, used when pointing objects near the speaker
  • 그 (ku), means that, used when pointing objects far from the speaker
  • 저 (cho), means that over there, used when pointing objects that is a bit far from both the speaker and the listener.

This is normally used followed by a noun. So using the word 사람 (saram) which means person:

  • 이 사람이 제 친구입니다 or 친구예요 (I sarami che chinguimnida/I saram.i che chinguyeyo) – This person is my friend
  • 그 사람이 제 친구입니다 or 친구예요 (Ku sarami che chinguimnida/ Ku sarami che chinguyeyo) – That person  is my friend.
  • 저 사람이 제 친구입니다 or 친구예요 (Cho sarami che chinguimnida/ Cho sarami che chinguyeyo) – That person overthere is my friend.

In red is the subject particle added to the word 사람 it is pronounced as saramee (‘i’ sounds like east).  This is used to mark subject in a sentence 가 (ka) if the subject ends in vowel. See previous post about subject particle.

Posted on

Honorific Nouns

On my earlier days of studying Korean, i have been introduced to some words that are called honorific.  These are words that are used when talking to someone with high social status, government official, foreign guest, teachers etc.

When honorific words are used the polite (-요) or formal (-ㅂ니다/습니다) style of speech. Many of the honorific words I learned before are actually verb such as 주무시 (chumushi) instead or 자 (ja) for the word sleep or 드시 (dushi) instead of 먹다 (mokta) for the verb eat.   Apart from these verbs, there are noun that are considered honorific.  Here are some of the examples:

Regular Noun

Honorific Noun

English Meaning
집 (jip) 댁 (daek) House
나이 (nai) 연세 (yeonse) Age
사람 (saram) 분 (bun) Person
밥 (bap) 진지 (chinji) Rice
아이 (ai) 자 녀분 (cha nyeobun) Children
자 제분 (cha chebun)

These are the nouns preferred when talking to an esteemed person.

Posted on

Terms for Kinship and Relations

I added a new page on this site found on the right side.  Its the Kinship Terms or how to address family members or related person.  Just like how Korean uses different styles in communicating (formal, formal-polite and intimate), addressing people may also varies depending on the gender of the person related.  There are also honorifics used for esteemed person (person of higher social status).

I know a lot of Korean movie and drama fanatics are used to hearing 오빠 (oppa), 누나 (nuna) or 언니 (eonni).  Thesea re just some of the terms used to denote relationship which at times are not limited to blood relations.  오빠 can be used by a younger girl to call her boyfriend or old friend who is a guy.  Same goes with 누나, this is not limited to an older sister to a younger brother but can be used to address older girls close to a guy.

To know more about this, check out the page on Kinship Terms.