Category: Phrases

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Ways to Say: Concerning, About

There are two ways to express what in English means about, with respect to, concerning etc.  This is through the use of the following postpositional phrase:

  • -에 대해서  (-e daehaeseo)
  • -에 관해서 (-e gwanhaeseo)

Of these two, the second one tends to mean more formal or bookish.  I just realized that my other site about my favorite Korean artist is actually using this postpositional phrase  in the tag line 왭사이트 휘성에 관한  at (http://wheesung.wordpress.com).   I wrote this tagline over a year ago using my dictionary and some early learnings on particles.

Here are some other examples:

  • 어빠는 자동차에  대해서 많이 알고 있어요.  (Oppaneun chadongcha daehaeseo manhi alko isseoyo.)  My brothers knows a lot about cars.
  • 필리핀사람들은 언제나 정부에 관해서 이야기를 해요.  (Pilipinsaramdeuleun onjena jeongbue gwanhaseo iyagi haeyo.)  The Filipinos always talk about the government.
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Saying I’m Glad That… or Good Thing That…

The combination of verb ending in -서 followed by 좋아요 renders the meaning  [so and so happens] so it is good.  In English this commonly expressed as I am glad that… or It is a good thing that…

This expression is often used in English conversation especially when an event happened which turns out to your favor.  Below are some expressions that make use of this combination:

  • 어머니가 오셔서 좋아요.  (Eomoniga osyeoseo chuayo.) I’m glad that mother came.
  • 새 가방을 사서 좋아요.  (Sae kabangeul saseo chuayo.) I’m glad I bought a new bag.
  • 선생님 더라와서 좋아요.  (Seonsaengnim deorawaseo chuayo.) It’s a good thing that Seonsaengnim came back.

당신이 이 것을 읽어서 좋아요 ^^

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Taking a Ride or Getting on a Vehicle

Yesterday i posted about the verb 가 (ka) and 와 (wa) which means go and come respectively.   Now this post is a simple follow through to this line of thought. 

When you travel, taking a ride or getting on  a vehicle the verb to remember is 태요.  It means to ride or gets on <vehicle>.  This verb takes a direct object marked by particles 을/를 (eul/reul). So, 기차를 태요 (Kichareul taeyo) means gets on a train or ride on a train.

A simple format can be made to structure sentence using this verb along with 가 and 와, see below:

[destination] vehicle을/를 타고 [destination] 가/와요.

This means that destination can either be place before the vehicle or after the verb form 타고. Vehicle should be marked with object particle 을 or 를.  The verb ending can either be 가 or 와.

학교에 바스를 타고 가요. (Hakyoe basureul tago kayo) would mean the same as 바스를 타고  학교에 가요 (Basureul tago hakyoe kayo).  That is,  I go to school by bus. 가 can be replaced by 와요 (wayo) to mean Come to school by bus. 

The same verb 타고  can be attached to a negated 가 or 와  like this:  택시를 타고 오지/가지 않아요 (Taekshireul tago  waji/kaji anayo).  This would mean ‘does not come/go by taxi’.

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Expression: Going (가) and Coming (와) and Particle 로

The verb 가 (ka) and 와 (wa – infinitive form) are just two of the most commonly used verbs.  가 means go while 와 means come.  This post is a tip on how the particle 로 (ro) works perfectly with this two verbs.  As discussed in previous post 로 is a particle attached to noun which creates the meaning via, through or by means of the nound to which it is attached.

Vehicle+로 then destination and the verb does the trick.  Here are examples:

  • 기차로 학교에 가요  (Kicharo hakyoe kayo) Goes to school by train
  • 기차로 학교에 와요  (Kicharo hakyoe wayo) Comes to school by train
  • 바스로 가요 (Basuro kayo) Goes by bus
  • 택시로 왔어요 (Taekshiro wasseoyo) Came by taxi

내가 자동차로 사무실용 건물에 가요  (Naega chadongcharo samushilyong keonmure kayo).  I go to the office by car.

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Merry Christmas

I feel so guilty not being able to update these past days… December is such a busy month in the Philippines.  It’s usual to attend to series of Christmas parties.

Since its going to be Christmas in a little while then let me say:

성탄절 잘 보내요! (Seongtancheol jal bonaeyo) literally means spend a good christmas but this is the common greeting during Christmas.

It’s also okay to say 성탄절 행복해요! (Seongtancheol haengbokhaeyo) now this means Happy Christmas. But saying Merry Christmas in Korean is of course acceptable too.  This is how it is written in Hangul 메리 크리스마스.

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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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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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Wrap up of Particles: Ways to Say ‘Together With’

This lesson of the book ‘Elementary Korean’  thought me how to say together with in different ways using some of the past particles that I have learned.  These words mean together 함께 (hamkke) and 같이 (kati) although the latter could also mean like. 

Before this, I have learned that 이랑/랑 (irang/rang), 하고 (hago) and 과/와 (gwa/wa) have the same use as particles. It means with although 하고 could also mean ‘and’.  Since these are particles, when are added in a noun, it forms part of the word as if one (single word).  Again as mentioned in my previous post, particles are pronounced without a pause when combined with another word.

For today, I have learened the various ways to say together with.  For the phrase ‘together with a friend’ below are the ways to say this:

  • 친구랑 함께  (chingurang hamkke)
  • 친구하고 함께 (chinguhago hamkke)
  • 친구과 함께 (chingugwa hamkke)
  • 친구랑 같이 (chingurang kati)
  • 친구하고 같이 (chinguhago kati)
  • 친구과 같이 (chingugwa kati)

So looking at it, these phrases actually have the same formula noun+particle for ‘with’ then hamkke or kati. 

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Hangul for Real

I was in Seoul for five days and it was a fascinating experience to personally hear Koreans speak and try out my little skills.  Being able to read Hangul is an advantage at least, so having that pocket dictionary will at least help you in case you can’t speak the language. 

Some of the most helpful greetings I have used are:

  • 안녕하세요 – annyeonghaseyo, which is an overly used phrase equivalent to good morning, good evening, hi or hello
  • 감사합니다 – kamsahamnida, to say thank you and i have also used 고마와요 (komawayo) after being served when we dined in.
  • 괜찮아 / 괜찮아요 (gwaenchana/gwaenchanayo) is very handy to say its okay, no problem or are you okay? (just change the intonation). 

Honestly I am not confident to speak the language but there are times that I am forced, instead of just doing some sign language. It really helps to know the basics:

  • 예/어니오 (ye/aniyo) which mean yes and no respectively are very basic as a reply to simple questions.  
  • ~ 즈세요 (~juseyo) the polite ending which means please give me.  This has been very useful when asking for something specially on traditional Korean restaurant where people don’t speak English at all.  I remember ordering rice and requesting for water using this phrase and it goes like this:
    • 밥 즈세요 (Bap juseyo) – ordering rice.
    • 물 즈세요 (mull juseyo) – requesting for water.
  • 얼마나요?  (olmanayo) simple but polite way to ask ‘how much?’
  • ~이/에요 (i.eyo/eyo) noun plus this ending is proven to be very helpful its like asking or saying..’is this ~’.  I remember using this to ask if the building in front of us is what we are looking for. Orange Shock 이에요? (Is this Orange Shock?) 
  • ~ 좋아요 (chuayo) this verb ending could mean ‘to like’, and I had the guts to say to an 아즈씨 (ajusshi or polite way to address an old man) 휘성씨 좋아해요  (Wheesungsshi chuahaeyo). Got it 😉  Wheesung is the famous R&B singer in Korea who is under Orange Shock label.

It was fun roaming around Seoul Korea.  Having a first hand experience trying at least a part of these things that I kept on studying since last year was worth it.  Much more, saying the above phrase the Korean way is fun.  I love the intonation.  I need to be better in speaking the language when I go back. 한극말을 잘 하고싶어 (Hangukmareul jal hagoshipo) I wish to be good in Korean.