Korean for Dummies (44 page)

(
ha-roo-ae ee-hwae;
twice daily), then you know to take it twice daily.

Getting Legal Help

Unless you’ve done something terribly wrong, the chances of you needing legal help in Korea will be pretty rare. Koreans are genuinely friendly and helpful towards
yeohaengja
(
yuh-hang-ja;
tourists) and
oegugin
(
wae-goo-gin;
foreigners). It is precisely because tourism is such a big industry in Korea.

However, if you do need a
byeonhosa
(
byuhn-ho-sa;
lawyer, legal council), you’re probably better off finding your
daesagwan
(
dae-sa-gwan;
embassy), or
yeongsagwan
(
young-sa-gwan;
consulate). They will be able to provide you with all the legal council you need.

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Fun & Games

Please identify following body parts in Korean. See Appendix C for answers.

1. Leg ______________________________________________________________

2. Hand _____________________________________________________________

3. Toes _____________________________________________________________

4. Eyes _____________________________________________________________

5. Ears ______________________________________________________________

6. Nose _____________________________________________________________

7. Mouth ___________________________________________________________

8. Head _____________________________________________________________

9. Chest _____________________________________________________________

10. Foot _____________________________________________________________

11. Fingers ___________________________________________________________

12. Back _____________________________________________________________

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In this part . . .

Take the time to check out this part because you can

look and sound more like a Korean with the lists I’ve

provided. You can discover ten ways to learn Korean

quickly, ten phrases to make you sound more Korean, ten

expressions that Koreans like to use, and ten things you

shouldn’t do in front of Koreans. Not only are these sections short, but they’re also easy to remember. So they

can be a big help to your understanding of Korean and

Korean culture.

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on Korean

In This Chapter

Using multimedia resources to learn Korean

Visiting Korean restaurants

Making Korean word lists

Whether you just started learning Korean, or can already speak a good

amount, you may want a few pointers on how to further improve your

Korean. In this chapter, I include ten tips on how you can do just that.

Find Koreans (or Other Korean

Speakers) Near You

People say that to live a good life, all you really need is to converse with good people, eat in the company of good people, and of course sleep with a clear conscience. So go out and make some good Korean friends to converse and eat with; even if your friends can’t help you much with the language, you still end up on the winning side. In general, though, Koreans are more than happy to explain parts of their culture and language to you. Some may even consider you one of theirs, meaning that they think you are as Korean as them, if you play the role of an entertaining peer, caring senior, and respectful junior.

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Use Korean Language Tapes, CDs, and

Other Multimedia Resources

When you learn Korean, immerse yourself in it, even when your friends aren’t around. Pop in an audio CD on your way to work, or look up a few Web

resources that you can download or listen to online. Be patient and go over them regularly and often. Although your progress may be a little sluggish at first, your efforts will pay off.

Visit Korean Restaurants and Bars

Getting people to open up and talk around strangers can be a little hard. But food and alcohol make people relax and open up a lot easier. The best place to learn about Korean customs is at a table, either over a meal or a drink. If you have trouble speaking in Korean, have a few shots of
soju
(
so-joo
; Korean rice wine), and you’ll be speaking, crying, and laughing in Korean by the end of the night. Just be careful to not speak too much Korean to inanimate objects — you may scare your new Korean friends away.

Sing Korean Songs

When you’re first learning a language, don’t forget how helpful listening to songs can be. Songs are easier to remember than lists of vocabulary and pages of sentences. Although a lot of people start off by listening to modern pop music, you may want to start off with children’s songs — they’re catchier and easier to remember. If you do decide to listen to contemporary Korean pop, be prepared to find yourself singing about unrequited love and heart-break in a very sappy way. But then again, if the people around you don’t speak Korean, they won’t know what you’re singing about. You can find a few selections of Korean songs at www.amazon.com, especially the songs they played in Korean dramas and movies. You may also find some Korean songs from www.youtube.com.

Watch Korean Movies

Over the past few years, Korean movies have enjoyed a renaissance. On aver-age, the quality of Korean movies has gone up, and several Korean films have received wide acclaim at international film competitions, such as the Cannes and Sundance film festivals. Korean movies cover a wide gamut of styles and 24_037188-ch17.qxp 6/24/08 11:16 PM Page 281

Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Get a Quick Handle on Korean

281

offer something for everyone: art house flicks, thrillers, shockers, tear jerk-ers, and comedies. You may want to stop by a video store in your neighborhood that specializes in foreign films, or order a DVD online. Again, you can buy Korean movies from www.amazon.com. Although their selection is not large, amazon.com carries some very popular Korean movies. However, you may also find Korean movies from www.youtube.com.

Watch Korean Drama

The addictiveness of Korean drama has been likened to that of hard drugs.

Korean dramas draw criticism with regard to unrealistic plots and repetitive story lines; every single one of them has to do with a love triangle of some sort. Even then, few people have the self-control to stop watching them. In fact, Korean drama has spread to the rest of Asia, and you can most likely talk about Korean dramas with your Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian friends. www.amazon.com carries very popular Korean dramas with translations in English subtitles, which will be very helpful. Otherwise you can go to the individual Korean TV channels and watch pay per view. Some Korean TV

channels are www.mbc.co.kr, www.sbs.co.kr, www.kbs.co.kr. From these,

I recommend www.mbc.co.kr since their Web site can be read in English as well as Korean by press of a button on the Web site. You may also find Korean dramas from www.youtube.com.

Surf the Net for Korean Web Sites

Look online for a wealth of information regarding Korea and Korean language.

Films, travel, language — the Internet has something for everyone. If you can read Korean script, you can make use of the excellent language materials offered by universities and colleges, and soon you may even be able to read bits and pieces of the Korean Web pages of your interest.

Look Up Words in a Korean Dictionary

Learning a language can be frustrating if you don’t know many words. Paper dictionaries are great when you have the time to thumb through pages and circle random words you want to know, but electronic dictionaries have a clear advantage in terms of speed and convenience. You can even find several dictionaries online. Try http://www.zkorean.com/dictionary.shtml.Their dictionary is pretty good. If you have the time, check out the Web site itself.

They have very useful information on learning Korean. Also try out

http://www.ectaco.co.kr/English-Korean-Dictionary.

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Make Korean Word and Phrase Lists

If you have trouble remembering words and phrases, use the information in this book to make lists of them. Then carry the lists around and look at them when you have an extra minute or two, or when you need them. Anticipate a particular activity for the day, and try writing down a few words or sentences at a time that you think you may need. For instance, write down sentences and words that have to do with types of clothing, sizes, and costs when you’re going shopping; and write a list of tastes and colors when you’re going out to eat. Then use the lists, or repeat the words to yourself when appropriate, regardless of where you are. Eventually, you should feel comfortable enough with the words to use them in front of Koreans.

Go to Korea!

Face it: No matter how many word lists you make or how diligently you surf the Net looking for online material, and no matter how hard you study or how much you try to imitate Korean, there’s no immersion like total immersion.

Buying a reasonably priced plane ticket to Korea and traveling for a short duration is possible. If you’re strapped for cash, try going to Korea on an English-teaching program. Companies will often pay for your room and board, but make sure to check that the company is reputable, and stay safe.

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In This Chapter

Being humble

Observing hierarchies

Paying attention to your public behavior

Acceptable public behaviors vary from country to country. For example, slurping your noodles and soup is considered rude in England, but you

can do it in Korea without any worries of appearing rude. And you may be used to wearing your shoes in other people’s houses where you live, but in Korea, it’s a big no-no.

Perhaps you’ve seen foreigners make an occasional cultural mistake in your own country, and you’ve tried hard to muffle your laughter. This chapter aims to save you from making the same mistakes when you visit Korea!

Bragging or Accepting Compliments

Nobody likes listening to bragging, even if the person is good at what he or she claims. But in Korean culture, it’s considered a virtue to go one step further and graciously decline any compliments. In Korea, self-deprecation is nearly an art form, and it’s a good idea to train yourself to express yourself in a humble manner when speaking in Korean.

You often hear Koreans say
animnida, animnida
(
a-nim-ni-da, a-nim-ni-da;
No, no, not at all) after compliments they receive, and sometimes even mildly put themselves down. You may see people prepare food for you and say things like
maseun eopjiman
(
ma-seun uhp-jee-man;
although it doesn’t taste good),
charingeon eopjiman
(
cha-rin-guhn uhp-jee-man;
although I haven’t prepared anything much), and
bujok hajiman
(
boo-jok ha-jee-man;
although it [the food I’ve prepared for you] has many shortcomings). And sometimes Koreans may 25_037188-ch18.qxp 6/24/08 11:16 PM Page 284

even actively bash themselves a little and say things like
yeongeoreul jal mot
hajiman [some word]
(
young-uh-reul jal mot ha-jee-man [some word];
I’m not that good at English, but [some word]) or
meoriga nappayo
(
muh-ree-ga nappayo;
I’m not that smart). So don’t worry if it seems like your friend or host has a self-esteem problem
;
it’s just a cultural thing.

Making Someone Lose Face in Public

Koreans occasionally take to bashing themselves a little in front of other people. They do so to be humble, but that doesn’t give you a right to bash them as well. Be careful that you don’t make your friend or, especially a superior, lose face in front of other people by putting him down mildly or contra-dicting him in front of others. This behavior not only hurts the feelings of the other person, but also makes you seem inconsiderate to everyone who wit-nesses the event. If you want to point out something wrong, wait until you can speak to the other person alone. As unfair as this may seem, like Brussels sprouts and chicken liver, Koreans believe it helps you build discipline and character.

Something that you may particularly want to be wary of is raising your voice or showing contempt to your parents and older siblings in front of other people. This goes against the social hierarchy that Koreans impose upon themselves (look at Chapter 3 for more on hierarchy) and, as a result, Koreans may lose a significant amount of respect that they had for you.