By: Aishah Arifin

Week 3:
This week, I delved into three chapters of my 'Talk To Me In Korean:
Level 1' textbook and did some corresponding written tasks in the
workbook. In Chapter 1, the focus was on the Korean expressions for
'hello', which is ‘ann-yeong-ha-se-yo’ (안녕하세요) and 'thank you', which
is translated as ‘kam-sa-ham-ni-da’ (감사합니다). I found it interesting
that 'annyeonghaseyo' serves as a versatile greeting, applicable for 'good
afternoon,' 'good evening,' and 'how are you.' Additionally, I learned about
the significance of honorifics in Korean, distinguishing between the
formal and polite 'jondaenmal’ (잔댓말) and the informal and casual
'banmal’ (반말). In South Korea, using the appropriate honorifics is
important, as improper usage can lead to unintended consequences.
Most Koreans would use ‘jeondaenmal’ when interacting with older
people or others who they are not close to and use ‘banmal’ with their
closer counterparts.

Chapter 2 introduced me to expressions such as 'yes/what?' or ‘ne’ (네)

in Korean, 'no’ which is translated to ‘a-ni-yo’ (아니요) and 'that's right',
which is ‘ma-ja-yo’ (마자요). I was intrigued by the versatile use of 'ne,' as
it extends beyond a simple 'yes' to convey understanding, agreement, or
even acknowledgment in various contexts. To emphasize agreement,
Koreans often add the word "majayo" after "ne," to affirm correctness.

In Chapter 3, I learned phrases used with bidding farewell. In South

Korea, there are 2 ways to bid farewell to someone when leaving.
Depending on whether you are leaving or staying, the phrases ‘ann-
yeong-hi-gye-se-yo’ (안녕히계세요) or ‘ann-yeong-hi-ga-se-yo’ (안녕히가
세요) are used. The distinction lies in wishing the other party to ‘stay in
peace’ or ‘go in peace’, which is a cultural subtlety I found intriguing.
Interestingly, if both parties are leaving, the appropriate phrase to use is
"annyeonghigaseyo".

Reflecting on these first few chapters, I've learnt to appreciate the

intricacies that set English and Korean language apart. This exploration
not only expanded my linguistic knowledge but also deepened my
 Week 4:
This week, I delved into the content of Chapters 4, 5, and 6. Chapter
4 provided insights into expressing apologies and seeking pardon,
using the term ‘joe-song-ham-ni-da’ (죄성합니다). What intrigued me
was the difference in the term used in English and Korean. While we
say ‘I am sorry’ to apologise for various situations in English, in
Korean,‘joe-song-ham-ni-da’ (죄성합니다) is used specifically for
apologising for a mistake or while navigating through a crowd. In
English, we use ‘I’m sorry’ for both gaining attention and passing
through crowds, but in Korean, ‘jeo-gi-yo’ (저기요) is used to get
someone’s attention, while ‘joe-song-ham-ni-da’ (죄성합니다) is
used to excuse oneself while passing through a crowd or apologise
to someone.

Moving on to Chapter 5, I learned to construct sentences with ‘It is’

and ‘I am’ which are either ‘i-e-yo’ (이에요) or ‘ye-yo’ (예요) in
Korean. Unlike English, where we typically say "It is/I am + ABC,"
Korean structures the sentence as "ABC + It is/I am," with the
expressions "ieyo" or "yeyo." The usage between ‘i-e-yo’ (이에요) or
‘ye-yo’ (예요) depends on whether the word before it ends with a
Korean consonant or a vowel, with ‘i-e-yo’ (이에요) added after a
consonant and ‘ye-yo’ (예요) added after a vowel.

In Chapter 6, I learnt phrases like ‘This is ABC’ and ‘Is this ABC?’.
The word ‘this’ is ‘i-geo’ (이거) in Korean is and combining it with the
sentence structures learnt in Chapter 5, the structure becomes ‘i-
geo ABC i-e-yo)/ye-yo’ (이거 ABC 이에요/예요). Additionally, I also
learnt that the phrase ‘What is this’ is ‘i-geo mwo-ye-yo’ (이거 뭐예요
).
Reflecting on these new chapters, I encountered a slightly steeper
learning curve compared to the previous week as the differences in
sentence structures between English and Korean became more
apparent. Understanding the specific usage of words such as ‘joe-
song-ham-ni-da’ (죄성합니다) was challenging as it does not
seamlessly cover all the context that the English phrase is used in.
Nevertheless, I plan to revisit these chapters to solidify my
 Week 5:
This week, I delved into chapters 7, 8, and 9 in my textbook.
In Chapter 7, the focus was on mastering expressions for
‘this’, ‘that’, and ‘it’. To express ‘this’ and ‘it’, Koreans use the
word ‘yi’ (이). However, the expression for ‘that’ is intriguing
as there are two Korean terms used to express it. If the
object in question is distant from both the speaker and the
listener, the term ‘jeo’ (저) is used. On the other hand, if the
object is far from the speaker but close to the listener, the
term is ‘geu’ (그).

In chapter 8, I delved into the exploration of negation in

Korean, where I learned that the word ‘not’ is expressed as
‘ani-e-yo’ (아니에요). This added a layer of depth to my
grasp of constructing negative statements in Korean. In
Chapter 9, I learned about Korean subject-making particles,
‘eun’ (은) and ‘neun’ (는). Incorporating these particles with
nouns helps to signify to the listener that the noun in
question is the subject or topic of the discussion. Similar to
the rules explored in Chapter 5 regarding the expressions ‘I
am/It is’ which are ‘i-e-yo’ (이에요)/ ‘ye-yo’ (예요), ‘eun’ (은)
is exclusively used after words that end with a consonant,
while ‘neun’ (는) is after words that end with a vowel.

These chapters have not only broadened my knowledge

about the Korean language but have also deepened my
appreciation for the nuances in Korean grammar. As I
navigate through these linguistic intricacies, I remain
committed to deepening my understanding of the
language's nuances and applications.
 Week 7:
This week, I continued my exploration of the Korean
language with chapters 10, 11, and 12. In Chapter 10, I
learnt to express possession with ‘have’ and ‘don't
have’ which are ‘i-sseo-yo’ (있어요) and ‘eop-seo-yo’ (
없어요) respectively. In Chapter 11, I learned to
articulate "please" in Korean through the term ‘ju-se-
yo’ (주세요). I found these phrases easy to grasp as
they were very straightforward and are common
phrases I have heard while watching various K-dramas.

In Chapter 12, I delved into expressions of relishing

and appreciating food. I learned the phrases ‘it is
delicious’ which is translated to ‘ma-si-seo-yo’ (맛있어
요) in Korean and ‘I am going to eat well’ which is ‘jal-
meok-kke-sseum-ni-da’ (잘 먹겠습니다). The latter,
often said before meals in Korean culture, serves as a
gesture of gratitude towards the cook or the one who
provided the meal. After finishing their meals, Koreans
express their gratitude once again by saying ‘jal-meo-
geo-sseum-ni-da’ (잘 먹었습니다) which translates to ‘I
have eaten well’. These customs resonated with me, as
I've encountered them frequently in Korean dramas
and reality shows, making this chapter particularly
simple and enjoyable. Overall, this week's chapters
enriched my linguistic knowledge with practical
expressions and cultural insights.
 Week 8:
This week, I continued with chapters 13, 14, and 15. Chapter 13
introduced the expression ‘I want to’ which is translated to ‘go
si-peo-yo’ (고 싶어요). To complete the sentence, a verb must
be added before ‘go si-peo-yo’ (고 싶어요). For instance, ‘I
want to go to Seoul’ transforms into ‘seo-ul-e ga-go si-peo-yo’ (
서울에 가고 싶어요) where ‘ga’ (가) conveys ‘go’. Moving on,
chapter 14 extended the exploration from Chapter 13,
introducing the phrase ‘What do you want to do?’ which is
expressed as ‘mwo ha-go si-peo-yo?’ (뭐 하고 싶어요?).This
provided an insight to navigate conversations about
preferences. I found the contrast between English and Korean
phrasing interesting, where the placement of ‘I want’ is
inverted in Korean as compared to English as in English, we
often structure ‘I want’ at the beginning of the sentence, while
in Korean, they structure ‘I want’ to be at the end of the
sentence.

In Chapter 15, I was introduced to the Korean numbering

system, specifically the Sino-Korean number system, rooted
from Chinese influence. I found it intriguing that despite having
a native Korean numbering system, Koreans continue to utilize
the Sino-Korean system. This chapter offered a glimpse into
the linguistic diversity within Korean culture and the
coexistence of the two numerical systems.
As I continue to delve deeper into the intricacies of the Korean
language, these chapters have not only broadened my
vocabulary but have also provided more cultural insights into
the unique structures and influences that shape the language.
I eagerly anticipate further exploration and continuation of
refining my language skills in the weeks to come.
 Week 9:
This week, I learned about the usage of basic present tense in the
Korean language in Chapter 16. To articulate a verb in present tense,
the endings ‘a-yo’ (아요), ‘eo-yo’ (어요) and ‘yeo-yo’ (여요) have to be
added after the verb. However, ‘a-yo’ (아요) is only added after verbs
concluding with the vowels ‘a’ (아) or ‘o’ (ㅗ) while ‘eo-yo’(어요) is
applied to verbs concluding with any other vowel except ‘a’ (아) and ‘o’ (
ㅗ). ‘Yeo-yo’ (여요) is only added after verbs that end with the vowel ‘ha’
(하). While studying this chapter, I encountered some irregularities that
added a layer of complexity. For instance, to express the present tense
of going somewhere, one says ‘ga-yo’ rather than ‘ga-a-yo’ for a more
natural pronunciation. Another instance is the phrase ‘I see/I look,’
which is expressed as ‘bwa-yo’ instead of ‘bo-a-yo.’ Additionally, some
verbs seamlessly integrate with the endings mentioned above without
needing alterations in pronunciation. In Chapter 17, it moved on from
the usage of present tenses to past tenses. The fundamentals of past
tenses are similar to present tenses learnt in the previous chapter.
However, they have their own distinct endings—‘a-sseo-yo’ (았어요),
‘eo-sseo-yo’ (었어요) and ‘yeo-sseo-yo’ (였어요). ‘A-sseo-yo’ is added
after verbs concluding with the vowels ‘a’ (아) and ‘o’ (ㅗ), while ‘eo-
sseo-yo’(었어요) is added after verbs concluding with any vowel except
‘a’ (아) and ‘o’ (ㅗ). ‘Yeo-sseo-yo’ (였어요) on the other hand, is solely
used after verbs ending with ‘ha’ (하). Although I struggled to
understand this concept, I believe that it can be grasped through more
practice and time and I will continue to try and find other resources to
help me understand this concept.

In Chapter 18, I learned about location marking particles such as ‘eo-di’

(어디) which means 'where/which place', ‘-e’ (에), which means 'at,' 'to,'
and 'in' and ‘e-seo’ (에서) which means 'at,' 'in,' and 'from'. Despite ‘-e’ (
에) and ‘e-seo’(에서) sharing similar meanings, their usage differs. ‘-E’
is usually used when referring to a destination or location of something,
as in ‘I went to school’ or ‘I am going home,’ while ‘e-seo’ (에서)
conveys the location where an action occurs or signifies origin, as in ‘I
studied at the library’ or ‘This package came from Singapore.’ In the
final chapter of the week, chapter 19, I acquired the term ‘when,’ which
translates to ‘eon-je’ (언제) in Korean.
 Week 10:
In Chapter 20, I was introduced to the second Korean number system—the
native Korean numbers. The familiarity of numbers 1 to 19 made it smooth to
grasp, but encountering words for 20, 30, 40, and beyond for the first was
slightly challenging to grasp. Through consistent practice and exposure, I
believe I can eventually master the concept. When I was first introduced to
the Sino-Korean number system, I had many questions such as “When do
you alternate between the systems?”, “Are they used in specific situations or
can they be used interchangeably?”. After exploring this chapter, the
distinction between the Sino-Korean and native Korean number systems and
the context they are used in became clearer. To tell time, Sino-Korean
numbers are used for minutes, while native Korean numbers are used for
hours. Money is only counted using the Sino-Korean system and native
Korean numbers are used for age in everyday settings, while Sino-Korean
numbers are used in formal situations such as court hearings. When stating
age, the word ‘sal’ (살) is added after the number. Interestingly, for numbers
100 and above in the native Korean system, both systems are combined by
adding the word ‘baek’ (백) (meaning 100 in Sino-Korean) to the native
Korean number. For example, 101 would be ‘baek-ha-na’ (백하나) where
‘baek’ is from the Sino-Korean system, and ‘ha-na’ (하나) represents ‘one’ in
the native Korean system and for 201, it would be expressed as ‘yi-baek-ha-
na’ (이백하나)where ‘yi’ (이) is the Sino-Korean number for ‘two’, ‘beak’ (백)
is the Sino-Korean number for ‘one hundred’ and ‘ha-na’ (하나) is the Native
Korean number for ‘one’.

In Chapter 21, I explored the incorporation of negative connotations in

sentences. Adding the word ‘an’ (안) or the phrase ‘ji-an-da’ (지안다) inflicts
a negative tone to the sentence. ‘An’ (안) is the simpler choice to use as it
does not require adjustment for tenses, while using ‘ji-an-da’ (지안다)
requires one to use relevant tenses in the conversation.

The concluding chapter of the week, Chapter 22, provided a recap on verbs.
I learned the word ‘to do’ which is translated as ‘ha-da’ (하다) in Korean. The
word ‘ha-da’ (하다) is in the dictionary form but when used in daily
conversations and different tenses, it transforms into ‘hae-yo’ (해요) in the
present tense and ‘hae-sseo-yo’ (했어요) in the past tense. However, ‘ha-da’
(하다) serves as an interesting verb-forming element when added after
nouns. For instance, when ‘ha-da’ (하다) is added after the word, ‘no-rae’ (노
래) which means ‘song’, it creates the phrase ‘no-rae ha-da’ (노래하다),
 Week 11:
In Chapter 23, I learned about the term ‘nu-gu’ (누구) which
translates to ‘who’ in English. By combining the previously covered
subject markers ‘yi’ (이) and ‘ga’ (가), ‘nu-gu’ (누구) becomes ‘nu-
gu-ga’ (누구가) as ‘ga’ (가) is used after words that end with vowels.
However, for ease of pronunciation, ‘nu-gu-ga’ (누구가) has been
simplified to ‘nu-ga’ (누가). This word is used to emphasize ‘who’ as
the subject of an action or state in a conversation. For example, in
a large group of people, when searching for a specific individual,
‘nu-ga’ (누가) is used to inquire about that specific person.
Meanwhile, when answering the door and inquiring ‘who is it,’ the
term ‘nu-gu’ (누구) is used.

In Chapter 24, I was introduced to the words ‘wae’ (왜) and ‘eo-
tteo-kke’ (어떻게) which translates to ‘why’ and ‘how,’ respectively.
Additionally, I learned the phrases ‘eol-ma’ (얼마) and ‘eol-ma-na’ (
얼마나). ‘Eol-ma’(얼마) is translated as ‘how much’ in English and is
usually used when referring to money, while ‘eol-ma-na’ (얼마나)
represents ‘how + an adjective/verb.’ For example, if you want to
inquire about the price of an item at a store, you would use ‘eol-
ma’(얼마) in the sentence, ‘eol-ma ye-yo?’ (얼마예요?). For
questions like ‘how big is it?’, ‘eol-ma-na’ is used, creating the
sentence, ‘eol-ma-na keo-yo?’ (얼마나 커요?).

In the concluding chapter, Chapter 25, I learned how to express

‘from A to B’ regarding location and ‘from A until B’ regarding time.
The Korean terms ‘e-seo’ (에서) and ‘bu-teo’ (부터) both translate
to ‘from.’ However, ‘e-seo’ (에서) is typically associated with
location, while ‘bu-teo’ (부터) is associated with time. Nevertheless,
they can be used interchangeably, with certain exceptions.
Specifically, phrases like ‘from now’ or ‘from/since yesterday’
exclusively use ‘bu-teo’ as they are related to time. However, when
referring to location, both ‘e-seo’ (에서) and ‘bu-teo’ (부터) can be
used. The Korean term ‘kka-ji’ (까지) meaning ‘to’ or ‘until’ can be
used interchangeably when referring to both time and location.