Beginner Survival Korean: 5 expressions you need to know Korean is a scientific, colorful and complex linguistic beast of a language that offers learners the chance to explore a plethora of possibilities with regards to speaking and interacting with locals. Korean is a wonderfully compelling language to learn, and it continues to be more challenging and engaging as your level increases. It’s important to start with some of the most basic, yet essential words, terms and phrases that can prove to be useful and essential in all sorts of different situations. With these 5 words/expressions in your repertoire, there should be no doubt that Koreans will start to think that you’re almost Korean yourself! 1. 멘붕(Men-boong) English translation: 멘붕 = Short for ‘멘탈붕괴’ (Men-tal-bung-gui) which means ‘Mental breakdown’. 멘붕This is a shortened version of a slang term that has a place in so many different situations. This is when you’re so stressed and so out of it, that you feel like your brain has just completely shut down. If you’re so lost in your own world from the work that’s piling up on top of you, you can use this expression and everyone will totally understand how you’re feeling. 2. 어쩔 (Eo-jjeol) English translation: 어쩔 = ‘So what?’ / ‘So what!’ This is a very great expression to use with friends if you want to let them know (in a joking way) that what they said didn’t impress you. It can also be used in a sarcastic manner, in the same way. It’s basically equivalent to ‘so what?’ in English and it’s quite playful in Korean. It’s a great term to use with people you are really close with, and Koreans will be impressed if you use it casually in conversation. 3. 꺼져 (Ggeo-jyeo) English translation: 꺼저 = ‘‘Get lost’, Get the f**k away!’ or ‘Get out of here!’ The most important thing to know about this expression is that it should be used with caution. If you use this casually with people you aren’t close with, it can be pretty offensive. It can be used in a playful manner with some friends (not everyone), and some Koreans don’t appreciate its use. On the other hand, the reason you need to know this… is because it can come in handy if someone is harassing you or giving you a hard time. It’s quite strong and will get your point across if you have someone bothering you or giving you unwanted attention. As I mentioned at the beginning – use this phrase selectively. It is useful, but only in certain situations. 4. 됐어/됐거든 (Dwaess-eo-yo/Dwaess-geo-deun) English translation: 댔어요/됐거든 = ‘Just forget it!’ , ‘Whatever’ , ‘Drop it! This expression fits perfectly into those situations when you just want to stop the discussion of one topic and move quickly into another. Maybe you’re just jokingly annoyed with your friend and you want them to know that in a cute and non-confrontational way. Use a cute tone and use freely. However, if you use a stronger, aggressive tone when saying this, it could become a lot more serious and the friend may awkwardly switch to another conversation. That, or no further conversation will ensue. So, use at your own risk. 5. 죽을래/ 뒤질래? (Jug-eul-lae/dui-jil-lae?) English translation: 죽을래/ 뒤질래 = ‘Do you want to die?’ This is a really fun term to use with friends, but to some who are not familiar with Korean culture, the literal translation can seem a bit morbid. We can translate it a few different ways: ‘Do you want to die?’ ‘Do you want me to kill you?’ or it could be loosely compared to ‘drop dead’. If you say this to someone, it is not a serious threat. If you do use it seriously, it is a bit strong and could result in a bit of trouble. Use it in a cute way with friends. Did someone call you out on some recent weight gain or tease you about a touchy subject? Fire this off, and laugh it off. It’s just a cute way to respond to something that may have shocked you, but wasn’t outright offensive.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 00:43:58 +0000
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