On the 14th of February, it’s Valentines Day. In Korea, the women give men chocolate. One month later, on the 14th of March, it’s White Day. On this day it’s the men who give women candy (mostly non-chocolate candy). Even single people have their own day on April the 14th and it’s called Black Day. On this day some single people eat 자장면 (Jajangmyeon) in restaurants.

So now, let’s look at some vocabulary and phrases related to love and valentines day.

Words

발렌타인 데이 - valentines day (konglish) 여보 - honey (married couples use this mostly) 자기(야) - baby 남친 - boyfriend (shorter version for 남자 친구) 여친 - girlfriend (shorter version for 여자 친구) 뽀뽀 - light kiss, peck 키스 - kiss (konglish) 사탕 - candy 안아주다 to hug 초콜릿 - chocolate 사랑에 빠지다 - to fall in love 사귀다 - to go out, to date someone 사랑 - love 연애하다 - to have a romantic relationship 연애편지 - love letter 짝사랑 - secret crush 데이트 - date (konglish)

Phrases

당신은 나에게 무척 소중해요. You mean so much to me. 진심으로 사랑해요. I love you with all my heart. 같이 있고 싶어요. I want to be with you (together). 예쁘네요!  You look pretty! 잘 생겼어요! You are handsome. 너를 많이 좋아해요. I like you a lot. 보고 싶어요. I miss you. 뽀뽀하고/키스하고 싶어요. I want to kiss you. 사랑합니다. / 사랑해요. / 사랑해. I Love you. 넌 없이는 못 살아. I can’t live without you. 안녕 내 사랑! - Hello my love. 안아주고 싶어. I want to hug you. 안아 줘. Give me a hug.

이 모든 건 = all of this 우연이 아냐 = not a coincidence  그냥 = just  나의 = my 느낌 = feeling 온 세상이 = entire world 어제완 달라 = different from yesterday 너의 = your 기쁨 = happiness, joy

네가 날 불렀을 때 = when you call me 나는 = I (plus subject particle) 꽃 = flower 기다렸던 것처럼 = like I have been waiting 우리 = we 어쩌면 = maybe, perhaps 우주 = universe 섭리 = providence 그냥 그랬던 거야 = just something like that

설레는 만큼 =  as much as my heart flutters 많이 두려워 = I’m just as worried     운명 = destiny, fate 자꾸 = again, often 질투해서 = jealous 너만큼 = just as you 나도 = I am also / me too 많이 = alot 무서워 = scared

우주 = universe 우릴 위해 = on our behalf, for us 움직였어 = moved 조금의 = … even a litte bit 어긋남조차 없었어 = without missing… 너와 내 행복은 = our happiness 예정됐던걸 = was planned

넌 내 = you’re my 푸른 곰팡이 = pencillium 날 구원해준 = who saved me 천사 = angel 세상 = world 삼색 = three colors 고양이 = cat 널 만나러 온 = who came to see you 우주가 처음 생겨났을 때부터 = when the universe first was made / since the beginning of the universe

“Cheese in the Trap” Vocabulary List Prologue (예고편)

A more detailed explanation of the vocabulary and grammar here

The tag for the “Studying with Cheese in the Trap” series

Read the original Korean webtoon here

Read the official English translation here

These are listed in the order in which they appear in the webtoon.

예고편: trailer, preview, prologue

너: you

남자: man

조심해: be careful

네: (literally: yes) what? huh?

저기: that (literally: there)

무슨: what

뜻인지: meaning

자세히: details; in detail, specifically

좀: a little [more]

여기: here

보면 (base form: 보다): if you look

올해: this year

아주: very

큰: big

액운: bad luck

-이: (added to possessions when using the verb 있어)

하나: (literally: one) a

있어: have

니가 (irregular form of 너): you

» 가까운 시일 내로: in the near future

‣가까운: close, near

‣시일: future, time

‣내로: (literally: into)

남자: man, guy

하나: (literally: one) a, the

잘못: mistake, wrong

만날 (base form: 만나다): will meet

» 확률이 높은데: (literally: the chance is high) it’s likely, it’s possible

‣확률: probability, chance

‣-이: (added as a subject marker)

‣높은데: high

이: this

놈: very informal (almost insulting) way to say “man”; can even mean “jerk” or “bastard” depending on the context

하나: one

때문에: because of

다른: other, another

재수없는: bad luck, misfortune

일까지: to the end

줄줄이: steadily, gradually

따라오겠어 (base form: 따라오다): follow

게다가: besides, also

그: (determiner translated here as “the”)

기운: strength, intensity

어찌나: so, too

강한지 (base form: 강하다): strong

잘못하면 (base form: 잘못하다): if it doesn’t work out well

»그 다음해까지: until next year

‣다음: next

‣해: year

‣-까지: until

넘기겠는데 (base form: 넘기다): might carry over

한마디로: in a word, in short

Hi loves! I don’t know if anyone actually wants this but here’s another writing challenge. Let me know if there are repeats from last month!

Also, I would like to give shoutouts to the following lovely people for consistently keeping up with last month’s challenge. I’m proud of you guys and thanks for playing (and sorry if I forgot anyone)! @kulmvihm @slightly-weird-book-worm @tari-elenion @sourjen @almostapolyglot @doitforthek-s 

If you don’t know about this challenge: Want to maintain or improve your writing skills in your target language this summer? Try this 30-day writing challenge for June: Every day, answer the following prompts in your target language (in a personal journal or in a tumblr post). Good luck!

What traits make someone attractive to you?

What is your zodiac sign? Do you think it is accurate? Why?

Name a weird habit and a common habit of yours. 

Describe your favorite scent and why.

How is your life better than it was a year ago?

Name some of your favorite blogs and why you love them! (Be sure to translate them into their language if they don’t know your target language).

What is one tradition you have with your family or friends?

What is your ideal date, or an ideal day with a friend?

Do you ever plan on having kids? Why?

3 strange facts about you.

Write a letter to future self 10 years from now.

What is something you did recently that made you proud of yourself?

What did you eat today (or if you haven’t eaten, what do you plan on eating)?

Something that made you cry recently (or not so recently).

Something you’re proud of.

Put your music on shuffle. Translate some lyrics of the first song that comes on.

Name a place you would seriously move to.

Describe a weird dream that you’ve had.

Name a fictional character who you identify with.

Write whatever’s on your mind :) (can you tell I’m running out of ideas?)

What does self love mean to you?

What’s in your bag/backpack/purse/etc?

What are you looking forward to next month?

Again, write your to-do list in your target language.

Why did you create your blog?

What was the best year for music? Translate some song titles from that year. 

What do you do when you’re home alone?

How do you express your creativity?

Describe your childhood room.

What are some healthy choices you have made this week, and what are some decisions you are going to make to be healthier? (diet, mental health, productivity…)

Goals for next month?

Ok so I’ve noticed a particular phrase get popular recently (at least amongst monbebes) because of something Monsta X’s Minhyuk said in a V Live:

My mouth was bored

Basically this isn’t like a weird phrase he came up with, it’s actually super common! (And we should start using more often in English, too lol)

You know when you’re bored in general and you just want to do something so you start snacking? That’s basically what this means.

The phrase itself is:

입이 심심하다

Books can be super helpful, but they don’t necessarily help with pronunciation, phrasing, or vocabulary people actually use on a regular basis. That’s where realistic or real-world-like experience comes in handy. Most people who are learning Korean don’t actually live IN Korea or are able to be surrounded by Korean speakers in general. So what should you do? DRAMAS~

Dramas, when used properly, can be an excellent learning tool. But just passively binge watching W may not (and probably won’t) be particularly helpful for most people. So I’m here to help give some tips for using dramas to learn in a fun, yet still educational, way!

~ Web Dramas Are Your Friends ~

For educational purposes, I prefer web dramas to full-length dramas. They usually run anywhere from 3 to 20 minutes long, which is perfect for a quick study session. They also have subtitles in Korean for both the dialogue and the narrator. 

My personal favorite channels are:

Dingo 딩고

Dingo Story 딩고스토리

Kok TV 콬TV

Beautiology 뷰티학개론

Love Playlist(?) 연애플레이리스트

But of course, simply typing in 웹드라마 into the search bar on YouTube will allow you to scroll through countless dramas until you find something you like. Once you find a drama you like, it’s time to get started!

Note: I recommend using the same drama/eps for studying until you fully understand each one before moving onto another one. Even if you might be an upper intermediate learner, starting at the beginner steps to make note of vocab or grammar is fine and even helpful! If you’re a beginner and wanna push yourself on your listening, go advanced. Do whatever works best for you. These are just my suggestions.

Level 1: Beginners

Try to find a drama that has both English (or whatever language you feel most comfortable with) AND Korean subs up. At the beginner stage, your comprehension and ability to keep up with fast, natural speech is a bit lower, so the subs in your native language will help.

Watch through once and make note of plot lines. What were some phrases that you want/need to know how to say? What were some phrases that you noticed get repeated? Now watch through that same episode again, and by using the Korean subs (to make sure you are spelling correctly), write down those phrases. Practice them aloud. If you feel discouraged, feel free to write down all of the words/phrases you DO know to see your progress~

Level 2: Upper Beginner

Same exact concept, but this is for people who have more grammar and vocabulary knowledge. You understand how sentence structure and basic grammar works.

During your watch-thrus, make note of specific words or grammar points you may not know. Do a quick google (or Naver) search after the episode is over.

ex: 몸치 definition; 으면 grammar

This is a good way to get yourself exposed to grammar in natural ways. Don’t overwhelm yourself though. Pick a grammar point or 2 a day to focus on practicing/researching.

Level 3: Intermediate

Now is a good time to turn those native language subs OFF. You should have a basic understanding of most conversational vocabulary by now and be able to distinguish plot lines and main points in speech. Focus through reading the subs and how they pronounce things. Is there an accent? Are they using formal or informal language? Which words are they emphasizing? Were there any words you had heard or read before but didn’t realize how they were spelt/pronounced? Write those down!

Try to repeat the dialogue. Pause as needed.

Level 4: Upper Intermediate

Work. On. The. Pronunciation! You should be able to get your sentences’ rhythm to match those of the characters. And by that I mean emphasizing the right words and being able to speak longer sentences.

This is when you can also really improve your listening skills. Those Korean subs can make you think you understand more than you do. Sure you know what some words are when you see them? But do you know when you HEAR them? Cover up or turn of the Korean subs. Right down any words or phrases you didn’t know by the sound only (go back and check the subs if you need to). Go through and watch again to see if you can understand more now that you know what to listen for.

Level 5: Advanced

Are you ready to listen? Turn that screen brightness down to 0, shut off your phone while the audio plays, turn your laptop around, do whatever you gotta do to NOT look at the screen and just LISTEN. Pick a shorter video and wait til the end (or a longer one and pause after 3-5 minutes) and write down what you heard in major plot points. Who are the characters? What were they talking about? What’s going on? Are there major plot points? A breakup? New neighbor? Job difficulties? How do they sound emotionally? Is there an accent? Are they speaking formally or informally? What setting are they in? What’s the relationship with the characters?

Start with a series you have seen (but maybe not that episode) and then switch to a drama that you have never seen. Hopefully you can still understand most, if not all, of a dialogue even without familiar context.

Extra Tips:

Writing out the entire script from the subs can be super helpful for you to have as a resource. Handwriting increases your memory more than typing does, but do whatever works best for you. Mark that puppy up! Highlight words you do know, circle ones you don’t, underline grammar you don’t understand, etc. Get yourself a system so you know how to better organize your studies.

god: so when did u last study it

learning a language is like learning about a country’s culture. therefore, one should take some culture notes once in a while. if you need any ideas on what to research/study, take a look below! i might add more if i think of any.

general

countries that speak the language

common dishes/foods/drinks/alcohols

festivals

cultural tidbits (ex: why japanese uses kanji still)

world leaders/figureheads/etc

wars

history in gen

art

games

paintings

sculptures

instruments

music/genre-related

anything

pop culture

hit movies

celebrities

music

etc

history of the language

make a travel guide

recipes

traditions

holidays

places to see/go

sightseeing worthy/statues/etc

important people

common animals that live in certain country

cultural differences?

holidays they have that you don’t

do they celebrate (holiday) differently?

etymology of words – they can act make good history lessons

myths/fairy tales/ urban legends

dialects

provinces/states/etc

specific

whats it like driving there?

how does schooling work?

how does a typical family live?

common stereotypes

do they go about finding love differently? (ex: is it common for arranged marriages?)

typical sbjs one learns in school

college?

하이 하이 나는 카이입니다. Today I wanted to share some casual Korean I learned just by messaging in the language! I hope you can learn something as well, albeit these are fairly simple. I added some vocab under a few phrases so it may help some people who want to build up their vocab.

If something is wrong, please don’t hesitate to correct me, as I’m still learning as well

( this whole post is messy, I apologise )

반가워요- Nice to meet you

하이- Hi

바이/빠이- Bye

잘 잤어요?- did you sleep well?

잘자요- Sleep well

굿 나잇- Good night

굿 모닝/좋은 아침이에요- Good morning

좋은 꿈 꿔요!- Sweet dreams

뭐할거에요- What are you going to do?

뭐하고 있어요?- What are you doing? 뭐- what 하다- to do 있어요- existing, having 하고 있어요- doing

뭐해요?- What’s up?

오늘 기분이 어때요?- What’s your mood today?/How are you feeling today? 오늘- today 기분- mood 어때요?- how is it?

요즘 어떻게 지내요?- How have you been doing recently?

지금- now

지금 학교에 있어요- I’m in school now 학교- school

학교에 가고 있어요- I’m going to school

오늘은 어땠어요?- How was today? 어땠어요 is 어때요 in the past tense, making it “how was it?”

유튜브 보고 있습니다- I’m watching YouTube

핸드폰하고 있어요- I’m on my phone

맞아요- Right, I agree

그래요?- Is that right?/Is that so?

답늦어서 미안해요- Sorry for the late reply.

계속 대화하길 원해요- I want to keep talking

졸려요?- Are you sleepy?

그렇구나- I suppose

오늘 뭐 하고 놀았어요?- What have you been doing today?

힘내요- cheer up, hang in there

부끄러워요- I’m embarrassed/ashamed

잘하네요- good job

greetings:

안녕 내 사랑 (annyeong nae sarang) - hi my love 여보 (yeobo) - honey

phrases to use every day:

보고 싶어 (bogo sipeo) - i miss you/ i want to see you 미소가 정말 그리워 (misoga jeongmal geuliwo) - i really miss your smile 사랑해 (saranghae) - i love you 진심으로 사랑해 (jinsimeulo saranghae) - i love you with my whole heart 말로 표현할 수 없을 만큼 사랑해 (mallo pyohyeonhal su eopseul mankeum saranghae) - i love you more than words can say  당신을 많이 사랑해요 (dangsineul manhi saranghaeyo) - i love you a lot  안아주고 싶어 (anajugo sipeo) - i want to hug you 안아 줘 (ana jwo) - give me a hug 뽀뽀해 줘 (ppoppohae jwo) - kiss me please

things you can say more often:

예쁘네요 (yeppeuneyo) - you are pretty 귀여워요 (gwiyeowoyo) - you are cute 당신은 대단해요 (dangsineun daedanhaeyo) - you are amazing 멋지시네요 (meotj shineyo) - you look great 당신은 웃을때 잘생겼어요 (dangsineun useulttae jalsaenggyeosseoyo) - you are handsome when you smile 님은 제게 영감을 주시는 분이세요 (nimeun jege yeonggameul jusineun buniseyo) - you are my inspiration 나는 당신이 자랑스러워요 (naneun dangsini jarangseuleowoyo) - i am proud of you 제가 팬인게 정말 자랑스러워요 (jega paeninge jeongmal jalangseuleowoyo) - i am so proud to be your fan

make sure they are okay:

별일 없지? (byeolil eobji) - is everything alright? 힘내세요! (himnaeseyo) - cheer up! 푹 쉬세요 (pug swiseyo) - rest well   잘 먹어요 (jal meogeoyo) - eat well 너 아직 먹었 니? (neo ajig meog-eo ni) - have you eaten yet? 감기 조심해요 (gamgi josimhaeyo) - be careful of the cold 무리해서 일하지 마 (mulihaeseo ilhaji ma) - don’t overwork yourself   건강하게 계세요 (geonganghage gyeseyo) - stay healthy 제발 스스로 돌봐 (jebal seuseulo dolbwa) - please take care of yourself

phrases to remember:

너랑 더 오래 같이 있고 싶어 (neorang deo olae gati issgo sipeo) - i would like to spend more time with you 난 항상 응원 할게요 (nan hangsang eungwon halgeyo) -  i will always cheer for you/ support you 오빠/언니 힘내세요 우리가 있자나요 (oppa/unnie himnaeseyo uriga issjanayo) - oppa/ unnie cheer up, we are by your side 항상 행복하세요 (hangsang haengboghaseyo) - always be happy 실수해도 괜찮아요 (silsuhaedo gwaenchanhayo) - it’s okay if you make a mistake  울지 마세요 (ulji maseyo) - please don’t cry 점점 나아질거야 (jeomjeom naajilgeoya) - it will get better 지금은 힘들어도 지나고 보면 아무것도 아닐거야 (jigeumeun himdeuleodo jinago bomyeon amugeosdo anilgeoya) - although it is tough now, it will be nothing once you’ve done it 너는 네 어두운 세상에 빛이에요 (neoneun ne eoduun sesange bichieyo) - you are the light in my dark world