한국어 공부해요

Hi! In my understanding, both 진짜 and 정말 have the same nuance -- they both mean "really" and are used the same way. I would say that I hear 진짜 used more when asking "really?" than 정말, but 정말 can be used for that as well.

They can both be used as adverbs as well. For example, both of these sentences mean "you're really tall," and I'm pretty sure there's no difference in nuance:

키가 진짜 크네요.

키가 정말 크네요.

진짜 can be used in a way that 정말 cannot, however (at least I think). If you attach 의 to 진짜, it means “real” or “genuine” or “authentic.” For example:

제 진짜의 이름은 민지예요. = My real name is Minji.

안녕하세요! Great question, they do mean the same thing! 파랗다 means "to be blue" and is used for when you want to say that something “is blue.” For example:

하늘이 파랗다. = The sky is blue. 

파랗다 can be conjugated as 파래요: 하늘이 파래요. 

파랗다 can be turned into an adverb -- 파랗게 as well!

파랗게 칠하다 = to paint [something] blue.

파랗게 질리다 = to turn pale --> 파랗게 is sometimes used to mean “pale” (as in when your face loses color when you’re scared or something) rather than “blue.”

파란색 means blue as in the noun. But 파란색 can also be used as an adjective! Here’s an example from Naver Dictionary:

파란색 실크 리본 = Blue silk ribbon

안녕! Hey everyone! Today we have a pretty basic lesson all about adverbs! Adverbs in Korean are pretty straightforward and there’s not a ton to say about them, so I’m just pulling a post from my Instagram and putting it here so y’all can see it! Of course, feel free to ask any questions if you have any!

My masterlist

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I have six popular apps to introduce today! We asked many of our friends and got this result! Of course apps like instagram, facebook, and youtube are super popular, but since they're popular all over the world I excluded them. If you know some other apps Koreans love to use, reblog and add them! 😆😆

💬Kakaotalk: I know this app is super popular! But seriously, Koreans cannot live without this app. I honestly love the fact that if you have internet connection you can talk to friends abroad without worrying about calling fees! Also the emoticons are sooo cute💕💕

💬Snow: It's kind of similar to snapchat (I think) almost every Korean has this app. It's a photo camera with many different filters. It's used for selfies! There are so many different filters, and they're so pretty! Sometimes there's K-pop idol filters too, so if any of you are k-pop fans, I suggest getting this app!

These are some of the most popular filters.

💬Soda: This is also a camera app like snow. Many of my friends also use this app, and it's very popular.

💬Naver brower & dictionary : Naver is a browser like Google, and most Koreans use Naver as a browser. Also, for you language learners NAVER dictionary is also a super great app! Its definitions are precise and has some examples. Many koreans also use the naver dictionary, as it has many languages.

This is the Naver dictionary.

💬Melon: Melon is a music app, and it's super popular! If you're a k-pop fan, this app is just for you! Even if you don't like K-pop, listening to Korean songs will surely help improve your Korean. Melon also has a lot of non korean songs too.

This is the melon chart of popular songs! This screenshot just has the top 10, but in the app you can find the top 100 songs. If you're looking for more Korean songs, Melon would be just the app for you.

는 / 은 VS 이 / 가

This is the most asked question and request filling my inbox right now, so I decided to make a post helping those who are still confused differentiate between the two! Happy Learning :)

Here are some main points that make them different:

When the noun / subject of the sentence has been mentioned previously in a conversation, you use 이 / 가 in the next statement:    ♡ 내 친구는 한국인이에요 - my friend is Korean    ♡ 내 친구가 한국에서 태어났어요 - my friend was born in Korea

When you want to emphasize a noun, you should use 은 / 는 before the verb of the sentence but 이 / 가 should be used with the noun previously:    ♡ 한국 음식이 좋은데 음식은 매워요 - I like Korean food, but it’s spicy

When there are two nouns in a sentence and an adjective, use 은 / 는 with the first noun and 이 / 가 with the second:    ♡ 오늘은 날씨가 좋네요 - the weather is nice today

When it’s a negative sentence with the verb ‘to be’ (아니다 - to not be), you always have to use 이 / 가 with the noun before the verb:     ♡ 그것은 빵이 아니에요 - that is not bread

When 있다 / 없다 (to have / to not have)are used, you should always use 이 / 가 with the noun before 있다 / 없다:     ♡ 비빔밥이 있어요? - Is there bibimbap?    ♡ 내일 시간이 없어요. - I don’t have time tomorrow.

When it is obvious that you are talking about something in a sentence, use 이 / 가: (similar to #1)    ♡ 희주: 식당은 어디세요? - where’s the restaurant?    ♡ 종호: 식당이 여기 있어요 - the restaurant is here

Basic Rule: subject particles go with the subject of the sentence and topic particles go with the topic of the sentence - yes they can mean the same thing depending on the sentence, but hopefully, with these rules, you can understand the difference easier! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me, I’m always here to help :)

pronunciation rules in Korean & further reading

괜찮다 - Alright, Okay

화나다 - Angry

짜증나다 - Annoyed

나쁘다 - Bad

아름답다 - Beautiful

크다 - Big

쓰다 - Bitter

심심하다 - Bored

지루하다 - Boring, Dull

씩씩하다 - Brave

싸다 - Cheap

싸늘하다 - Chilly, Frosty

통통하다 - Chubby

깨끗하다 - Clean

흐리다 - Cloudy

춥다 - Cold (Weather)

차갑다 - Cold, Icy, Chilly (Touch, objects)

편하다 - Comfortable

편리하다 - Convenient

시원하다 - Cool, Refreshing

귀엽다 - Cute

축축하다 - Damp, Clammy, Wet

습하다 - Damp, Humid, Moist

맛있다 - Delicious, Tasty

다르다 - Different

어렵다 - Difficult

더럽다 - Dirty

건조하다 - Dry

이르다 - Early

쉽다 - Easy

당황하다 - Embarrassed 

비어 있다 - Empty

비싸다 - Expensive

빠르다 - Fast

뚱뚱하다 - Fat, Overweight

기름지다 - Fatty, Greasy, Oily

적다 - Few, Little

신선하다 - Fresh

가득하다 - Full, Crammed

젖다 - Get wet, Damp

기쁘다 - Glad, Happy

잘생기다 - Good looking

착하다 - Good-natured, Nice

좋다 - Good, Fine

행복하다 - Happy

딱딱하다 - Hard, Stiff

건강하다 - Healthy

높다 - High

뜨겁다 - Hot (Touch, objects)

덥다 - Hot (Weather)

배가 고프다 - Hungry

불편하다 - Inconvenient 

재미있다 - Interesting, Fun

복잡하다 - Jammed, Crowed

늦다 - Late

적다 - Less

많다 - Lots, Many

시끄럽다 - Loud, Noisy

비열하다 - Mean, Nasty

촉촉하다 - Moist

좁다 - Narrow

새롭다 - New, Fresh

재미없다 - Not interesting, Not fun, Boring

맛없다 - Not tasty

오래되다 - Old (Objects)

예쁘다 - Pretty

조용하다 - Quiet

슬프다 - Sad

짜다 - Salty

같다 - Same

무섭다 - Scary

날카롭다, 뾰족하다 - Sharp, Pointed

수줍다 - Shy

아프다 - Sick, Painful

비슷하다 - Similar

깡마르다 - Skinny

졸리다 - Sleepy

날씬하다 - Slim, Slender

미끄럽다 - Slippery

느리다 - Slow

작다 - Small

똑똑하다 - Smart, Clever

부드럽다 - Soft

말랑하다 - Soft, Tender, Ripe

시다, 시큼하다 - Sour

맵다 - Spicy

강하다 - Strong

튼튼하다 - Strong, Sturdy

멍청하다 - Stupid, Foolish

놀라다 - Surprised

달다, 달콤하다 - Sweet

목이 마르다 - Thirsty

피곤하다 - Tired, Exhausted 

못생기다 - Ugly

불편하다 - Uncomfortable

급하다 - Urgent

따뜻하다 - Warm

약하다 - Week, Feeble

이상하다 - Weird, Strange

This is literally my FAVE korean sentence structure guide. 

Sentences in Korean are completely different to English and this is what can confuse most Korean learners. It is also a good reminder of what each particle is used for and where to place them within sentences (I still get confused with my particles sometimes) 

Step 1: Get a notebook (I personally like 3 subject wide ruled spiral notebooks with pocket dividers)

Optional: Decorate the cover (I just put some washi tape on the borders of the notebook)

Step 2: leave a couple of pages for the table of contents so that way if you ever need to look back at a lesson you can easily find it.

Step 3: I use the back of the front cover as a place to put sticky notes with important information. Like I have the korean sentence structure, a sticky note of when to use some particals and a list of vowels and consonants.

Step 4: I made a “motivational page” basically I wrote down reasons why I want to learn korean and important things to remember when studying.Then I decorated it with washi tape.

Step 5: I left a couple of pages to write down places in Korea I wanna vist, korean recipes/ snacks I wanna try and kdramas I wanna watch

Step 6: I also leave a couple pages in the back to take down culture notes. Like different hand gestures and how to bow.

Step 7: I use tabs to mark off main/ important section in my notbook. I have the index marked off with a tab and my culture notes tabbed

Step 8: I use the pockets in the subject divider to put flash cards in.You can also put some inspirational photos in them and some sheets of stickers to decorate your notes later.

Step 9: At the start of the week I make a weekly planner which I write down my lessons for each day and my weekly goal.

Korean Position Words

Hello All! So, today I will be showing you guys Korean Position Words in a short lesson - that will hopefully advance your Korean sentences to the next step. In English, your mom or friend or coworker may ask for specific things - like ‘where is the milk?’ or ‘have you seen my keys?’ These questions can be answered with Position/Location particles. Every time you answer, remember the following:

subject이/가 + object + location에 + 있/없습니다 (있/없어요)

Vocab: ♡ 옆 - beside / next to ♡ 위 - on top / over ♡ 안 - inside ♡ 밑* / 아래 - under / bottom ♡ 밖 - outside ♡ 뒤 - behind ♡ 앞 - in front ♡ 사이 - between

Examples: 1. 신문이 책상 위에 있어요 - the newspaper is on the desk 2. 우유가 냉장고 안에 없어요 - the milk is not in the fridge 3. 제 침대가 침실 밖에 있습니까? - is my bed outside of the bedroom? 4. 의자가 식탁이랑 주방 사이에 있습니다 - the chair is between the table and the kitchen

* the reason why this is starred is because it’s not commonly used and it actually means something close to ‘down’ rather than under

I hope that this made some sense in the end! If you have any questions or are finding some things difficult, don’t hesitate to ask me or send me a pm - I will always be here to answer ^^ happy learning :)

All of the following are treated like particles and are attached to nouns in order to mean “and”. These all have similar meanings, however, there are slight differences that are good to know about.

~과/와

→ used more commonly in writing

→ ~과 with nouns ending in a consonant

→ ~와 with nouns ending in a vowel

→ usually denotes a connection or relation between the nouns being connected

example

우유와 과자 좋아요.

= I like milk and cookies.

~(이)랑

→ more colloquial + less formal

→ ~이랑 with nouns ending in a consonant

→~랑 with nouns ending in a vowel

example

케이크랑 풍선을 사야 돼요.

= I need to buy a cake and balloons.

~하고

→ used more commonly in writing

→ used when the nouns being connected don’t have a relation to each other

example

치킨하고 피자 먹고 싶어요.

= I want to eat fried chicken and pizza.

extra info

→ these particles can also mean “with”

→ sentences utilizing these with the meaning of “with” can also include a word like “같이” meaning “together,” in order to make the sentence more specific

example

친구랑 같이 불꽃놀이를 봤어요.

= I saw the fireworks with my friend.

vocabulary

우유 - milk

과자 - cookie(s)

좋다 - to be good

케이크 - cake

풍선 - balloon

사다 - to buy

치킨 - fried chicken

피자 - pizza

먹다 - to eat

친구 - friend

불꽃놀이 - fireworks

I […] you:

Love = 사랑해요;

Like = 좋아해요;

Hate = 미워해요;

Detest = 증오해요.

I feel / I am:

Angry = 화가나요;

Sad = 슬퍼요;

Happy = 기뻐요;

Merry = 즐거워요;

Excited = 신나요;

Depressed = 우울해요;

Afraid = 무서워요;

Nervous = 불안해요;

Thankful = 고마워요;

Sorry = 미안해요;

Puzzeled = 황당해요;

Confused = 당황스러워요;

Pleased = 만족스러워요;

Disappointed = 실망이예요;

Excited흥분되요;

surprised = 놀라워요;

Happy = 행복해요;

Unhappy = 불행해요;

Lonely = 고독해요;

Lonely = 외로워요;

Refreshed = 상쾌해요;

Unpleasant불쾌해요;

Comfortable편해요;

Falsely accused = 억울해요;

Shameful = 부끄러워요;

Ashamed = 창피해요;

Stuffy/difficulty in breathing = 답답해요;

Bored = 지루해요;

Painful = 아파요.

It’s…

Inconvenient = 불편해요;

Hard = 힘들어요;

Difficult = 어려워요;

Easy = 쉬워요;

Intresting = 재미있어요;

Mystic = 신비해요;

Charming = 매력적이예요;

Moving = 감동적이예요;

Admirable = 훌륭해요;

Stylish = 멋있어요;

Pretty = 예뻐요;

Beautiful = 아름다워요;

Cute = 귀여워요;

Complicated = 복잡해요;

When it comes to learning Korean, I think that there are some apps that are amazing and some that are pretty rubbish.  In all honesty, there aren’t many good apps for learning Korean in my opinion. However, I am a native speaker so there are somethings that you, as learners, will find to be more beneficial. When I was composing this list, I tried to keep in mind the things that I wanted from an app when I was learning how to speak English. 

MEMRISE

Firstly, I recommend Memrise to you as an app for learning Korean.  This app is pretty accurate and tends to teach you phrases that you’re actually likely to use as a beginner (such as 부탁합니다 or 미안해요). In addition to this, the app mainly makes use of the polite form of sentences and I personally think this is the best type to learn first because you’re less likely to offend someone using this sentence form. The only negative about this app is that it used to use romanisation quite a lot (there may have been an update to change this since so excuse me if I am incorrect). Romanisation is something that can only be useful to beginners and after that, becomes something that you don’t want to move away from and until you convert to Hangeul, you can’t progress in the language. 

HINATIVE

Furthermore, HiNative is another app that is useful for learners of Korean. You can ask natives how to say words or phrases on this website and be provided with pronunciation from more advanced learners or natives. I am a translator on this app and there are many people like me that want to help people learn the language well and accurately. However, there are also quite a few people on this site that do not know what they’re talking about when it comes to translating what you ask so I think that you do need to be dubious about who is translating your request and only believe the information provided by experienced translators (you can tell who these people are as they tend to have profile pictures and a mediocre amount of points).

EGGBUN

I recommend this to some people but not to others, it really depends on what you like. Eggbun allows you to gain a good understanding of how Hangeul works and it is efficient if you’re a true beginner. If you have however, even had a little bit of experience with the language (know a few words and phrases), the app is a little time-consuming to use. It doesn’t really give you the chance to skip ahead in the lessons and each one is guided through so it takes a while. The app is designed as a bot that is teaching you but it seems to have no way of establishing your skill level. Therefore, I believe that this app can be good depending on your level of language and your method of learning.

HELLOTALK

This app is a really good idea because it allows you to talk with natives and have them correct your messages in conversations. However, for me, the greatness of this app does not extend beyond the idea because the app contains many fake accounts and many strange people. I actually had this app to learn English when I was younger and the amount of people that requested you of weird things and harassed you into explaining where you live was huge. There were also a huge amount of Koreaboos on this site (if you all think that Koreans don’t know what a Koreaboo is then surprise~) so I found it difficult to find someone that genuinely just wanted to learn Korean and teach me English.

DUOLINGO

돌다 // To Spin

계속 돌려 돌려 나의 Anpan Keep ballin’ ballin’ still 방탄

Keep spinning, spinning, my Anpan Keep ballin’ ballin’ still Bangtan

N A M E .

What’s your name? - 이름이 뭐예요? 

My name is…

제 이름은 (NAME)이에요/예요.

저는 (NAME)이에요/예요.

저는 (NAME)입니다.

Use ‘이에요’ only if your name ends with a consonant. If your name ends in a vowel, use ‘예요’. 

EXAMPLE: 저는 세란입니다 - MY NAME IS SAE-RAN.

C O U N T R Y .

Where are you from? - 어디에서 왔어요?

I am from…

(COUNTRY) 사람이에요. 

(COUNTRY)서 왔습니다.

EXAMPLES: 중국 사람이에요 - I AM CHINESE (중국 - CHINA + 사람 - PERSON)

미국서 왔습니다 - I AM FROM AMERICA.

A G E .

How old are you? - 몇살이에요? 

I am…years old.

(AGE)살이에요.

(AGE)살 입니다.

EXAMPLES: 20살이에요. / 20살 입니다.

H O B B I E S .

What are your hobbies? - 취미가 뭐예요?

I like…

(VERB)는 것을 좋아해요. EXAMPLE: 춤 추는 것을 좋아해요 - I LIKE DANCING.

O C C U P A T I O N .

OCCUPATION:

I’m a…

(OCCUPATION)이에요/예요.

(OCCUPATION)입니다.

EXAMPLES: 회사원입니다 - I’M AN OFFICE WORKER.

선생이에요 - I’M A TEACHER. EDUCATION:

I’m a…

(NOUN/STUDENT TYPE)이에요.

(NOUN/STUDENT TYPE)입니다. EXAMPLES: 고등학생이에요 - I’M A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.

대학생이에요 - I’M A UNIVERSITY STUDENT.

L A N G U A G E S .

1. I’ve been studying for…

(TIME DURATION) 동안 공부했습니다.

EXAMPLE: 한달 동안 공부했습니다 - I STUDIED FOR A MONTH.

2. I study…

(LANGUAGE)를 공부해요.

EXAMPLE: 영어를 공부해요 - I STUDY ENGLISH.

3. I am learning…

(LANGUAGE)를 배우고 있어요.

EXAMPLE: 한국어를 배우고 있어요 - I AM LEARNING KOREAN.

4. I learned in…