-
My name is Sohee
Whenever I tell Korean people that my name is Sohee (소희), most of them tell me that they find my name pretty or cute, and in any case very suitable. I’m happy that this is the case but I must be completely honest and say that I didn’t choose it myself. My former language parter…
-
When memorization makes sense
Memorization (암기) does not have the best of reputations in Western education. Teachers and lawmakers worship at the altar of creativity (창의성) and critical thinking (비판적 사고) instead. This is all well and good, but where is the creativity if you have nothing to be creative from? And how can you be critical of anything…
-
Korean tongue twisters
I’ve always loved tongue twisters. They are fun, and an excellent tool for practicing pronunciation in any language. Who hasn’t tried to say “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” or “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”or “She sells seashells at the seashore” over and over really fast…
-
A Japanese garden and a Korean restaurant in France
This week I went to France for a couple of days to visit a good friend of mine. We are working together on a joint research project but always find the time for plenty of 여자들의 수다 “girl talk” during our breaks. On the day of my arrival my friend took me sightseeing around the city…
-
Cute Korean
While it may certainly be argued that the Korean language may sound cute just on its own, there are several ways to make your Korean sound even cuter. Many Koreans, especially young Korean girls, like to add a little aegyo 애교 (special Korean type of cuteness) to their speech when they want to sound cute,…
-
Tips for improving your Korean speaking skills
Once again, I’ve reached a point where I feel that my Korean skills are developing a bit asymmetrically. I’m reading faster than ever, I understand most of what is being said around me as long as the topic isn’t too technical, and I generally feel quite comfortable with the language. So, what’s the problem? Lately,…
-
You can’t or you won’t?
When making simple negating sentences in Korean, usually either 못 or 안 is used. They roughly mean can’t and won’t, respectively. In English, these two words are not as strongly differentiated as they are in Korean. When, for instance, you want to say in English that you can’t go somewhere because you’re busy, you can choose…
-
Are you eating well?
밥은 잘 먹고 있어요? Are you eating well? These words just flew out of my mouth when my language partner called me up yesterday around midnight Seoul time and told me how stressed he was because of his midterm exams and endless applications for summer internships. Without knowing it, I instantly went into complete noona-mode and started…
-
Happy Black Day
Today is April 14, also called Black Day or 블랙데이 in Korean. Those familiar with Korean popular culture will know that the 14th of every month is some kind of “couples day”. In the west, we are mostly familiar with Valentine’s day on February 14 but Koreans have taken it a step further by introducing all the…
-
Korean election day
Today is general election day in Korea and also a national holiday so everyone will have a chance to cast their vote. This is not the presidential election, which will take place next year. Today, on the other hand, is the day when Koreans decide who to put in the national assembly. In the spirit of this…
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Sofie to Korea 