Dialogue

Vocabulary (Review)

Learn New Words FAST with this Lesson’s Vocab Review List

Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Notes

Unlock In-Depth Explanations & Exclusive Takeaways with Printable Lesson Notes

Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Keith: It's Impossible to Study Korean with All That Noise! In this lesson, you will learn how to say you're not very good at something.
Misun: Like not good at, 잘 못해요.
Keith: This conversation takes place…
Misun: On the street
Keith: The conversation is between…
Misun: A foreigner and a Korean person.
KeithL: The speakers are strangers, so they’ll be speaking formal Korean.
Misun: 네. 존댓말이요.
Keith: All right. Let’s listen to the conversation.

Lesson conversation

예린 외국 사람이에요?
빌리 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못해요.
예린 외국 사람이네요!
빌리 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못해요.
English Host: One more time with the English.
예린 외국 사람이에요?
Keith: Are you a foreigner?
빌리 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못해요.
Keith: Sorry. I don't speak Korean well.
예린 외국 사람이네요!
Keith: You are a foreigner!
빌리 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못해요.
Keith: Sorry. I don't speak Korean well.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Misun: Keith, what's the perception of foreigners in Korea?
Keith: Well, if you look different than Koreans, you might be a spectacle to some kids.
Misun: Right, Korea is the most homogeneous country in the world, right?
Keith: So if you look different, you'll get some looks.
Misun: That’s right. But recently, there's been a lot more foreigners in Korea.
Keith: Yeah. There's the American military, and a lot of English teachers in Korea, too.
Misun: Absolutely. There's also a lot of Chinese and Japanese people that come to Korea. For example, like to tour and work or something like that.
Keith: Right. I mean, not just those countries, there’s a bunch of people. So in the past few years, there has been a larger influx of foreigners in Korea. So Misun, just a quick question, what was your perceptions of foreigners in Korea when you were a kid?
Misun: Oh. Well, when I was young, like, wherever I look, it’s just there’s military people, and then missionary personal nurse like Mormons, walking on the street. And then I was so fascinated by their look. It’s so exotic and very handsome.
Keith: Everyone’s so good-looking.
Misun: Right. They’re totally different from what I got, right? So it’s kind of like a strange feeling.
Keith: But I think recently, since there’s a lot more people, I think Korean people are getting used to foreigners being in Korea now.
Misun: 네. So no difference at all now.
Keith: Well, I think there is a difference but just a little less. All right, well, let’s take a look at the vocabulary.
VOCAB LIST
Misun: 외국 사람 [natural native speed]
Keith: Foreigner.
Misun: 외국 사람 [slowly - broken down by syllable]. 외국 사람 [natural native speed].
Keith: Next.
Misun: 죄송합니다 [natural native speed]
Keith: I'm sorry.
Misun: 죄송합니다 [slowly - broken down by syllable]. 죄송합니다 [natural native speed]
Keith: Next is…
Misun: 한국말 [natural native speed].
Keith: Korean (language)
Misun: 한국말 [slowly - broken down by syllable]. 한국말 [natural native speed].
Keith: And finally…
Misun: 잘 못해요 [natural native speed].
Keith: Not very good at.
Misun: 잘 못해요 [slowly - broken down by syllable]. 잘 못해요 [natural native speed].
KEY VOCABULARY AND PHRASES
Keith: All right. Well, let's take a look at some of the words and phrases from this lesson.
Misun: The first phrase we’ll look at is, 죄송합니다.
Keith: I'm sorry.
Misun: This is the most formal and most polite way to say sorry to someone.
Keith: Right, there are a couple of other forms. Like the informal.
Misun: Yea, You wouldn't use 죄송합니다 with a close friend. It's too polite. If you were talking to a good friend, you could say 미안해.
Keith: Yeah, it's informal, but still apologetic. So who would we use 죄송합니다 with?
Misun: We would use it with bosses, teachers, the elderly person, et cetera.
Keith: Right. Essentially the people you have to respect.
Misun: 네 맞아요.
Keith: All right. Our next word is “foreigner.”
Misun: 외국사람.
Keith: And many people may hear this word, but there's another word people might hear as well.
Misun: 네. 외국인.
Keith: Can we have that a little slowly?
Misun: 네, 외/국/인
Keith: And this essentially means the same thing, 외국사람 and 외국인.
Misun: 네. Both mean foreigner.
Keith: All right. Well, let’s move on to the focus of this lesson.

Lesson focus

Misun: The focus of this lesson is the phrase 잘 못 해요.
Keith: 잘 못 해요 (jal mot haeyo) is a phrase that is used to express one's lack of adequate ability, not very good at.
Misun: Yes, It's translated as "not very good at."
Keith: And just 잘 못 해요 is in the standard politeness level. It is polite and conversational. Well, Misun, let's take a look at the one example that came out in this lesson.
Misun: The foreigner said, 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못 해요.
Keith: "Sorry. I don't speak Korean well."
Misun: The first part is 한국말.
Keith: Korean.
Misun: And the second part is 잘 못 해요.
Keith: Which is literally “not good at.”
Misun: So literally it's “Korean, not good at.”
Keith: But when we translate it, it means “I'm not good at speaking Korean.”
Misun: But instead of this one example, how about we give some other useful example, Keith?
Keith: Sure! How about "I'm not good at sports." Some people might find this useful.
Misun: Yes. That would be 스포츠 잘 못 해요.
Keith: Right. Notice how the thing you're not good at, Korean or sports, it all comes in the front of the phrase, 잘 못해요.
Misun: Another example we can give is 운전 잘 못 해요.
Keith: "I'm not good at driving."
Misun: Again. Driving comes out in front.
Keith: The word for driving is 운전. This next example is specifically for me.
Misun: You mean, 공부 잘 못 해요?
Keith: "I'm not a very good student." But literally, that's I'm not good at studying.
Misun: This might be useful for some of our listeners, 술 잘 못 마셔요.
Keith: "I have low tolerance." Or literally, I'm not good at drinking. Why would that be useful Misun?
Misun: Korean culture tends to use alcohol quite often for social situations.
Keith: Right. So if you’re not that fun of drinking, you can kindly refuse drinks with that phrase.
Misun: Yes. Okay. So we went over 잘 못해요, which means “I'm not very good at.”
Keith: But you can use just 잘 on its own to say that you're good at something.
Misun: Yup. For example, 한국말 잘 해요.
Keith: I'm good at Korean.
Misun: Or, 태권도 잘 해요.
Keith: I'm good at taekwondo.
Misun: Notice how the phrase 잘 못 해요 becomes just 잘 해요.
Keith: Right. And that means “you’re good at something.”
Misun: We can also change the phrase 잘 못 해요 again.
Keith: Right. We can say just say 못 해요.
Misun: 네 맞아요. This means that you can’t do something.
Keith: For example?
Misun: 중국어 못 해요.
Keith: "I can't speak Chinese." And this one is stronger. Instead of “I'm not good at,” it's pretty clear – “I can't.”
Misun: 네 맞아요. Or if you don't have a license, 운전 못 해요.
Keith: That means, "I can't drive."

Outro

Keith: Well, that just about does it for today, bye-bye.
Misun: 안녕히 계세요 여러분. (Annyeonghaseyo yeoreobun).

Grammar

Korean Grammar Made Easy - Unlock This Lesson’s Grammar Guide

Easily master this lesson’s grammar points with in-depth explanations and examples. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Comments

Hide