Lesson Transcript

Hi, everyone. Welcome to Ask K-jin. My name is K-jin. 안녕하세요(annyeonghaseyo). K-jin입니다(K-jinimnida). In this series, I'll answer your Korean questions. So if you have any questions, please let me know by clicking the link in the description. Or you can go to koreanclass101.com/ask-K-jin. So ask me any questions.
Today I picked questions related to formal Korean words.
What's the difference between 나(na) and 저(jeo)? Both means the same thing, 'Me' in Korean, but 나(na) is casual and 저(jeo) is polite and formal, honorific. 나(na) vs 저(jeo).
And in Korean, there are some more words like this. For example, 우리(uri). 우리(uri) means 'our' or 'us'. 우리(uri). 우리(uri). But when you talk about 'our', 'us', to someone who is at a higher social status than you, you will use this word, 저희(jeohui).
For example, I have five friends. We are all the same age and I want to talk about us to my grandparents. Our favorite candy is this, or our favorite thing is this. In that case, we wouldn't use 우리(uri). 우리가 제일 좋아하는 것은(uriga jeil joahaneun geoseun). We wouldn't use 우리(uri). Instead, we will use 저희(jeohui), 저희(jeohui), 저희(jeohui).
But imagine I'm talking exactly the same thing to my younger sister, then I wouldn't use 저희(jeohui). 저희(jeohui). 저희가 제일 좋아하는 것(jeohuiga jeil joahaneun geot). No, 저희(jeohui). Too formal. I would just use 우리(uri), 우리(uri), 우리(uri), 우리(uri).
And another thing is 그 사람(geu saram) or, oops, 그 분(geu bun). 그 사람(geu saram). 그(geu) means 'that'. 사람(saram) means 'person'. So 'that person' is 그 사람(geu saram). 그 사람(geu saram).
But imagine the person is my boss. So I wouldn't use 그 사람(geu saram). Instead, I will use 그 분(geu bun). Even if I'm not talking to my boss directly, I'm still referring to that person who is higher social status than me. So instead of 그 사람(geu saram), I use 그 분(geu bun), which sounds more formal, more formal.
Here is the second question. What is the difference between 먹다(meokda) and 드시다(deushida)?
Both of them means 'to eat', but the difference is again the politeness level. So let's see. 친구가 피자를 먹어요(chinguga pijareul meogeoyo), 친구가 피자를 먹어요(chinguga pijareul meogeoyo). This 먹어요(meogeoyo) is using the form 먹다(meokda), 먹다(meokda), 먹다(meokda), to eat.
My friends is eating a pizza. So my friends, well, I don't have to use so much formal words for my friends. So I'm using the word 먹다(meokda).
But my boss is eating pizza now. 사장님께서 피자를 드세요(sajangnimkkeseo pijareul deuseyo). I'm using the word 드시다(deusida). 드시다(deusida). Because my boss is someone I have to show my respect to. So I don't use 먹다(meokda), but instead I use 드시다(deusida).
Just like this, we have several verbs that has two forms to mean just one same thing. For example, 자다(jada) and 주무시다(jumushida). 자다(jada), 자다(jada), to sleep. And 주무시다(jumushida). It means 'to sleep' too.
But the different thing is my friends can 자다(jada), 자다(jada). My friends can just sleep using the word 자다(jada). But someone who is much older than me, maybe I would say my grandmother is sleeping. I will use this word. 할머니께서 주무세요(halmeonikkeseo jumuseyo). And 친구가 자요(chinguga jayo).
So depending on the subject, who is doing that action, if it's a someone who I can talk casually, then it's 자다(jada). But the subject that I'm talking about right now, I'm referring to right now, is someone that I have to show my respect. Then I say 주무시다(jumushida).
We also have this word 있다(itta) and 계시다(gyeshida). 있다(itta) and 계시다(gyeshida). For example, My younger brother is at home. 동생이 집에 있어요(dongsaengi jibe isseoyo). Using the word 있다(itta), 있다(itta), 'to stay' or 'to be'. 있다(itta). 있다(itta).
아빠가(appaga) or 아버지가 집에 계세요(abeojiga jibe gyeseyo). 계세요(gyeseyo). Using the word 계시다(gyeshida). 'To stay' or 'to be'. My father is at home. He's someone who is much older than me, so I'm using the polite word. Even if I'm not talking to my father directly, whenever I refer to someone who I have to show my respect, then I use this polite word.
Another example is 말하다(malhada). Or 말씀하시다(malsseumhashida). 말하다(malhada). My friends, my younger siblings can speak using this word. 말하다(malhada). 말하다(malhada). But my teacher, my boss, my professors does this word. 말씀하시다(malsseumhashida). 말씀하시다(malsseumhashida).
Another. 죽다(jukda). 돌아가시다(doragashida). For example, I'm raising some plants, but my plants died, so I can use this word. 죽다(jukda), 죽다(jukda). But my grandparents passed away, so I use this word. 돌아가시다(doragashida). So 죽다(jukda) is like to die and 돌아가시다(doragashida) is like to pass away.
Next. 주다(juda), 주다(juda). To give and 드리다(deurida). So I'm giving a present to my best friend. 주다(juda). 선물을 줘요(seonmureul jwoyo), 선물을 줘요(seonmureul jwoyo). But I'm giving a special present to my parents. 선물을 드리다(seonmureul deurida), 드리다(deurida). So I use a different word.
And we also have this. 묻다(mutda). 묻다(mutda). To ask. To ask. Or 여쭈다(yeojjuda). 여쭙다(yeojjubda). I use this word to ask someone who is like my boss, who is having a higher social status than me. So I don't ask them using 묻다(mutda), but I always 여쭈다(yeojjuda) or 여쭙다(yeojjubda). 여쭈다(yeojjuda) or 여쭙다(yeojjubda).
The other word is 만나다(mannada). I meet my friends or I meet my family. But 뵙다(boepda), 뵙다(boepda). I meet my boss in the meeting. 뵙다(boepda), 뵙다(boepda). So both of them means to meet.
So please be careful. In Korea, we have some verbs like this, but there are not too many. I already introduced how many of them? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, today, eight. We only have eight common ones. There can be some more, but other than that, most of them are okay. You can use just a normal verb and just conjugate with another thing in fixed, which you will learn in the future. But anyway, politeness level is very important in Korea.
Here's the last question. What is the difference between 생일(saengil) and 생신(saengshin)? Both means birthday. But if it's my birthday or my friend's birthday or my younger sibling's birthday, then it's 생일(saengil), 생일(saengil). But when I'm referring to someone else who is higher social status than me, and it's their birthday, then I wouldn't use 생일(saengil). I would use 생신(saengshin) instead.
So this word sounds more formal and it shows my respect towards this person. So 생신(saengshin). For example, I would say 생신(saengshin) for my boss or my teachers, professors, or my supervisors, or someone who is much, much older than me, like my grandparents. So 생일(saengil) and 생신(saengshin). That means the same, but the difference is the politeness level.
We have similar words like this. For example, 밥(bap) and 진지(jinji). 밥(bap) and 진지(jinji). Both means a meal. So I will ask my friends, 밥 먹었어(bap meogeosseo)? 밥 먹었어? 밥(bap), did you have a meal? Or did you eat something? 밥(bap), 밥(bap). But to someone who is much older than me, I will use this word 진지(jinji). 진지 잡수셨어요(jinji jabsusyeosseoyo)? 진지 잡수셨어요(jinji jabsusyeosseoyo)? Or I will also say 식사하셨어요(shiksa hasyeosseoyo)? 밥(bap) sounds very casual.
Another word is 집(jip) or 댁(daek). It means house or home. My friend's house is 친구 집(chingu jip). 친구(chingu) means friend, 집(jip) means house. So my friend's house is 친구 집(chingu jip). My teacher's house is 선생님 댁(seonsaengnim daek). 선생님(seonsaengnim) means teacher, 댁(daek) means house. 선생님 댁(seonsaengnim daek).
We also have this. 나이(nai), 연세(yeonse). Both means the same. It means age. I can ask my friend's age. 나이가 어떻게 돼(naiga eotteoke dwae)? 나이가 어떻게 돼(naiga eotteoke dwae)? What is your age? 연세(yeonse). 연세가 어떻게 되십니까(yeonsega eotteoke doeshimnikka)? 연세가 어떻게 되십니까? I will use this phrase to my grandparents or someone who is much older than me.
And lastly, we have this word. 이름(ireum) and 성함(seongham). 이름(ireum) and 성함(seongham). Both means name. For example, 이름이 뭐야(ireumi mwoya)?
이름이 뭐야(ireumi mwoya)? I met my friend's friend who is similar age as me. So I'm asking their name. What is your name? 이름이 뭐야(ireumi mwoya)?
But I'm at a business meeting. I have to ask my client's name. I wouldn't use 이름. Instead, I will use this word 성함(seongham). 성함이 어떻게 되십니까(seonghami eotteoke doesimnikka)?
So we have some nouns like this. Some words means exactly the same thing, but the politeness level is different. There are not so many words, so please don't worry. There are only a few like this. So when you come across it, please remember and use them correctly.
That's it for this lesson. Today, I answered three questions about topics related to formal Korean words. Thanks for watching. I'm K-jin, and I'll see you on KoreanClass101.com.
다음 시간에 봐요(daeum shigane bwayo).

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