Archive for the year 2008
JJimjilbang (찜질방)Part 1 Posted by Ginny on Oct 22, 2008
Today’s topic will be on Korean saunas or jjimjilbang (찜질방). Korean saunas are quite enjoyable. I always recommend my students to try it at least once, especially if they’re ever stopping by in Korea. Jjimjilbang’s(찜질방) vary in size and quality. Usually the most basic jjimjilbang’s (찜질방) charge about 10 U.S. dollars or less, while the…
Boshintang (보신탕) Posted by Ginny on Oct 22, 2008
What is boshintang (보신탕)? For those of you who have a weak stomach, read at your own risk… Boshintang (보신탕) is a Korean stew that is infamous for its primary ingredient. Can you guess what it is? I’ll give you a hint. It’s man’s best friend, but it’s not the horse. If you haven’t guessed it already the…
Korean Pronunciation for English Words Posted by Transparent Language on May 22, 2008
I’ll have fries with that! “French fries 주세요 juseyo,” I said to the cashier at 버거 킹 beogeo king. Her only response was a confused look. I repeated myself. She tried to follow my line of vision to locate what I was looking at on the overhead menu. It was written in Korean, so I…
Hwaiting: ‘Fighting’ Posted by Transparent Language on May 22, 2008
Far from a battle cry, 화이팅 hwaiting is a commonly used word of encouragement, as well as a cheer. I’m told it made its way into Korean from its obvious English origin via the Japanese—and hence the unusual pronunciation. Language purists insist that it should be spelled 파이팅 paiting to reflect a closer approximation to…