Question and Answer Sentences in the Standard and Deferential Polite Form Posted by Ginny on Oct 19, 2009
When you want to form a statement in the standar polite form, you stick 요 at the end of the sentence. For example, 이분 보라 씨예요. (이분 = this person. 보라 = Bora. 씨 = Ms. 예요 = copula ‘is’ in the standard polite form) would mean ‘This person is Ms. Bora’. Moreover, if I…
Korean Demonstratives Posted by Ginny on Oct 16, 2009
In English demonstratives would be words like ‘this’, ‘that’, or ‘over there’. In Korean, the demonstrative prefix for ‘this’ is 이, that = 그, that over there = 저. To be more specific, 이것 is used when the object is close to the speaker. Therefore a sentence like 이것은 제 책이에요 would mean that the 책…
Possessive Particle 의 Posted by Ginny on Oct 13, 2009
The particle 의 denotes possession. For example, the sentence 민지의 친구가 학생입니다 shows that Minji is doind the possessing. (민지 = Minji. 의 = possessive particle. 친구 = friend. 가 = subject marking particle. 학생 = student. 입니다 = copula ending in deferential polite form, in this sentence means ‘is’.) In English this sentence would…
Object Marking Particles Posted by Ginny on Oct 10, 2009
The object marking particles are 을 or 를 depending on whether the object is a word ending in a vowel or consonant. When the object ends in a vowel you’re going to use 를. Take a look at a sentence like this, 주니가 사과를 사요. 주니 = Juni. 가 = subject marking particle. 사과 =…
Gaecheonjeol Posted by Ginny on Oct 7, 2009
This year Gaecheonjeol (개천절) was overshadowed by the Chuseok festival. Gaecheonjeol is National Foundation Day. It celebrates the first state of the Korean nation. This year, the two holidays happened to be on the same day. The first official nation of Korea was called Gojoseon (고조선). There is archeaological evidence that the Gojoseon kingdom really existed…
Chuseok Posted by Ginny on Oct 4, 2009
The third of October this year was the Chuseok (추석) festival. The date changes every year for Chuseok on the solar calendar. However, on the lunar calendar Chuseok is always celebrated the fifteenth of August. Long ago, Chuseok was called Hangawee (한가위). Chuseok is an old festival that celebrates the autumn harvest. When Korea used…
Pansori Posted by Ginny on Sep 29, 2009
When I was a child, I had the pleasure of viewing a pansori (판소리) performance in Korea. Pansori (판소리) is a type of traditional Korean music using vocals and instruments. The singer of a Pansori (판소리) performance is called a 소리꾼. The 소리꾼 is usually accompanied by a drummer called a 고수. Both the singer…