{"id":6236,"date":"2019-01-12T00:33:54","date_gmt":"2019-01-12T05:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/korean\/?p=6236"},"modified":"2019-01-12T00:35:07","modified_gmt":"2019-01-12T05:35:07","slug":"most-common-mistakes-by-native-koreans-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/korean\/most-common-mistakes-by-native-koreans-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Most Common Mistakes by Native Koreans (Part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I once had to take a Korean language test for work. The test aimed to evaluate my grammar skills in written Korean. I did fine in Korean classes in school, so I blindly thought that I should pass the test. However, I failed the test. I was little embarrassed to tell anyone because I have been speaking Korean all my life even though I am not a professional linguist. As a purpose of taking a test is to help test-takers to learn, I learned a lot from the test. Since then, I try to write accurate Korean even when I text to friends.<\/p>\n

\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/en\/homework-school-problem-number-2521144\/\"

Image by Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Believe or not, I sometimes use a dictionary to make sure my grammar is correct. Since spacing words incorrectly can change the meaning, my focus in checking grammar is to review spacing words.<\/p>\n

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  1. \ud55c\uc794<\/strong> vs \ud55c \uc794 <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Most Koreans I know enjoy drinking after work. It is common in Korea to grab a beer with co-workers after work and most Koreans find camaraderie from attending \ud68c\uc2dd(Hweo-sik: employee afterwork gathering\/party). If you work with Koreans, one of your co-workers might ask you to have some drinks after work. They might ask you a phrase like \u201c\ud55c\uc794 \ud560\ub798? (han-jan-hal-rae?: do you want to grab a drink?\u201d) It is literally translated \u201cdo you want a cup of glass?\u201d, which asks you if you want to have a couple of drinks with them.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Here \u2018\ud55c\uc794\u2019 can be used interchangeably with \u2018\ud55c \uc794\u2019by most native Koreans. However, \u2018\ud55c\uc794\u2019 is a correct word when you ask someone to join drinking with you.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    In fact, \u2018\ud55c\uc794\u2019 is one word and it is a noun. It literally means a small amount of beverage, especially alcohol or tea, but it is replaced as ‘drinking’. Therefore \u201c\ud55c\uc794 \ud560\ub798?\u201d is translated as \u201cdo you want to drink?<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/en\/drinks-alcohol-cocktails-alcoholic-2578446\/\"

    Image by Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

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    1. \ub9c8\uc2dc\ub2e4 vs\u00a0<\/strong>\uba39\ub2e4<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      My husband, who is not a native Korean, often corrects me when I say \u201c\ubb3c \uba39\ub2e4.\u201d(Mool-mok-dah: eat water) No one had ever pointed out this mistake until my husband did because many Koreans would use \uba39\ub2e4(mok-dah: to eat) interchangeably with \ub9c8\uc2dc\ub2e4(mah-si-dah: to drink). Especially, when referring to drinking water.<\/p>\n

      Although my husband is technically correct. \ub9c8\uc2dc\ub2e4 means to drink, not to eat. You drink water, not eat water. Therefore, I should say \u201c \ubb3c \ub9c8\uc2dc\ub2e4.(mool-mah-si-dah: drink water)\u201d\u00a0 Instead \u201c\ubb3c \uba39\ub2e4. (Mool-mok-dah: eat water)\u201d I would never have noticed that I\u2019ve been speaking incorrectly until this foreigner corrected me.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

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      1. \uc548 \ub41c\ub2e4 vs\u00a0<\/strong>\uc548\ub41c\ub2e4<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        This is another common mistake related to spacing words. If you look it up a dictionary, \u2018\uc548 \ub41c\ub2e4\u2019 has many meanings, such as:<\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/em>should<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>not<\/em>\u00a0(<\/em>do<\/em>),\u00a0<\/em>ought<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>not<\/em>\u00a0to,\u00a0<\/em>shall<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>not<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>don<\/em>‘t,\u00a0be\u00a0forbidden\/prohibited,\u00a0be\u00a0not\u00a0allowed, be\u00a0not\u00a0supposed\u00a0to, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        As you noticed, the underlying concept of \u2018\uc548 \ub41c\ub2e4\u2019 is \u2018must\u00a0not\u2019 or \u2018be not supposed to.\u00a0 Let\u2019s take examples:<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n