Korean Lunar New Year, MANNAM.

설날: 새해 복 많이 받으세요!

         Korean Lunar New Year: All the best wished to you in a new year.

When you see the calendar produced in Korea, you will see the red number that are printed underneath the big black dates. Those red numbers are date that counted in according to circulation of Moon. Based on Korean tradition, we have our own Korean Lunar New Year according to moon, and we celebrate it every year.

For 2014, 30^th, January was Korean New Year according to Lunar Calendar. There are greeting we share on New Year, that is ‘새해 복 많이 받으세요.’ When you break down the each word, ‘새‘ means ‘new’ and ‘해’ means ‘year’ or ‘sun’, altogether it means ‘new year.’  ‘복’ means ‘blessing.’ You might had heard of this term ‘많이’ which means ‘many.’ Lastly, ‘받으세요’ is an honorifics form of ‘받다’ which has a meaning of ‘to receive.’  

When it is literally translated, it means ‘Have (receive) many blessing for new year. ’

Korean Lunar New Year is ‘설날’ in Korean. In 설날(Seol-Nal), families gathered together and share the words of blessing that wishes good luck for each member.

Other than this, we also say 새해에 더욱 건강하세요.

Let’s break this sentence down together.

Hope you can remember the word ‘새해’that we just learnt. Yes, it means ‘new year.’ ‘더욱’ means ‘more’, ‘increasingly’ and ‘more and more.’ 건강 means ‘health.’ 하세요

Is an honorific form of ‘하다’ which has a meaning of ‘to do’ in verb.

Pronunciation: 새해에 (Sae-Hae Ae) 더욱 (Deo-Yuk) 건강하세요(Gun-Gang Ha-Sae-Yo.) Now, could you put all the words together to make one complete sentence?

You can see the complete translation when you draw the empty space after sentence below

새해에 더욱 건강하세요 ‘Wish you be much healthier on new year.’

It is a blessing greeting for your friends and family to stay healthy.

Beginning of year is always excited. Perhaps you already made many new plans for 2014, or are making plans that didn’t work very well on last year. Either way, we hope you to have joyful and meaning year for 2014. Let’s fill out our new calendar with exciting and wonderful memories. It would be much more meaningful if you share your memory with your friends in MANNAM too. Hope you and I, everyone to have happier year. 새해 복 많이 받으세요~

단어 Vocabulary

설날	음력	새해
Korean Lunar New Year	lunar calendar	New Year
복	많이	건강
Blessing	many	health

[MANNAM] MANNAM friends! Korean 열공하삼!

[MANNAM] MANNAM friends! Korean 열공하삼!

New words have appeared since technology developed recently. In the modern society, time and speed is the key for success. People communicate with texts and messages, so words transformed into a short way. To send messages as short as they can, but it has to have all the meaning what the sender wants, words had to change also. This happens not only in Korean but also in English and with other languages. But let’s check about Korean shorten words.

1. 열공하다 = 열심히 공부하다

(공부하다 study 열심히 hard)

2. 즐감하삼 = 즐겁게 감상하세요

(~삼 is a slang of saying ~하세요 감상하다 admire 즐겁게 joyful)

3. 안물 = 안 물어봤어요

(안 didn’t 물어보다 ask something)

4. 빨리 = 82(팔이: It has the similar pronunciation)

5. 안습 = 안구에 습기 차다

(안구 = 눈알 eye ball, 습기 humid, 차다 filled with)

6. 흠좀무 = 흠..이게 사실이라면 좀 무섭겠군요?

(흠 hum 좀 little, a bit 무섭다 scary, Hum.. If this is true it is a bit scary)

7. 지못미 = 지켜주지 못해서 미안해

(지키다 protect 못 can’t 미안하다 sorry, Sorry I couldn’t protect you)

8. 완소 = 완전 소중하다

(완전 very, much 소중하다 precious)

9. 볼매 = 볼수록 매력 있다

(보다 see 매력 있다 have attraction The more I see you the more you attract me)

10. 불금 = 불타는 금요일

(불 fire 금요일 Friday, Burning(Hot) Friday)

If we use shorten words, maybe we can understand the words that people say recently, but it is the start of transforming our beautiful language into an unknown form. Don’t you want to 열공 in MANNAM? Still there are many words that are made by people still now as we speak. Learn the words and the origins correctly. Be a friend who can make jokes with Korean friends. That will be 완소 & 볼매 friend! It is possible in MANNAM Korean class!

MANNAM Korean class: That’s what he said!

MANNAM Korean class: That’s what he said!

 David has a younger sister. He is worried about her because she has flu these days. Mike asks David why he has a long face. David answers it is because of his sister. After the conversation, they went back to their business. Nancy is a co worker who works with David and Mike. Nancy noticed that David has worries too. So she comes up to Mike and asks, “David seems that he has worries these days. Do you know about anything?” “Yeah, he said his sister is sick. That’s what he said to me.” Mike said.

 Mike told Nancy about the fact that he heard. In Korean, there are some postpositional particles that make differences according to what kind of sentence the speaker says. If we translate what Mike said in Korean, it will be like “네, 그의 동생이 아프다고 했어요.”

‘동생이 아프다(Sister is sick)’ is the fact. If I am the person who is passing the news, I have to use the postpositional particle ‘~다고’. Not every particle is like this though. There are four kinds of this kind of particle depending what kind of sentence is used.

1.     Declarative sentence: ~다고

If A speaks in a declarative sentence, B listens to this and have to use ‘~다고’ to C.

Ex) ‘He said he was sick.’ ☞ ‘그는 아팠었다고 말했어요.’

2.     Interrogative sentence: ~냐고(느냐고)

To speak ‘~느냐고’ is a right way in grammar, but since people use just ‘~냐고’ it is established by Korean grammar that it is okay.

Ex) ‘He asked me if I am busy.’ ☞ ‘그는 나에게 바쁘냐고 물어봤어요.’

3.     ‘Let’s do ~’ sentence: ~자고

Ex) ‘He said let’s go on a picnic.’ ☞ ‘그는 소풍을 가자고 했어요.’

4.     Noun: ~(이)라고

 Ex) ‘He told me that is a flower.’ ☞ ‘그는 저것이 꽃이라고 말해 줬어요.’

Now that you have learned, do you know the difference between the four postpositional particles? Just knowing by your head is no use though. In MANNAM Korean class we also have the opportunity to speak each other to use it in real life. You can be like Mike who can choose and speak the right postpositional particles. Join MANNAM Korean class and be fluent!

MANNAM Korean class: Spelling system of Hangul(한글 맞춤법)2

MANNAM Korean class: Spelling system of Hangul(한글 맞춤법)2

 No matter which language you learn, leaning a language is difficult. You have to know the rules of grammar, vocabularies, and words that people use because of culture. Korean has a feature that people say. ‘아침에 글을 배우면 저녁에 쓸 수 있다(If you learn the character in the morning, you can write it in the afternoon).’ Do you agree this sentence? Well, this can be a little exaggerated, but actually I saw many of my friends learn Korean fast. This is possible when I learn and know the Hangul by the first step at a step. This is the other basics that we have to know about Hangul.

 Chapter 2 is about the alphabets. In Hangul the alphabets are twenty four totals, and the order and names are like this.

ㄱ(기역), ㄴ(니은), ㄷ(디귿), ㄹ(리을), ㅁ(미음), ㅂ(비읍), ㅅ(시옷), ㅇ(이응), ㅈ(지읒), ㅊ(치읓), ㅋ(키읔), ㅌ(티읕), ㅍ(피읖), ㅎ(히읗)

ㅏ(아), ㅑ(야), ㅓ(어), ㅕ(여), ㅗ(오), ㅛ(요), ㅜ(우), ㅠ(유), ㅡ(으), ㅣ(이)

Especially, when you pronounce ‘ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅅ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅎ’ make sure you pronounce it correctly. Even Koreans get confused when they pronounce this.

Addition 1, the sounds that we can’t pronounce with the alphabets above, we double the alphabets and the order and names are like this.

< Compound consonants >

ㄲ(쌍기역), ㄸ(쌍디귿), ㅃ(쌍비읍), ㅆ(쌍시옷), ㅉ(쌍지읒)

< Compound vowels >

ㅐ(애), ㅒ(얘), ㅔ(에), ㅖ(예), ㅘ(와), ㅙ(왜), ㅚ(외), ㅝ(워), ㅞ(웨), ㅟ(위), ㅢ(의)

Addition 2, the orders of the alphabet is like this in the dictionary.

< The orders of Hangul alphabets in the dictionary >

1.     Consonants

 ㄱ, ㄲ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄸ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅃ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅉ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ

2.     Vowels

ㅏ, ㅐ, ㅑ, ㅒ, ㅓ, ㅔ, ㅕ, ㅖ, ㅗ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅟ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅢ, ㅣ

 Once you learn the basics of Hangul, you can progress your study easily. The important things are in your mind. If you think that it is easy, and try hard for it, you can achieve it easily. If you think you can not, that brings the same conclusion. So let’s learn the basics in MANNAM Korean class! Here you can learn not only Korean but also love. Make yourself who IS the person that writes in the afternoon. In MANNAM it is possible!

MANNAM! This & That? 이거 & 그거 & 저거?

MANNAM! This & That? 이거 & 그거 & 저거?

We usually use word ‘this & that’ instead of saying all the objects.

Same as Korean. However, Koreans use three different pointing words.

If you know them, it will help you to understand more than before.

*In this case, let’s say there are least two people speaking

#이(i) N = This N (Object is nearby the speaker)

#그(geu) N = That N(Object is nearby the listener)

#저(jeo) N = That N(Object is far from both speaker and listener)

#것/거(geot,geo) = Thing / 사람(saram) = Person / 곳(got) = Place

*You add 이/그/저+Noun to point something

Ex) 이 곳은 만남이에요 : This place is MANNAM

Ex) 그 것은 우리거예요 : That is our’s

Ex) 저 사람은 우리 친구예요 : That person is our friend

#Tip!

이거/그거/저거 뭐예요? (igeo/geugeo/jeogeo meo yeyo)

=What is this/that?

Learn more in MANNAM KOREAN CLASS:)

MANNAM Korean class: Spelling system of Hangul(한글 맞춤법)1

MANNAM Korean class: Spelling system of Hangul(한글 맞춤법)1

 Foreigners who learn Hangul say that ‘Korean has a very difficult grammar and a way of spelling the words.’ That can be true, but once you get to know the spelling system it can be easier to write Korean. In MANNAM Korean class, we learned about the rules about this system. Hope other people who learn Korean as a foreign language can advance their Korean skills by reading this post.

 Systems are made because people need a rule to get organized. The rules of Korean orthography is made to speak, write, read clearly when we communicate. It was regulated by writing Korean in Korean. 1933, Korean language society established < Unified draft in Korean spelling system >. After correcting and supplementing < Spelling system of Hangul > was made and used starting from March 1^st 1989.

 The first chapter is general provisions. Starting from the first line, it says ‘In Korean spelling system we write standard language but the rule is to write it in the right grammar.’ Second line, every word from the sentence follows the rule of word spacing. Third, loanwords have to follow ‘loanword orthography’.

 Let’s examine the first chapter more. The first line has three meanings. Standard language is the subject in spelling system. We write as same as we speak (Phoneticism). For example, we speak ‘상추(Sangcho: lettuce), 아름다워(Arumdawo: Beautiful)’ and write the same as we speak. ‘We write in a right way depending on the grammar (Write in meanings).’ Like, 꽃에(Koche: at a flower), 꽃잎(Konip: floral leaf), 먹는(mongnun: eating) / 꼬체, 꼰닙, 멍는[Pronunciation]. Phoneticism is a way to write words same as we read, but even though it is a same word, the pronunciation can be different by the environment. So it is hard to understand, and it is hard to read. On the other hand, writing by the meanings can make one word in one conception, but as we try to maintain the original form, it differs with the pronunciation. 지붕(집+웅/Gibung: roof), 무덤(묻+엄/Mudoum: grave) is the example.

 When you learn Korean, you can’t learn it just by remembering it. You have to know the rule that maintains the form of grammar. It is tricky to learn Korean but by knowing the system and the rules can be a big help. In MANNAM Korean class, we learn not only the words from Korean books we learn how to communicate well. Join and let’s learn more in MANNAM Korean class!

MANNAM: Follow your friend to MANNAM! Not Gangnam!

MANNAM: Follow your friend to MANNAM! Not Gangnam!

 Since ‘Gangnam style’ is popular these days, people all around the world now wonder where Gangnam is. Do you know where it is? It is an area in Seoul. Han River cut across Seoul, so it can be divided into 4 parts. It depends which way from the river you are standing. North, South, East, West of the river indicates Gangbuk(강북), Gangnam(강남), Gangdong(강동), Gangseo(강서). Many of the rich lives in Gangnam, like Beverly hills’ in the states. So if you say you live in Gangnam, it means you are a wealthy person.

 Actually ‘Gangnam’ is in one of Korea’s popular proverbs. Have you ever heard of “친구 따라 강남 간다(Chingu ddara Gangnam ganda)”? Translation is this, ‘follow your friend and go to Gangnam.’ Someone does something because his friend does it, not because it’s logical. In this case, Gangnam is not the place where we looked above. In the past, Korean said ‘the Yangtze’ for Gangnam. Koreans had to walk or sail a long way if they wanted to go to the Yangtze. So, if the place where I am going is farther, you can notice the person who follows his friend to Gangnam is indecisive. So, a person who can’t decide well is a person who follows his friend without his thoughts. Therefore, in this proverb, it asks you to be a person who can decide and speak your opinion! Don’t be a fool and just follow what others say.

You also can learn a different meaning in this proverb. If you are a person who can’t decide well, why don’t you follow a friend who is wiser than you? In this case, the results will be better than what I thought of. So make a good relationship with a good friend that can help you on your way. A wise friend is a precious gift that you can give to yourself. If it is a good case, maybe going to Gangnam with your friend is good after all.

 I have a good friend who led me to MANNAM. And I really appreciate him for doing so. Here, I can volunteer to the people and animal that needs my help without asking anything. Also I can become a really special person by helping others. MANNAM helps people who are in need, but not only them, but MANNAM also helps the volunteers become a necessary human being. Don’t go to Gangnam, come to MANNAM! In Gangnam you may become rich, but in MANNAM you can become rich by in the heart.