How To Self Teach A New Language 

존댓말 and 반말

This lesson is to learn the differences between 존댓말 and 반말. In addition to that you will learn some Korean honorifics.

There are three politeness levels in Korean. Here is an example of them:

Words ending with -ᄇ니다 are the most polite/ formal. (존댓말)

Words ending with -아요, 어요, 여요 are slightly less formal but still polite. (존댓말)

Words ending with -아, 어, 여 are informal and far more casual. (반말)

Some examples:

고맙습니다 - 고마워요 - 고마워 (Thank you)

반갑습니다 - 반가워요 - 반가워 (Nice to meet you)

알겠습니다 - 알겠어요 - 알겠어 (I understand)

When to use 존댓말 and 반말

You must use 존댓말 if:

The person you are speaking to is older than you

The person you are speaking to you did not give you permission to use 반말 with them

You don’t know or just met the person you are speaking to

You are in a professional environment

You can use 반말 if:

The person you are speaking to if younger than you

The person you are speaking to is older but gave you permission to use 반말 with them

You are the same age as the person you are speaking to

You are writing or speaking to yourself

How to change 존댓말 to 반말

Luckily it is relatively easy to change 존댓말 to 반말. Here’s how:

Present tense:

-아/어/여요 —> -아/어/여

-이에요 / -예요 –> -이야 / -야

Past tense:

-았/었/였어요 —> -았/었/였어

Future tense:

-(으)ᄅ 거예요 –> -(으)ᄅ 거야

Honorifics Vocab:

씨 is added after someone’s name to politely address them.

아줌마 is used to address middle-aged women.

아저씨 is used to address middle-aged men.

선생님 is used to address your senior at work, school, etc… It can also mean “teacher” and “doctor.”

후배 is used to talk about someone who is your junior at work or school. However, you don’t address them as this directly.

언니 is used only by females. This literally means “older sister” but can be used to addressed other older females.

누나 is only used by males. Like 언니, it means “older sister” and can be used to address older females.

오빠 is only used by female. It means “older brother” but can be used to address other older males.

형 is only used by males. It means “older brother” but can be used to address other older males.

More ways to learn:

Video by GO! Billy Korean

Lesson by Talk to Me in Korean

Lesson by kstreet Manila

I like Marie Kondo because I’m so used to all the rhetoric around “decluttering” or “tidying up” being about how it’s somehow immoral to own things and that we need to burn our possessions and all live in sterile minimalist Hell in a plain white apartment with a deck chair and one potted plant.

So I like hearing the tidy lady tell me that yes I should live in a hovel with a bunch of linguistics books and dragon statues and here are some ways to keep the hovel clean and orderly while I lurk in it.

It’s so refreshing.

life works out. i cannot stress this enough. life always works out. it always turns out in your favor even if it doesn’t go according to the original plan. you may be utterly confused and lost right now, it may feel like everything is falling apart and there is nothing you can do to salvage any of it. but believe me when i say that this is just a transition period. things are constantly changing and evolving around you even if you can’t actively see that. life is changing you to prepare you for what is to come. you are growing and as you grow you are being built into the person that you are going to be. because see, life always has this funny way of working out. 

how did they learn to translate languages into other languages how did they know which words meant what HOW DID TH

One of the more profound things I’ve heard recently came from a Mr. Rogers documentary. In a clip from his show, Mr. Rogers had just visited with a musician, and tells his audience that some people play music, and some people don’t, and that’s okay.

And then he said, “The important thing is to find something you feel good about doing.”

That phrasing struck me. “Something you feel good about doing”. Most people would have phrased it as “something you enjoy doing”. Or “something you’re good at doing”. But Mr. Rogers’ subtly different phrasing leads to a profoundly different connotation. “Something you feel good about doing” may not be enjoyable–people who work in hospitals or in disaster zones might not enjoy much of their day, but they probably feel good about helping people. “Something you feel good about doing“ may not be something you’re particularly good at–you may be a terrible artist by any objective standard, but if you feel good about making your art, then it’s a worthwhile endeavor. Looking for “something you feel good about doing” can help you find a truly satisfying life path.

That phrase is also helpful with daily decision-making. Too often, I can make choices based on “what feels good.” I put aside tasks that are too stressful or avoid activities that seem too difficult, in favor of mindlessly browsing the internet. And I enjoy myself. I feel good while I’m doing that. But at the end of the day, I don’t feel good about how I spent my time. However, reminding myself to do “something I feel good about doing” can motivate me to accomplish those more difficult tasks. It can push me to do something outside of my comfort zone, to try something new that I might not be much good at. And maybe this is a blindingly obvious philosophy to everyone else. But I’m grateful for the reminder. 

En Anglais, on ne dit pas “quatre vingt dix neuf”, on dit “ninety nine” qu'on pourrait traduire comme “Hurr durr, regardez mois, j'ai un système de numérotation fonctionnel” et je crois que c'est magnifique.

You’re doing great :))

“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (via books-n-quotes)

so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god