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Is hagwon countable or uncountable? |
Hagwons |
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Total Votes : 23 |
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Seon-bee
Joined: 24 Jan 2003 Location: ROK
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:45 am Post subject: hagwon: countable or uncountable? |
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In the K Times and K Herald and even on this site these days, "hagwon" is being used as an uncountable noun.
e.g.
institutions for teaching are called ``hagwon'' in Korea
There are over 32,000 such schools, commonly known as ``hagwon,'' across the country.
but English academies (a.k.a. hagwon) have come a long way.
I've always referred to them as "hagwons," with an S.
e.g. HagwonS employ teachers. HagwonS sometimes don't pay teachers.
Why? Because financial institutions are called bankS. Public facilities supporting education are called schoolS, places to borrow books are called librarieS. Incarceration centers are jailS. Food establishments are restaurantS. We view films at movie theaterS.
Why the missing S????
Is this a British peculiarity?
From the BC: "Briefly, the difference countable and uncountable nouns can be explained as follows:
Countable nouns are things we can count, and have both singular and plural forms:
A boy; two boys; a car; two cars
You can use a/an before countable nouns.
Uncountable nouns are things that we cannot count. They do not have a plural form:
Air, sand, ice, wisdom (NOT airs, sands, ices, wisdoms)."
Regards,
Steven Pinker Friendship Society |
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VanIslander

Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:52 am Post subject: |
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I work in a hagwon.
I've worked in two hagwons over the last five years.
Who are you to say I'm wrong? |
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CasperTheFriendlyGhost
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:02 am Post subject: |
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It's a Korean word. Koreans don't put the little s at the end of plurals. |
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ajuma

Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:10 am Post subject: |
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CasperTheFriendlyGhost wrote: |
It's a Korean word. Koreans don't put the little s at the end of plurals. |
BUT it's written as an English word, so it should have an "s". |
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faster

Joined: 03 Sep 2006
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:18 am Post subject: |
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Standard is not to "s"-pluralize non-English words that don't take s-pluralization in their native context. Once they've entered common English parlance, on the other hand, that standard no longer applies It could be argued that in the dialect of this board "hagwon" has been appropriated as an English word, I guess. |
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paquebot
Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Location: Northern Gyeonggi-do
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:18 am Post subject: |
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CasperTheFriendlyGhost wrote: |
It's a Korean word. Koreans don't put the little s at the end of plurals. |
I trust that you always spell the plural of bureau and plateau with an -x at the end? 
Last edited by paquebot on Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:18 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Seon-bee
Joined: 24 Jan 2003 Location: ROK
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:41 am Post subject: |
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Why can I find "PC roomS" and "PC BangS," both in plural, in a search?
Seems to me hagwonS ought to be countable, too. |
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CasperTheFriendlyGhost
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:02 am Post subject: |
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paquebot wrote: |
CasperTheFriendlyGhost wrote: |
It's a Korean word. Koreans don't put the little s at the end of plurals. |
I trust that you always spell the plural of bureau and plateau with an -x at the end?  |
I've never written either, actually. |
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CasperTheFriendlyGhost
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:05 am Post subject: |
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Seon-bee wrote: |
Why can I find "PC roomS" and "PC BangS," both in plural, in a search?
Seems to me hagwonS ought to be countable, too. |
I pretty sure you could find cummmmm! in a search too. I see no reason to reverse-konglish Korean words. But do what you will. |
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regicide
Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Location: United States
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:22 am Post subject: |
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ajuma wrote: |
CasperTheFriendlyGhost wrote: |
It's a Korean word. Koreans don't put the little s at the end of plurals. |
BUT it's written as an English word, so it should have an "s". |
In Hanguel, yes--it is a Korean word. When romanized and incorporated into the English language it becomes English. |
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CasperTheFriendlyGhost
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:40 am Post subject: |
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regicide wrote: |
ajuma wrote: |
CasperTheFriendlyGhost wrote: |
It's a Korean word. Koreans don't put the little s at the end of plurals. |
BUT it's written as an English word, so it should have an "s". |
In Hanguel, yes--it is a Korean word. When romanized and incorporated into the English language it becomes English. |
I'll remember that the next time I'm eating sushis. |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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One hagwon, two hagwon, three hagwon ..
One hagwon, two hagwons, three hagwons ..
Either way, its countable. |
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Intrepid
Joined: 13 May 2004 Location: Yongin
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:58 pm Post subject: A Dave's coinage |
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And that coinage particular to Dave's ESL? "unigwon"? I'd also say countable, although I don't think I've ever said the word. |
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dogshed

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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schwa wrote: |
One hagwon, two hagwon, three hagwon ..
One hagwon, two hagwons, three hagwons ..
Either way, its countable. |
Exactly. The lack of the S does not mean it's the mass form. |
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billybrobby

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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Hagwon is certainly countable, but I don't think they are being incorrect in this context because they are introducing the word. Imagine if you had no knowledge of Korean and you saw "hagwons". How would you know that the S is not part of the original word? Sure, you'd probably assume it, but for maximum clarity, it's best to leave it off. |
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