Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dev]

Do you find spoken Korean to be harsh, melodic, aggressive, sweet,...?
For me, it's not a bad sounding language like Cantonese is, but especially when I hear K ladies talking, it doesn't sound polite, but rather harsh.

For this reason, I am a bit turned off from studying it.

What do you think?

[cheeseface]

Depends in what context and where it is spoken....

Do you mean Korean in Korean soap operas? Ajashes Arguing? Chatting with beauties? All languages have different sounds and tones in different situations.

[Dev]

I just mean when you hear the language spoken in public places like restaurants and coffee shops.

I heard some young women today in a restaurant and the intonation sounded to me like they were ordering each other around. I knew that wasn't the case, but it just sounded like that.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I like the sound of Korean. It certainly beats either French or Chinese. The only part I don't like is the whiny tone some of the agasshis use, but they'd sound just as bad in any language.

[Ginormousaurus]

Much too whiney. But I think that's due more to people just whining too much.

[Cerriowen]

I know what you mean, I don't typically like the sound of korean. Too whiney and corse and agressive.

But... the actual words themselves aren't bad. Some of my friends, who have very nice voices, and speak without that whining, pouting tone... sound really nice.

But listening to a girl out on a date, pouting to her boyfriend... nails on a chalkboard.

[kiwiduncan]

Judging Korean by the way young Korean girls speak it is like judging American English by the listening to a few valley girls or judging New Zealand English by listening to some pumped up, aggressive rugbyheads.

I think Korea is a decent enough sounding language. I like the voices on the news and public address systems.

[postfundie]

[postfundie]

also there is a kypo in the office next to mind talking in English with another native speaker....the minute she switches to korean she its whinnnnnnnneeyyyyy....

[mr. positive]

Yeah, I have to honestly say that one of my mental blocks to learning Korean is that I just don't like the sound of it, even apart from the whiney girls. I try, but it just kind of sounds like a mess to me. I don't like the very restricted nature of the language in general (or, if not the language itself, the Korean cultural context in which it is spoken). Pretty sad because I'd really like to speak to my wife in her native tongue, but it's hard to really motivate myself to try much.

[IncognitoHFX]

Korean has the same characteristics as Japanese I find, but more harsh and whiny. Not as polite sounding either (there are a lot of emotional sounds in Korean that simply aren't words: "ayeshi", "ong" and other such moans). Japanese seems to have a lot more whispering and soothing sounds, but Korean is definitely less perturbing to hear than Chinese.

I heard a Chinese person talking on the bus this morning and I wanted to ask her if she was choking and whether or not she wanted me to call a doctor. Chinese really does sound like someone trying to speak with a giant piece of meat lodged in their throat.

[articulate_ink]

A couple of the professors at the university make Korean sound terrific, but they articulate clearly and don't use the sound effects I otherwise dislike:

1. That coughing hacking clearing-the-oyster-beds sound so many speakers insert into random words for emphasis

2. Whiny grating nasal tones girls and young women use when they think they're being cute

3. Long drawn-out particles (this could be 2b): blah blah blah hagooooo blah blah blah nundeeeeh blah blah blah imnidaaaaaaah

4. Shouting and other public address-style tones, like the Korean equivalent of a carnival huckster (supermarkets, in front of stores, on subways, roving trucks with loudspeakers, etc)

[IncognitoHFX]

[RACETRAITOR]

[articulate_ink]