Korean Job Discussion Forums

[scorpiocandy]

I hear this so often in conversation classes but I never know how to correct it.

so they're describing their perfect man, and the main requirement is he must have "ability" or be an "ability man". What would you say we use in English?

If we are talking about a student still and he is going to work in the future, I say use " he has potential", but I'm not sure that's right.
He's a good provider?
But if I understand correctly, ability means more than providing material goods, no? It means smart, educated, good family AND well-off?

How about "gold miss"? Independent woman?

Sometimes they stump me

[Steve_Rogers2008]

"He's a regular Chuck Norris!"

Or to a lesser degree, a competent man.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competent_man

[hamie]

Rich man!

[jugbandjames]

There are those who believe there isn't a direct translation between every idea in each language. The real challenge is properly understanding the word in its original language. You're unlikely to find a good translation unless someone knows this particular Korean expression.

Chigity-checkout the Sapir-Warf hypothesis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapir%E2%80%93Whorf_hypothesis

[jugbandjames]

While a competent man might be common in film production, it's a technical term that is not pervasive in the general vocabulary.

[scorpiocandy]

[scorpiocandy]

[Lynns]

Talented

[Steve_Rogers2008]

[Unposter]

I'll take a stab:

They are interested in a "Professional" - someone who is well-educated in a profession and capable of earning an upper middle class income.

Gold Miss is much harder for me. It is an older, single, professional woman who does not want to marry. We'd probably make some kind of acronym for such a person such as Yuppy or DINK but I don't know what we'd make of older, single, professional woman who does not want to marry.

Ahh... the art of translation.

[Adam Carolla]

[Unposter]

Yeah! Good call Adam! Career woman works well. Thanks!

[scorpiocandy]

I didn't know a "gold miss" never wanted to marry.

I thought she was just postponing it. Guess I learned something new

[thegadfly]

I've used the phrase "go-getter," as in, he's a real go-getter. From what I understand, an "ability man" is a person who demonstrates an aptitude in a variety of different areas, and can "get the job done." I have also used the term "jack-of-all-trades," but in English I think that carries the other half of the phrase "master of none," whereas the Korean does not carry the same connotation of a shortfall. If I feel like teaching allusion, I have introduced "MacGuyver," but this shows my age and background, and is by no means universally understood, even in the US....

I don't think any of these are spot-on, but they have been the approximations I have used.

[Kikomom]

Able bodied? --classically used as 'physically strong and healthy'.