Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Forever]

I need to find out the answer.

In English (2 hamburgers) = two hamburgers
or (2 sandwiches) = two sandwiches.

However in romanized Korea if there are

2 kimbap it = 2 Kimbap (no "s")

and if there were 3 large mandoo it is

= three mandoo (no "s")

could someone explain why we put "s' after sandwich and hamburger

but not after korean food?

[Horangi Munshin]

Kimbap is non-count, you count rolls of it.

Mandu I don't know why.

[Weigookin74]

You'll notice that McDonald's becomes "Maek Donald". No "s". Koreans don't use the "s" for posessive or plural. They use 들 for plural and 의 for posessive. So, I think an "s" is unnatural to them.

[blackjack]

[Forever]

[NYC_Gal]

[Troglodyte]

It's because it's an imported word. It was imported along with it's original singular-plural forms (in other cases, an approximation of the original forms). It's common among neologisms to retain aspects of their usage in the original language. It's countable, but the plural form is irregular.

[Hyeon Een]

[edwardcatflap]

Some imported words take the plural form of the word in that language, e.g. chateau, chateaux, medium, media. Some don't. People say 'two paninis' for example when it should technically be 'one panino' and 'two panini' . If someone said 'two cappuccini' in an English speaking country, it would sound pretentious. Usually words that have been part of the language for longer change, though there was a big movement in English to preserve the Latin form of grammar which may account for many Latin words keeping their original plural form. People like to sound posh, which may account for the survival of the French forms.

If a Korean restaurant opened on every street corner in English speaking countries in the future I'm sure it would soon change to 'two mandoos' and three kimbaps please' etc... The way things are going, there would probably be a sign up too, saying 'mandoo's 1.50, kimbap's 75p' .

[blackjack]

I have to admit I sometimes add s to korean words, chuns (also chunnas), wons etc

[Troglodyte]

Caesar walks into a bar and says to the bartender, "Gimme a martinus, please." The bartender looks at him a bit confused and asks, "You mean martini?" to which Caesar replies, "No. If I wanted two, I'd ask for two."

[karoly]

As Horangi Munshin stated, 김밥 uses the helper 줄 (roll)(I believe this to be the spelling) in counting.

I suspect that like some English words, 만두 is the same singular and plural (moose, fish, deer).

[metalhead]

The next time I eat my sushis and spaghettis and sauerkrauts and guacamoles I'm going to wonder what indeed is wrong with 'romanized Korean' too.

[Troglodyte]

[Chambertin]

As far as I have ever noticed foreign foods, unless Extremely common or close to roman origin, do not get the same plural rules.

Examples:
Japan: I'd like four sushis please. (WTF is this guy on?)
Germany: My grandma made two pots of Goulashes. (I guess your grandma is still in Germany, cause you dont know English.)
China (kinda): Three Chop Sueies? Isn�t that too much? (Sueies? what language is that?)

While portions do play a part I think foods we don�t see every day don�t make it into the plural lexicon, they stay in limbo and we just render them neutral, like Swiss cheese (yay pun).
Still an argument can be made that the portioning removed the common application of the plural "s". 3 pieces, rolls, etc. of kimbap or sushi. 3 bowls, pots, plates of goulash. 3 orders of Chop Suey.

I believe more common foods are added to the lexicon and updated into plural "s" land.
France: 4 Baguettes, 2 Croissants
Germany: 15 sausages, 20 pretzels
China: 200 won tons and 300 Dumplings, mmm they are that good.

It�s possible to say �I ate three ice creams,� but that�s because our brains fill in the proper portion plural, not because it�s nice to the grammer.
We automatically fill in, or the previous conversation mentioned a bowl, stick, or some other counter. Still it's not proper without the plural on the portion counter.

So for kimbab a �new� word we don�t have any frame of reference for the default no s just washes as Ok. Honestly I bet two kimbabs would clear about any grammar swing unscathed. It�s just in my experience that we leave the �s� off because its just easier than to figure out what plural �s� rule applies to it.

Still I'd look to portion control first then familiarity second.
It could be they just all fall under the age old rule:
If you need a tool to portion it you don�t add "s" to the name but the portion.
If you can just point and count then you add "s".

If that don�t work just tell them that Korean food is too amazing for our small barbarian brains to understand. After all they will get that answer at home and from any other domestic teacher here in Korea.
Yay~