Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ironclad80]

Hi all,

My Korean coworker is going for her masters degree. She has to write some sort of paper about things that we hear here in either english or korean that sound funny or strange as a result of cultural differences or simply the differences in the way we communicate.

The only example I could come up with was the greeting "Did you eat yet?" When I first came here 2 years ago I thought the person was inviting me for lunch but later learned it is a tradition kept from when people were lucky to get one meal a day.

Do you have any other things that translate funny or sound strange to native English speakers? I really want to help her out but I just can't think of anything else!

Thanks!!

[sadguy]

"double eyelid"

[busanliving]

When you ask an adult what they did at the weekend and they tell you they played with their friends.

Also referring to a school trip as a picnic confused me a lot initially

[spicy]

I always thought the Mr. Pizza slogan "Love for women" sounded a bit odd to me, but then I asked a coworker about it who explained it in Korean, and it made a lot more sense. Doesn't quite carry the same meaning in English, though...

[ironclad80]

I didn't ask her what she's doing her masters in.

Even I'm not 100% sure what kind of answers she's looking for but I think the answers busanliving gave me are in the ballpark.

I could point out the flat out ridiculous things Koreans do like some of you have, but that's offensive and not beneficial.

[DIsbell]

Things we hear in Korean can work too, right? There are quite a lot of expressions in Korean that don't translate "smoothly" into English and I've been puzzled or amused when hearing some of them.

Partings can be a bit strange, especially in an office. For example: "I'll try leaving~" to announce your departure (제가 가 볼게요~). Directly translated it appears to be about the softest way you could possibly express your intention, and almost indecisive. Similarly, when leaving before others, "I'm going first~" (나 먼저 가요). Just seemed really unnecessary to me at first. I guess maybe it recognizes that others are remaining, and is thus polite?

Oh and a big one that sticks out to me is how commonplace partings are left out of phone conversations. We pretty much have to have them in English, and it can tend to be quite the drawn out ritual, but often in Korean you can just end with "어~" (or 알았어~) and hang up. Even when talking to your mom and dad while away doing study abroad, haha.

On the other hand, Koreans might find puzzlement at how we use "I'm sorry" and "thanks" in certain situations.

[Joe Boxer]

When people (women) quit a job because they "have to rest".

[pangaea]

I agree with the, "Did you eat lunch?" greeting. It really confused me at first until I found out it's like, "How are you?" in English. Just a pleasantry that doesn't require a detailed answer.

I also agree that in English we use "I'm sorry" in situations that might confuse Koreans. It confuses my students when they tell me that they have a headache or have had a bad day and I respond with, "I'm sorry." I think they see it as taking responsibility for something rather than expressing sympathy.

[ironclad80]

Some good answers, another one I just thought of:

Teacher: "You didn't do your homework, did you?"
Student: "Yes"
Teacher: "You did it?"
Student: "No"
Teacher: ??

[DigitalSoju]

Do you have a promise tomorrow?

I have an appointment with my friend tomorrow.

Male: I need to go buy some new panties.

A: I have a test tomorrow
B: Fighting!

[StudentInKorea]

One of my friends said "I like to be busy because then I don't get laid"

I think she meant "lazy" or that she didn't sleep all day and waste her time. I'm pretty sure she didn't mean what she said...

[Captain Corea]

Korean
Yay, Nay are both affirmative.

English
Yay is affirmative, Nay is negative.

[Dazed and Confused]

It isn't delicious.

Teacher: Do you have any questions?
Student: YES!
Teacher: OK, so what's your question?
Student: Nothing.
Teacher: Nothing? I thought you had a question.
Student: No.

The whole confusion of green & blue.

Every non-Asian is a wiegookin unless they are white then it is Migook saram. But if you ask them if a Chinese, Japanese, Philippino, etc.. is a wiegookin they don't know how to answer. And Kyopos are never wiegookin no matter what.

[Kaypea]

"small face" is strange to me

Also, "scary" can be used strangely: have you ever been told you're "too scary" when you're angry with students?

I always remember this line from my Korean text...

하라버지가 무서워서 찢어진 청바지 입을 수 없었어요...

(Because Grandpa was scary, I couldn't wear torn jeans)... (Why does this phrase take up precious real estate?)


The phone thing is cute. My friend can't get off the phone with me unless he kind of hums after saying goodbye. Like, "Goodbye... hmmm?"