Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Newbie]

Spelling Korean names in English with "V" and "Z"

Anyone else have students spelling their Korean names with V and Z when it should most definitely be B and J? Or is this just something some freaky secretary at my school is doing. I actually saw it on TV, too so who knows.

Just when you thought Koreans (all 3 of them Ithat 've seen ) couldn't get any worse at English, they do this stupidity. I'm sorry, her name is not Ha-Zeong and she's definitely NOT Yeh-vin. Forget what you were taught, the Korean langauge is NOT able to duplicate every sound in the world.

[jackson7]

I get a kick out of the fact there are so many products or even brand names that include F, V, or Z. The LG XCanvas. The Samsung Pavv. There's a new PMP brand/line called "Viliv." Kinda cool, but sounds funny when Koreans say it. Then again, (perhaps to be discussed in a new thread) Korean companies aren't really targeting the deep credit card-laden pockets of the mighty Han, and instead are shooting for large English-speaking countries abroad.

[A2Steve]

[JustJohn]

The product thing doesn't bother me so much, but writing korean like "zazeongmyeon" drives me nuts. As if the romanization systems weren't screwed up enough already...

[Newbie]

[IncognitoHFX]

On another note, I bet all the Gims and Barks in Busan, Gorea would be happy if they continued dropping all the hard consonants like they have been doing with place names.

[cazzy3]

it could just be a case of needing to identify 2 students who share the same name which is fairly common in korea. the government tried to implement a standard romanization of korean words but it basically got ignored.

just to let you know how ridiculous it is 강릉 can be spelled Gangnung, Gangneung, Kangnung, Kangreung, Kangneung. I've seen 'em all!!

of all the things to get irate about, i don't see why this would bother someone too much though.

[Newbie]

[jajdude]

Yeah, a bit strange, like a jebra playing a biolin.

[nolegirl]

I live right behind Hotel Provista and my school said it was a big hotel so taxi drivers should know the name. No taxi driver ever knew what I was talking about. I would be like Hotelughhh Provistaughhh, nothing!!

Is it becuse the v is in the title or maybe the hotel isn't that well known??

[Newbie]

To clear up: If I say the word "zoo" and some student writes, "joo", I laugh to myself and understand their problem. It's only the reverse that bugs me, like someone who mentioned writing jajangmyeon, as zazangmyeon. Why write the name Ji-young as Zi-young when J is so obviously the correct letter.

[blackjack]

[jkelly80]

It happens in English too. Some people say "turlet" in New York b/c they've been conditioned to think that New Yorkers say "oi" when it should be "ur", so they overcompensate for phonemes that should actually be "oi". There's a sociolinguistic term for it, but I done foigot.

[gajackson1]

[jkelly80]

Speaking of marketing, Artie Buco claims products starting with the letter V make people think of 'vagina' and are therefore less likely to buy.