Korean Job Discussion Forums

Newbie · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Do you ask for a "hamburger"?

Or do you as for a "ham-bug-guh"?

Do you tell Koreans you play "golf", or "golpuh"?

Sometimes I feel like a complete idiot when I have to say English/International words whilst speaking Korean. I suppose lots of French people feel the same when talking to idiotic North Americans.

aphase · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

for me it would depend on how good their english is. i always try saying it the correct way first, and if that doesn't work the first couple of tries i'll do it their way.

zpeanut · Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Location: Pohang, Korea

Doing it their way is usually faster, especially if you're just ordering food.
This way there is less chance of any 'misunderstandings'.

fustiancorduroy · Joined: 12 Jan 2007

When speaking Korean I always use Korean pronunciation.

Tiberious aka Sparkles · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: I'm one cool cat!

NightSky · Joined: 19 Apr 2005

heck, I've even started doing it by accident when there's no need, such as talking about my pah-tuh-tah-eem job when with english speakers...

bangbayed · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Location: Seoul

Ah, Konglish. The first linguistic casualty of English teachers in Korea. Seriously though, if you're going to try to speak Korean, speak Korean! Don't mix it up with English pronunciations. If a French person came up to you and said "Could I have a 'conversah-shi-on' (Fr pron.) with you?", you'd be biting your lip to keep from laughing in their face!

Ginormousaurus · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit

If I'm speaking to someone I don't know, I always use Korean. It may sound stupid to you to say "ham-buh-guh", but to them it is perfectly normal and you'll be understood immediately.

Scotticus · Joined: 18 Mar 2007

Poemer · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Location: Mullae

Facilitate communication by reinforcing incorrect pronunciation!? Must be a new technique. Rolling Eyes

cruisemonkey · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject:

... just don't order it at Lotteria. Wink

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

ernie · Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Location: asdfghjk

Poemer wrote:
"Facilitate communication by reinforcing incorrect pronunciation!? Must be a new technique."

do you realize how many french words you used in that ^ sentence? you are hereby required to pronounce the above:

"Fa-cil-i-TAT com-mun-i-ca-TION by ray-EN-for-CING EN-cor-RECT pro-NUN-ci-a-TION."

(sorry to french speakers for characterizing your accent so stereotypically)

Poemer · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Location: Mullae

The English language has its roots in so many other languages that it would be impractical to pronounce every loan word and word of foreign origin "correctly" But, I am conscious of those roots and the fact that I am ignoring them in favor of American pronunciation. I COULD say that sentence with a french accent, if I wished. Many Koreans, however, cannot pronounce hamburger "correctly", and it doesn't help when English speakers reinforce "incorrect" pronunciation. I am not going to pronounce "이" as Lee when I go back to the US, because it is wrong. I am not going to pronounce "hamburger" as hembuguh, if I can avoid it, because it is wrong.

PeteJB · Joined: 06 Jul 2007

The same way you'll never pronounced Hyundai the way it's pronounced in the West after hearing how it's *actually* pronounced.