Korean Job Discussion Forums

mayorgc · Joined: 19 Oct 2008

I think this chicken is more delicious than that chicken

I've been telling my teachers that they can't use the word "delicious" like that.

It just sounds so awkward to me

Hanson · Joined: 20 Oct 2004

I see nothing wrong with it.

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

looks fine to me. Sounds like the person speaking or writing that is talking about two different kinds of fried chicken and they like one more than the other. What's wrong with using delicious to describe chicken? Maybe you're thinking the chickens are uncooked?

mayorgc · Joined: 19 Oct 2008

i will admit that gramatically, it looks fine.

but doesn't the sentence sound sorta awkward?

T-J · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae

It's not incorrect. Your spidey sense is tingling because we generally do not use the adjective delicious in a comparative sentence. We generally say A tastes better than B.

mayorgc · Joined: 19 Oct 2008

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:16 am Post subject:

you've been telling your teachers... ? Shocked

what are you, an overly anal know-it-all, splittin' hairs assistant director?

mmace1 · Joined: 08 Jul 2007

I think in general Koreans (& probably other nationalities) learn adjectives that are specific to a situation, so they say 'delicious' instead of 'good', or 'kind' for 'nice', etc. That way they remove ambiguity when learning definitions.

The sentence is grammatically fine. The thing is...it implies both chicken dishes are really really good (delicious), only one is more delicious than the other.

Maybe, what they mean, is just that one is better (tastes better) than the other, without implying that both dishes are extremely good.

mayorgc · Joined: 19 Oct 2008

The evil penguin · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:10 am Post subject:

I gotta say, i agree with the OP. Yes, it is grammatically correct, but what's with the over-use of 'delicious'? Seriously, I don't think I EVER use the word back home... but in korea and here in china its as if they get a bonus pack of free steak knives every time they trot it out...

maingman · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Location: left Korea

OP

more delicious is incorrect

The evil penguin · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:39 am Post subject: Re: ,,

Been There, Taught That · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:01 am Post subject:

Of course, in advocating the phrase 'more delicious', you are promoting the native habit of saying it one's own way, just so the message gets across. It can be said, usage-wise, and it has meaning. Freedom of usage is a native trait, but can be taught..

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Koreans do tend to over-use the word 'delicious'. Way over-use. It's one of the examples when I teach 'pet peeve'. I try to get my students to use it only in an answer. I teach the idea of 'fishing for compliments' and asking: "Is that delicious?" is fishing for a compliment.

I think the basic problem here is the lack of language to describe degrees. It's the same thing as students describing all days as either 'hot' or 'cold' and nothing in between.

dbmctague · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

I say let them use the language the way they want, unless you're going for accuracy. I always made my ex laugh when I spoke german to her. I would want to have fun with the language and one time lying in bed I said "Es gibt eine Abwesenheit von Kopfkissen"...there's an absence of pillows! instead of simply "es gibt kein Kopfkissen"....there's no pillow. She cracked up so hard.