Korean Job Discussion Forums

[typo]

This has to be common, but i haven't read much about it here.

I was a sandwich shop and saw 참치 sandwich, and asked the cashier what it was. Of course she couldn't tell me. So I order something else, and remind myself to ask my class the next day. I like doing this w/ my classes because it shows them I'm learning too, yadda yadda yadda.

Now, whenever I do things like this I usually write down the word to make sure i don't sound like an idiot and mispronounce what I want clarified. Anyway, the next day I think to myself "ah, I remember the word easily. I dont need to write down the word. Yeah.


I get to class, tell them the situation, and *beep* up the word. I say 잠지. So close! The whole class as one gives me this horrified expression for a second, and then they all bust out laughing. It turns out jamji is a word for a child's genitalia. So now I have students asking me if i want a jamji sandwich.

chamchi is, of course, tuna, in case you were wondering. (an interesting parallel in and of itself)


There have to be more words like this. What words do you guys mess up that turn out to be offensive/embarrassing, but are soo close to what you mean to say?

[antoniothegreat]

i had a similar situation. one of my co-teachers was busy so she missed a few of our classes. i sent her a message in korean asking if we will teach together or i do it alone tomorrow. but apperantly i mis-wrote the word for teach (galuchida/this computer doesnt have korean) with another word that is similar to "make out."

i still dont know the word i accidentally wrote.

oops

[Underwaterbob]

One time I told my students that "hospital" in Korean was "병신" instead of "병원".

[asams]

I accidentally told someone "I am beautiful" instead of "You are beautiful"

[Young FRANKenstein]

When you want to tell your fiancee that you'll love her always, don't mix up 영원히 and 원숭이 ("Um... why do you love monkeys?")

Also, when asking her what she wants to do, don't forget when saying "뭐 하고싶어?" that you need to include "뭐". Very important.

[Lao Wai]

Hi,

In class, we were talking about the city mouse and country mouse and this led to talking about city people vs. country people. My students (children) told me how to say 'country girl in Korean'. So, after class I sauntered into the teachers' room and asked a Korean teacher 'Mary, are you a country girl?' (In Korean). She looked at me for a second with a horrified look on her face and then replied 'that's none of your business'. I knew I had said something wrong. I asked her to explain what I had asked her. Apparently, I asked her if she was a '처녀' or 'virgin'. When I explained the whole misunderstanding, she said the two words were similar in meaning. It's kind of funny because Mary was VERY Christian. Anyway, I got a good laugh from my friends later on.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Karea]