Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SeanJohn]

I hate when people can't understand my Korean. It only happens like 80% of the time, but the 20% they can't understand is so infuriating, and I know it's only due to my appearance.

I am half Korean(look more white though) and was raised learning both languages, so I know my pronunciation is solid and my words/grammar are good as well. I might not know how to say something like "bureaucrat" in Korean or be able to spell, but I can have everyday conversations.

Anyways I went to the book store looking for a Mens Health magazine in English. I could probably read the Korean one if I wanted, but it'd take so much more time and effort than the English one. So anyways, I ask the employee where the foreign magazines are located and she just looks at me and says she can't understand. I say it again, thinking maybe she didn't hear but she still just stands there. Finally, another customer says exactly what I said and she understands.

Arghhhh. Annoying as hell.

[ppcg4]

Happens to me often. I'll get in the taxi:

Me: Cheonggu yeok
Driver: Odie?

Me: CHEONggu yeok
Driver: Odie?

Me: Junggu yeok
Driver: Odie?

Me: CheongGU yeok
Driver: Odie?

Me: ...Cheonggu yeok
Driver: AHHH! Cheonggu yeok!

Same with Haengdang yeok.

What the hell. I get in the cab with my girlfriend and say Cheonggu yeok. He doesn't understand. She says it the EXACT same way I do, and he understands.

[proustme]

It's an odd thing, for some Koreans, to see a foreigner speaking Korean perfectly well. It's due to their lack of experience and not a little bit of ignorance about the world. Some Koreans can't entertain the idea of a foreigner -- even though you're half-Korean, you're a Foreigner -- speaking Korean. I can't count how many times I've been complimented on my Korean for simply saying "The weather is beautiful." Many times I've been showered with praise inordinately, as if they had witnessed a golden retriever stitch and sew a Korean flag before their very eyes. A magic trick. Appearance, it seems, determines most things in Korea -- expectations, job offers, and so on.

I have dark brown hair. I duck into a cab. Yea, I do the convicted K-criminal thing when he has to give the prosecution's office a walk through of how he committed his crime. Sans face mask and black baseball cap. I communicate to the driver where I want to go. I don't give him a chance to let my appearance confound his epistemological expectations of what a foreigner can or cannot do.

I hate the reactions of shop owners who look at me as if a ghost had appeared in their Paris Baguette or Shoe shop.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Just call the person an [Mod Edit] in Korean. They will probably understand you then.

[proustme]

Thank you, Rusty. I almost spit out my Dunkin Donut's coffee!

Your words are very on point.

[nautilus]

[SeanJohn]

[UknowsI]

I had a waitress who couldn't understand my 콜라 한 병주세요. She thought I said 소주, but I repeated the word 콜라 four times but every time she asked me if I wanted 소주. Then I gave up and had a Korean friend order for me...

[pkang0202]

I'm a gyopo. I look Korean. My pronunciation is about 90% and I get Koreans who don't understand what I'm saying.

Me: "슬리파 사고싶어요."

Store owner: eh? 그거 없어요.

Me: 여기 있어요. 제 친구가 여기서 샀어요.

Store owner: 모 찾거있오요?

Me: 슬리파.

Store Owner: 그거 없어요.

Me: 슬리퍼. 슬리파. 슬리퍼ㅓㅓㅓ. 슬리ㅣㅣ파ㅏㅏ.

I'm pointing at my feat the whole time. Finally the woman says, "아ㅏ...슬리파. "


Meanwhile, I have my hands on my head pulling my hair out because taht's what I've been saying for 15 minutes. Trust me guys, its not because of your skin color. If your pronunciation isn't 100%, then they have no idea what you are talking about.

[SeanJohn]

[DosEquisXX]

In this country, if your pronunciation isn't 100% accurate then they don't know what you're talking about. I'm sure being a foreigner doesn't help either.

[SeanJohn]

[sigmundsmith]

A little off topic but some what relevant to the particularity of pronounciation and local comprehension and expectations.

My ex-gf was visiting relatives in Florida (Orlando). Typical hot day. She goes into a store and asks for a bottle of water. The women behind the counter looks at her strangely and says what? Water.

Hand signals etc until the women understands what she is saying.

She then asks where are you from. My ex says London. Then the women says do they have black people in London?

The thing is the women asking this questions is black herself.

I have the same problem when visiting the States. People seem to listen to the accent and are more amazed by the difference in pronunciation rather than what you are saying or asking.

But it happens to me all the time. Every time I get into a taxi and give the destination it's alway ode? And sometimes I have to repeat it more than once.

I think it is the fact that Koreans are so uniformed in the culture and language that any deviation from the norm confuses them and distracts them from the normal sense of listening and comprehension.

[beercanman]

All I know is whitey (other) speaking Asian can throw em off, the unexpected. Once they're used to it or you, no probs. Then they also understand broken language and pronunciation better. Chinese seem pretty good at this actually. Guess they're more used to unknown dialects.

[Steelrails]

Sorry to burst the "It's because I look foriegn and it blows their mind" bubble but it happens to Korean-looking people as well.

And yes it does drive me up the wall too.

I just dealt with it trying to order a pepperoni pizza. I'm worried that its going to show up with peppero stix on it...