Korean Job Discussion Forums

[loose_ends]

Hello Everyone.

I am compiling a list of Konglish sentences.

For example:

I played with my girlfriend on the weekend.
I had a meeting with my friends on Saturday.
Is it delicious?

I'm not really interested in single words, but more so phrases.

If anyone would like to contribute anything they have heard since being here, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks a bunch.

[Faunaki]

We stayed at a retirement.

- Still not totally sure what they mean by that. Is it an expensive place for the elderly or is it just nice houses and cabins for rent?

[aka Dave]

"Have you eaten lunch?" when they mean "How are you?"


"Take a rest" for "Rest" or "Relax" or "Take a break".

In writing, "Like this," to begin a sentence when "Thus" or "Consequently," would be appropriate.

Randomly calling me by my last name, as opposed to Mr. _______ or by my first name. I don't know why they do this.

Use of the word alcohol. They will say "I drank alcohol last night" whereas we'd tend to say "We had drinks" or "We went out to a bar".

They tend to use the words "demerits" for "disadvantages". Demerits is rarely used (at least where I'm from) except to refer to school punishments.

Dream/Mind. They often use "dream" where "career goal" would probably be more appropriate. Tons of students say "It is my dream to become a teacher". Not wrong, but a little off.

Mind is generally the "intellectual capacity" but I've heard students say "he has a warm mind" where "warm heart" (emotive aspect) would be more appropriate.

In Korean, a typical greeting is "odi ga sey yo" "where are you going?". This is intrusive and not usually appropriate in English.

Many others, I hope some other folks post as I'm trying to keep track of them for teaching purposes.

[loose_ends]

cheers you guys. Great stuff!!!

Keep them coming!!! You'll get good English teacher karma!!!!!!

[loose_ends]

[zappadelta]

'I have a promise/appointment.'

and, similar to aka Dave

'Hi, Mr. (first name).'

Using expect to mean 'looking forward to.' for example,
'I expect your lecture.' or 'I am expecting your gift.'

[ED209]

Adding to the Konglish compulsion to comment on eating, "Help yourself" When they mean "Enjoy your lunch". Although even this can sound odd as I've never wished someone a good lunch. I might say 'How's the chips?', but not if I already have a plate of chips.

Is it 'retirement' or 'pension' that refers to a cabin?

Also the use of 'appointment' when talking about 'meeting a friend'. I always end up thinking my co-teacher is sick when she's really having dinner with a mate.

[aimeecate]

How are you? I'm "super fantastic!" or an automatic "I'm fine, thank you" from students.

Saying "I'm sorry" to me when I'm sick. My school director once had all of my kindergarten students say "I'm sorry" to me when I was very sick but still came to teach them. It's a sympathetic response, but sounds strange. I think "I hope you feel better soon" is better.

[icicle]

[quote="aka Dave"]
Randomly calling me by my last name, as opposed to Mr. _______ or by my first name. I don't know why they do this.

[quote]

This one is easiest to understand. It simply comes from the fact that this is the same thing that they do with each other ... Quite often they will not even know the first name. It is just a cultural thing.

[peppermint]

I taught mostly college kids for a while, so I heard a lot of:

- I went 'hunting' (looking for a date)

if the hunting went well, I'd hear,
-I made a boyfriend/ girlfriend

if it didn't go so well,
- Last night I cut the film (I blacked out from drinking)

[PeteJB]

Saying "Why" when they mean to say "What?" - Because in Korean, the word is actually Why instead of What.

Oh and tenses too. My friend is absolutely fluent in English to the level of economic and political vocabulary, but she still makes regular mistakes with tenses such as 'My looking is not good' when she means "I don't look good".

[zappadelta]

[M-su]

- I was so drunken.
- My pleasure (not wrong but we overused and we tend to just say, no worries or don't mention it)
- I have a mind to go to Japan (I'm thinking about going to Japan) * one of my favorites
- I like Brad Pitt, she face very good. (not messing with you here!)
- I don't like diet COCK. (diet coke)
- I like (name of person). He has a brilliant mind, SHE is kind heart and very diligent person.
- My birthday in July 15 (they have problems with "on" and "in" and also the cardinal counting system).
- Fuel price/petrol price very high. Serious problem. (they don't understand why we call gas gas.)
- WON 1 650 250 becomes One thousand billion, 650 thousand million, 250 hundred million thousand......uh oooops.

[aimeecate]

"You're getting prettier!" (This could be taken as an insult by a foreigner...oh I was fat before?")

"You lose your weight!" - The "your" in this sentence should not be here. I think It looks like you lost weight would be better. Again, I was fat before?

Adding e to words that don't have e at the end, "Helpe me!", "cashe","change."

Emphasizing the ed ending in past tense verbs when the sound should be more like "t" or "d."

Using "change" instead of switch or exchange. It sounds kind of strange but you can still usually understand.

I could probably gone on, I've been in this country way too long!

[PeteJB]

Ah yes the compliment insult combination is very common here. Can't think of an example right now, but it's basically where someone gives you a compliment however it can come across as an insult. Like in Korean, you could say 오늘은 많이 예뻐 보이네요 which means like the above poster said "You look pretty today" but it puts emphasis on the 'today' as if to say you didn't look pretty before/or usually.