Korean Job Discussion Forums

Eunoia

It never ceases to amaze me how many foreigners who, even after living in Korea for a full year (and in some cases much longer) still can't pronouce even the most basic of sayings & phrases. Things as like, "Annyeong Haseyo!", and "Kamsahamnida!" sound about as close to Korean as a gargling chimpanzee.

I'm fully aware that Korean IS a difficult language for foreigners to master and pronounce accurately (and I'm hardly fluent myself), but seriously, I once knew a guy who had lived in Korea for over 7 years and he couldn't even read Hangul, let alone speak a single word! Everytime he tried to say "Man won", it sounded closer to "Van Gone"! And he's even married to a Korean woman!

(Venting.... over.... Feeling.... better...)

So - what Korean words (a) do you have troubles with, or (b) do you notice other foreigners just can't wrap their tongues around?

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Yongsan.

(I just want to clarify I know the difference between 용산 and that Youngsun place they talk about on AFN.)

Newbie · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

None.

Korean is simple.

Good effort though! Wink

Rigamarole · Joined: 29 Mar 2006

All the words I can say my co-workers and Korean friends say I speak really well. If only I could form a whole sentence.

Then again, the students can't form a whole sentence and they've been trying to learn English for years. The word trying probably shouldn't be taken literally there.

seoulsucker · Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2006 7:38 pm Post subject:

Pronunciation is definitely my strong point, I just need to work on grammar and vocabulary. Some people just have a knack for it.

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

According to nearly every English-speaking Korean I meet, it would seem all Korean names are too difficult for us foreigners. A lot of times, a person will introduce me with an English name and then seriously hesitate when I ask for their real name because they're afraid I won't be able to say it. You know how hard it can be to say 지혜. That's a tough one.

Someone I met the other day introduced herself only with her first given name. I was confused, because usually Koreans have two, so I asked her what the rest of her name is and she delivered it as first given name followed by surname. So, like, if her name was 최주빈, she said it as 주최. I was even more confused at that point, and finally she explained she was trying to make it easier for me because foreigners can't understand that Koreans put their family names first. Oh LOOOORD! Anyone living here NOT know that?

About the OP, I haven't heard too many foreigners speaking Korean. The few times I have heard some phrases, what ends up happening a lot is the 아 vowel comes out sounding like a short a, which irks me to no end.

lawyertood · Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:27 pm Post subject:

I admit I sometimes have trouble when a Korean's name has ㄹto start the second syllable, as in 혜령 or 의령. My all-time favorite name for trying to get it all out taking attendance was 남궁 무궁화.

But then I also have trouble saying my German friend's family name which is R�hr.

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

denverdeath · Joined: 21 May 2005 Location: Boo-sahn

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

It really bothers me when someone keeps saying mandu like the English man...du. Also, stop saying Bundang like Bun..."oh dang it".

Free World · Joined: 01 Apr 2005 Location: Drake Hotel

류 ... I know how it should sound but I can't say it. When I try it sounds more like "roo".

flotsam · Joined: 28 Mar 2006

For me though, in the spirit of the OP and the complaints about the "아" as in "can" or "bat" sound, it's not the actual tongue-twisters that bother me: if someone can't say 류--no big deal. But something like...

Hotpants · Joined: 27 Jan 2006

The Korean President's name gives me shivers - it's kind of like a tongue twister for me. I can never get it right, and my students always look at me with distaste when I get in the mess of having to say his name.

dogbert · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Killbox 90210

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

My pronunciation is pretty shlte in all honesty. I too make 아 sound like a short 'a' sound and I'm also guilty of pronoucing 백 as 벡. I do know the difference, but often I just don't pay attention to these things.

As others have said, it tickles me when Koreans think their names are so difficult for me, a mere Englishman with an excellent degree from a top 5 British university. The problem is not that the names are difficult - they're not! - the problem is they're all the fookin same!