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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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 Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 8:19 pm Post subject: Writing Korean |
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why do some posters feel the urge to write a word in Korean part way through their sentence.
Is it a show of their learning prowess that they can do this? Are they just copying and pasting it? Why do they do it?
I can understand when somebody is asking for a specific word or a translation.
Example
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| I've been with my 한국 여자친구 for almost two years and the only bad incident I can remember was a drunk buisness man yelling some profanities at us while walking on the street. |
Why? What was the need for that? Is the word they have used so different that it can't be explained in English? The rest of the replies are all in English.
What is it all about?
(awaiting the smart arsed replies in Korean) |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Actually, I find it way more annoying when people call other people waygooks. Last time I checked, nobody in here was their own sovereign country. |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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It's an interesting one that.
In Thailand it was farangs. Which pissed me off. I had a few bust up with the Thai teachers when they called me the farang teacher. Always found it rather rude.
I used to get more pissed off when other foreigners referred to themselves as farangs. Annoyed the nuts of me. Referring to other teachers in town as the other farangs.
Not noticed it so much here but I will be on the look out for it now. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 9:35 pm Post subject: Re: Writing Korean |
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| mrsquirrel wrote: |
Example
| Quote: |
| I've been with my 한국 여자친구 for almost two years and the only bad incident I can remember was a drunk buisness man yelling some profanities at us while walking on the street. |
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That example is particularly pretentious. However, I don't understand the fuss over the word "waegook." It is what we are, isn't it? |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: Writing Korean |
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| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| mrsquirrel wrote: |
Example
| Quote: |
| I've been with my 한국 여자친구 for almost two years and the only bad incident I can remember was a drunk buisness man yelling some profanities at us while walking on the street. |
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That example is particularly pretentious. However, I don't understand the fuss over the word "waegook." It is what we are, isn't it? |
Technically no. You know what 외국 means in Korean, right? But actually 외국인 is probably a better word for what we are than "foreigner". It's like what we are through Korean eyes, with all the various connotations.
The example above is kinda pretentious, but remember that he's replying to somebody who said they could speak Korean, so there you go.
And typing in Korean amounts to hitting a button the keyboard to switch modes. So it's not like people are expending any real effort like copying and pasting to do it. Sometimes it's just a fun thing to do. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 9:48 pm Post subject: Re: Writing Korean |
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| billybrobby wrote: |
| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| That example is particularly pretentious. However, I don't understand the fuss over the word "waegook." It is what we are, isn't it? |
Technically no. You know what 외국 means in Korean, right? But actually 외국인 is probably a better word for what we are than "foreigner". It's like what we are through Korean eyes, with all the various connotations.
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Exactly, if people used 외국인 it wouldn't bother me. Just using 외국 to refer to people is annoying. It shows that you actually don't know Korean. |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 9:51 pm Post subject: yes |
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Sometimes people type in Korean because a certain word doesn't translate well. 여자친구 is not one of them, btw.
I also hate being called 외국 or 외국인. It technically means 'outside country person' or 'foreigner', but what it really means in practical use is 'Not Korean' or 'Not a citizen of 우리 나라'. Like when those ignorant TV shows do documentaries in other countries and call the people there 외국인. |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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Fair enough.
I guess I shouldn't be so ignorant and not speak the language.
Right off to find that magic osmosis machine that seems language into my head in an instant. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Usually I shorten it to "waeg." |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 9:58 pm Post subject: yes |
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If you don't want to study Korean, then don't. But no reason to get pissed off at others who do.
| mrsquirrel wrote: |
Fair enough.
I guess I shouldn't be so ignorant and not speak the language.
Right off to find that magic osmosis machine that seems language into my head in an instant. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 10:02 pm Post subject: Re: yes |
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| Ilsanman wrote: |
Sometimes people type in Korean because a certain word doesn't translate well. 여자친구 is not one of them, btw.
I also hate being called 외국 or 외국인. It technically means 'outside country person' or 'foreigner', but what it really means in practical use is 'Not Korean' or 'Not a citizen of 우리 나라'. Like when those ignorant TV shows do documentaries in other countries and call the people there 외국인. |
I think you are missing the point. |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 10:12 pm Post subject: Re: Writing Korean |
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| ajgeddes wrote: |
| billybrobby wrote: |
| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| That example is particularly pretentious. However, I don't understand the fuss over the word "waegook." It is what we are, isn't it? |
Technically no. You know what 외국 means in Korean, right? But actually 외국인 is probably a better word for what we are than "foreigner". It's like what we are through Korean eyes, with all the various connotations.
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Exactly, if people used 외국인 it wouldn't bother me. Just using 외국 to refer to people is annoying. It shows that you actually don't know Korean. |
That's looking at the matter very superficially. Lots of people whose Korean is quite good to advanced use the term waygook in this way. I don't personally, I use 'Westerners', but others do. It's stuck. It has taken on a new meaning in Westerners-in-Korea English - like English words lose their original meaning and develop a Korean meaning in 'Konglish'.
The reason we don't use 'foreigners' is because it seems ridiculous referring to members of one's own genetic, cultural background as 'foreign'; the solution for how we refer to our ethnic minority appears to be 'waygook', even though it is a misconception that it means 'foreign person'. Mind you, thinking of the alternatives in the plural....waygookins, waygook salams.....waygooks rolls off the tongue nicely. F**k it, I reckon. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 11:06 pm Post subject: Re: Writing Korean |
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| SPINOZA wrote: |
| ajgeddes wrote: |
| billybrobby wrote: |
| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| That example is particularly pretentious. However, I don't understand the fuss over the word "waegook." It is what we are, isn't it? |
Technically no. You know what 외국 means in Korean, right? But actually 외국인 is probably a better word for what we are than "foreigner". It's like what we are through Korean eyes, with all the various connotations.
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Exactly, if people used 외국인 it wouldn't bother me. Just using 외국 to refer to people is annoying. It shows that you actually don't know Korean. |
That's looking at the matter very superficially. Lots of people whose Korean is quite good to advanced use the term waygook in this way. I don't personally, I use 'Westerners', but others do. It's stuck. It has taken on a new meaning in Westerners-in-Korea English - like English words lose their original meaning and develop a Korean meaning in 'Konglish'.
The reason we don't use 'foreigners' is because it seems ridiculous referring to members of one's own genetic, cultural background as 'foreign'; the solution for how we refer to our ethnic minority appears to be 'waygook', even though it is a misconception that it means 'foreign person'. Mind you, thinking of the alternatives in the plural....waygookins, waygook salams.....waygooks rolls off the tongue nicely. F**k it, I reckon. |
Yeah, I get why people do it, but it still sounds stupid. |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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I type in Korean when I need to use a Korean word because I cannot read or write transliterated words. for example if I was giving instructions on where to go at Yongsan market I typically write 선인 building as that is the name of the building.
of course exceptions are made for words with standardized and accepted spellings such as kimchee or Yongsan. |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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| That I can understand. |
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