Table of Contents
Introduction 1 About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book Is Organized 3
Part I: Getting Started 4
Part II: Korean in Action 4
Part III: Korean on the Go 4
Part IV: The Part of Tens 4
Part V: Appendixes 4
Icons Used in This Book 5
Where to Go From Here 5
Part I: Getting Started 7
Chapter 1: Getting Down the Basics 9
Getting the Basic Sounds 10
The Basic Vowel Sounds 10
Distinguishing among vowel sounds 12
Pronouncing eu and ui 12
The Basic Consonant Sounds 13
Pronouncing jj, kk, pp, and tt 14
Telling the difference between s and ss 15
Pronouncing the Korean r,l sound 16
Muting consonants at the end of a syllable 16
Sounding Fluent 17
Don’t stress 17
Pronounce each syllable 17
Speak in a steady rhythm 18
Basic phrases 18
Saying It with Body Language 21
Beckoning 21
Bowing 21
Nodding 22
Shaking hands 22
Chapter 2: The Nitty-Gritty: Basic Korean Grammar and Numbers 25
Speaking Politely 25
Knowing the Basic Parts of Speech 27
Nouns 28
Pronouns 29
Verbs 31
Adjectives 36
Suffixes 37
Adverbs 37
Particles 38
Asking Questions 40
Counting Korean Style 41
Native Korean numbers 42
Sino-Korean numbers 43
Counters 44
Chapter 3: Introductions and Greetings 49
Making Introductions 49
Greetings and salutations 50
Bowing and shaking hands 51
Getting formal or informal 51
Introducing yourself 55
Introducing a friend or a peer 57
Introducing a senior or your parents 58
Asking for Names 61
Giving Thanks and Saying Sorry 64
Saying Goodbye 65
Part II: Korean in Action 69
Chapter 4: Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk 71
Asking Questions with Essential Words and Formal Usages 71
“Where Are You From?” 73
Describing your home community 74
Talking about where someone lives 76
Discussing ethnicity and citizenship 77
The Weather, the Seasons, and Everything In Between 80
Talking About Jobs and Occupations 83
Describing the Members of Your Family 87
Exchanging Contact Information 90
Chapter 5: Eating and Drinking 93
Dig In! Let’s Eat! 93
Understanding meal time 94
Satisfying your hunger 95
Sitting down to eat 95
Practicing good table manners 98
Getting to Know Korean Cuisine 98
Popular dishes 99
Setting time for a meal 100
Liking and disliking with adjectives 100
Dining Out 101
Understanding what’s on the menu 101
Ordering at a restaurant 102
Ordering at a roadside shop 103
Chatting with the waitstaff 106
Finding restrooms 106
Paying for your meal 106
Drinking, Korean style 107
Chapter 6: Shopping Made Easy 111
Navigating Stores 111
Visiting department stores, markets, and small shops 112
Browsing around 114
Asking for help 115
Comparing Merchandise 116
Comparing several items 117
Pointing out the best item 117
Shopping for Clothes 117
Checking for sizes 118
Asking about colors 119
Trying on clothes 120
Shopping for Specific Items 121
Groceries 122
Electronics 122
Antiques and souvenirs 122
All About Buying: Pricing, Bargaining, Purchasing, Refunding 123
Chapter 7: Exploring the Town 125
Knowing the Time and Day 125
Days, weeks, months 126
Telling time 126
Telling time relative to now 127
Exploring Fun Places 129
Visiting museums and galleries 130
Going to concerts, theatres, and performances 130
Korean films 130
Korean noraebang 132
Bar- and club-hopping 134
Giving and Receiving Invitations 135
Getting something started 135
Inviting your friends to your house 136
Chapter 8: Enjoying Yourself: Recreation and Sports 139
Naming Your Hobbies 139
Exploring Nature 142
Admiring and discovering the landscape 144
Korean seasons 145
Talking about the Arts 147
Playing Sports and Gaming 148
Playing games 148
Gaming at a Korean PC bang 148
Chapter 9: Making Connections: Phone, Mail, Fax, and Internet 151
Phoning Made Easy 151
Finding a phone 152
Making the call 152
Asking for someone 155
Leaving a message 157
Buying stamps 160
Asking for special services 160
Sending a Fax 161
Looking for an Internet Connection 161
Chapter 10: At the Office and Around the House 165
Getting Down to Work 166
Finding things at the office 166
Using computers 169
Finding people at the office 170
Asking for directions 171
Attending Meetings 173
Making introductions 173
Speaking up in a meeting 173
Making the Rounds: Business Dinners 174
Drinking politely 175
Declining drinks 176
Making Yourself at Home 176
The place where you live 176
The smallest room 177
Visting Koreans at Home 178
Taking the tour 178
Chilling out 179
Eating and drinking 181
Staying over 184
Cleaning up 186
Part III: Korean on the Go 189
Chapter 11: Money, Money, Money 191
Knowing Korean Currency 191
Changing Currency 192
Working the ATM 196
Paying for Your Purchases 197
Using cash 197
Using plastic 199
Using personal checks 201
Chapter 12: Asking Directions 203
Asking for Directions 203
Finding your way with “where?” 204
Specifying which direction 207
Specifying distance 209
Giving Directions 210
Referring to locations on the street 210
Providing actions with directions 210
Making directions flow 211
Chapter 13: Staying at a Hotel 215
Sorting Out the Accommodation Options 215
Traditional hotels 216
Motels 216
Korean motels and B&Bs 217
Hostels 217
Saunas and public baths 217
Finding Accommodations 218
Making Reservations 220
Asking for details 223
Checking out the room 224
Complaining 101 226
Broken machinery 226
Noisy neighbors 227
Other problems 228
Checking Out 228
Chapter 14: Transportation 233
Getting Around at the Airport 233
Making it past the check-in counter 234
Getting past Immigration and Customs 238
Leaving the airport 238
Getting Around Town 239
Hailing a cab 239
Taking a bus 240
Riding the subway 240
Getting on the train 244
Chapter 15: Planning a Trip 247
Picking a Good Time for Travel 247
Checking out the seasons 247
Naming months and counting days 248
Korean holidays 252
Naming off the years 254
Specifying dates and times 255
Choosing Your Destination 256
Packing for Your Trip 259
Getting the Help of a Travel Agency 259
Chapter 16: Handling an Emergency 263
Shouting for Help 263
Calling the Police 264
Reporting an accident to the police 264
Finding the lost and found 266
Getting Medical Help 267
Finding a doctor 267
Describing what ails you 269
Discussing your medical history 272
Making a diagnosis 272
Following the prescription 273
Getting Legal Help 274
Part IV: The Part of Tens 277
Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Get a Quick Handle on Korean 279
Find Koreans (or Other Korean Speakers) Near You 279
Use Korean Language Tapes, CDs, and Other Multimedia Resources 280
Visit Korean Restaurants and Bars 280
Sing Korean Songs 280
Watch Korean Movies 280
Watch Korean Drama 281
Surf the Net for Korean Web Sites 281
Look Up Words in a Korean Dictionary 281
Make Korean Word and Phrase Lists 282
Go to Korea! 282
Chapter 18: Ten Things to Avoid Doing in Korea 283
Bragging or Accepting Compliments 283
Making Someone Lose Face in Public 284
Sitting or Eating Before the Seniors in the Group 284
Calling Your Boss or Teachers by Their First Names 285
Saying “Ssi” After Your Own Name 285
Walking into a House with Your Shoes on 285
Crossing Your Legs When You Sit 286
Kissing in Public 287
Taking the First “No, Thank You” Literally 287
Picking Up Your Rice Bowl and Using Your Spoon to Eat 287
Chapter 19: Ten Favorite Korean Expressions 289
ppalli 289
gwaenchanayo 289
jeongmal, jinjja, cham 290
a, geuraeyo 290
jamkkanmanyo 291
mwo haeyo 291
mollayo 291
joayo 291
jal doetneyo 292
jeoreon, ireon 292
Chapter 20: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Korean 293
akkapda 293
eojjeol su eopgun 294
geureonde itjanayo 294
jom 295
jjajeungnanda 295
jukgetda 296
kkeunnaejunda 297
neukkihada 297
siwonhada 298
sugohaeyo 299
Part V: Appendixes 301
Appendix A: Korean Verbs 303
Appendix B: Mini-Dictionary 307
Appendix C: Answer Key 331
Appendix D: On the CD 337
Tracks on the CD 337
System Requirements 340
Customer Care 340
Index 341