매튜의 한국어 연습 블로그

An incredibly easy to hear verb ending, this one was hard for me to pick up at first because it sounded so close to the ~찮아 in 괜찮아. So, at first I thought it meant "it's okay" but like most things, I was totally wrong.

~잖아요 is used when the both the speaker and listener are well aware of the topic. As we looked at ~거든 earlier, the speaker informs the listener of the reason that he/she doesn't know. In ~잖아, it's the opposite. Both the speaker and the listener already know the reason or event and this is just to confirm that both already know. I would also like to emphasize that this can be incredibly rude when used improperly. Use 요 when needed and avoid using altogether when speaking to a much higher person. Using this with a slightly socially higher person is okay, just use with care. Also, the examples I'm going to use take a bit of background context to fully understand. Any dialogue assumes the other person is fully aware of the fact.

Examples:

A: 이번주말에 가까운 곳으로 놀러 가는 게 어때요?
This weekend, how does hanging out a place nearby sound?

B: 그것보다는 주말에 집에서 공부하는 게 좋겠어요. 다음 주가 시험이잖아요.
How about studying at home instead? Next week, you know I have a test.


A: 인터넷 쇼핑으로 부츠를 사줄까요?
Can I buy you some boots over the internet?

B: 흠...직접 옷가게에 가서 쇼핑하자. 인터넷으로 사면 품질을 확인할 수 없잖아.
Hmm...Let's buy it directly at the store. If we buy from it off the internet, you know that there's no way to check the quality.


A: 승기 씨, 이 자료를 영어부터 한국어까지로 번역 해주시겠어요? 저 영어 자신 없는데요..
Hey Seungki, could you please translate these documents from English to Korean? I'm not really confident...

B: 무슨 소리야. 민기야, 10년 정도 호주 살았잖아. 영어 잘 하잖아!
What're talking about? Minki, you lived in Australia for 10 years. You know you can speak English well!

The "you know that..." doesn't really fully translate. It's just something that must be understood.

I really Schruted this one at first. Since I hear it from kids a lot (and my wife when she talks in a cute way) I thought it was a way of making the sentence sound cute. Like a built in grammar point for "Andy have a boo-boo tummy".

Instead, it gives the listener a reason for something. If the speaker is saying something that the listener doesn't know the reason behind the action, then this verb ending helps to clarify "this is why". It sounds cute when it's used cutely but it has a genuine meaning outside the baby world. It also is very context heavy so it's hard to give a single, one sentence explanation.

Examples:

A: 왜 전화 안 했어?
B: 어? 전화 했다고?....못 들었거든.
A: 아~ 그랬구나.

A: Why didn't you call?
B: Huh? You called? I didn't hear it...
A: Oh, okay. No biggie.

Careful because the same conversation can sound pretty coarse depending on the intonation.

A: 왜 전화 안 했어?
B: 전화기 소리가 안들렸다고!! 나보고 어떡하라고!!!
A: 뭐? !@$@%$#%$#%

More examples:

A: 왜 성당에서 결혼식을 올렸나요?
B: 신부가 천주교 신자이시거든요.

A: Why did you have the wedding at a cathedral?
B: Because the bride is Catholic (that's why)

A: 매튜형은 왜 지인이와 만날 때마다 다투나요?
B: 둘다 미국 사람이지만 나는 텍사스 출신이고 지인이는 캘리포니아 출신이거든요.

A: Why do you always bicker with Linda?
B: Both of us are Americans but I'm from Texas and she's from California (that's why).

"~거든" can feel friendly at times and cranky at other times. I didn't really leave the best examples but hopefully this will be enough to catch it in real life.

If you want to say something that is very likely to happen, use ~어/아야겠어요. How it differs from the rest (forgive the non-exact translations):

"I will do it" (ㄹ)게요 / ㄹ거예요
"I'm probably going to do it" ~아/어야겠어요
"I am planning to do it" ~려고요
"I guess I'll do it" ~겠어요
"Seems like I might do it" (ㄹ) 것 같아요

It feels like a cross because ~어/아야되다 and ~겠다 probably because that's exactly what it is. It's hard to express the exact same feeling in English but it indicates a 75%-80% chance that something will happen. It's really likely and you're planning on it. You have a strong will for this thing to happen.

Examples (with non-literal English):

이제부터 저축하야겠다
(That's it). From here on out, I'm going to start saving more money.

옮겨야겠어요
I'm really going to move soon (I gotta get out of this place).

내일 일찍 나가야하니까 지금 자야겠어요
Since I have to leave early tomorrow, I'm probably going to go to bed now (Just FYI).

들어야겠어요
I'm definitely going to listen (cause I really should you know)

술집에 발을 끊어야겠어요
I gotta stop going to the bar so much...

"Do you know about something" or "do you know how to do something" has already been covered with ㄴ/는지 알아? but this one is slightly different. What makes it different is instead of asking if someone knows about or what something is, this is more focused on how to do something. Think of abilities (능력) and ways of doing things (방법).

Examples:

젓가락을 사용할 줄 알지요?
You know how to use chopsticks, right?

영어 할 줄 아세요?
Do you know how to speak English?*

아이폰을 쓸 줄 몰라요
I don't know how to use an iPhone.

그는 불안해서 어쩔 줄 몰라 했어요.
He was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to do.

너무 좋아서 어쩔 줄 모르겠어요
I'm so happy I don't what to do.

A: 일본어 할 줄 몰라? 거기서 오래 살았잖아.
You don't know how to speak Japanese? You lived over there for a long time, you know...
B: 그래. 일본어 못 해. 한국어는 할 줄 알아?
Yeah, I can't speak Japanese. So what? Can you speak Korean?


*compare this with 영어를 할 수 있으세요? Can you speak English? Both ask the listener if they feel comfortable speaking English as a foreign language but each has its own feeling. 할 수 있다 might be a little more formal sounding but both virtually mean the same thing despite the English translation's hair-splitting difference.

To ask if someone knows about something or how to do something in general, use ~(으)ㄴ/는지 알아요? or ~(으)ㄴ/는지 몰라요? I would advise you to use this with care because to directly state or ask if someone older than you knows (or doesn't know) about something might come off looking like an asshat so just be careful.

Examples:

언제부터 방학이는지 알죠?
I'm sure you know when is your your school vacation.

한국에서는 대통령이 누구인지 알아요?
Do you know who the President is in Korea?

김치 만드는지 몰라죠?
You don't know how to make kimchi, right?

미국에서는 가장 유명한 배우 누구인지 아세요?
Do you know who is the most famous actor in America?

A: 공립 도서관에서 고서를 어떻게 빌리는지 알아요?
Do you know how to borrow old books from the library?
B: 잘 몰라요. 아마 외국인등록증 주면 빌릴 수가 있을거예요
Not really. Maybe if I give them my Foreign Registration Card...

A: 소현이랑 사귀는 남자가 누구인지 알니?
Do you know who Sohyeon is dating now?
B: 사귄다고? 택규랑 사귀었어? 역시...
What? She's dating? With Tekkyu? I knew it...

A: 로버트 씨가 언제 한국에 왔는지 아세요?
Do you know how long Robert has been in Korea?
B: 네, 알아요. 80년때에 왔어요.
Yeah I know. He came here in the eighties.

fresh off the heels of just getting comfortable with ~는 대로 I come to find out that it it isn't all that common. In fact, there's a whole nother grammar point that does the exact same thing, ~자마자. So, what's the difference?

~는 대로 is used mostly for things in the future (미래)

~자마자 can be used for all three tenses (과거, 현재, 미래)

So, although 미사를 끝나는 대로 어머님께 전화했어요 (Right after Mass ended, I called mom) is grammatically correct and will be understood, it might be more natural to say 미사를 끝나자마자 어머님께 전화했어요 since it was in the past.

Saying 수업을 끝나자마 밥 먹으러 가자! (right after class is over, let's go get some food) is also fine, but sticking with 수업을 끝는 대로 밥 먹으러 가자 might be better. Keep in mind that they indeed mean the same thing but like my teacher pointed out, 는 대로 might not be as common. How she drew it is on the bottom of this post.

Examples:

화장실을 사용하자마 손을 씻어요
Right after I use the bathroom, I wash my hands.

집에 도착 하자마자 배달 음식을 주문해요
Right after I come home, I order delivery.

새 책을 사자마자 책 안에 내 이름과 구입한 날짜를 써요
Right after I buy a new book, I write my name and purchase date inside.

월급을 받자마자 거의 모든 돈을 와이프에게 줘요.
Right after I get paid, I give almost all my money to my wife.

버스를 타자마자 멀미가 나요
Right after I ride a bus, I get motion sickness.

밥을 다 먹자마자 달콤한 것이 먹고 싶어요.
Right after I finish a meal, I want to eat something sweet.

나쁜말을 하자마자 죄책감이 들어요.
Right after I say bad words, I feel guilty.

To ask permission, use this lovely little guy <동사> + 도 되다 If unsure when to use 되 or 돼 check what I wrote and it might help ^^

Examples:

창문을 열어도 돼요?
Can I open the window?

책 읽어도 돼?
Can I read a book now?

이 빵을 먹어도 되지?
I can eat this bread, right?

선생님, 집으로 가도 돼요?
Teacher, can I go home now?

A similar expression is ~면 안 되다 which is refusing permission. When used in a declarative sentence, it stands for refusal such as:

여기 담배를 피우면 안 돼요 (There's no smoking here)

However, it is also a way of expressing a desire to do something. This has kind of a linguistic baggage to it. You are wanting to do something but are checking to see if it's okay before you proceed. You are expecting the answer to be "sure! go ahead" but you're just checking. You also may just be asking out of politeness. It can go both ways so use your politeness in your tone.

Examples:

지금 자면 안 돼요?
(you mean to tell me that) I can't sleep now? [Can't I just go to sleep?]

먹으면 안 돼요?
I can't eat this? [what do you mean I can't eat this?]

여기 차를 세우면 안 돼요?
I can't park my car here? [so where else might I park it if not here?]

같이 가면 안 돼요?
We can't just go together?

When you guess something and you're really sure about it, you use ~테니까. It conveys a slightly different feeling than 인니까 as they both explain the reason behind something but 테니까 is more like 75-80% sure while 인니까 is closer to 100% sure.

Comparison example:

비가 올테니까 우산을 가지고 가요
Since it's probably going to rain, take an umbrella with you.

비가 온니까 우산을 가져가요
Since it will definitely rain, take an umbrella with you.


Normal examples:

주말에는 명동이 붐빌테니까 다음 주 화요일에 쇼핑 할래요?
Since Myeongdong is probably be crowded on the weekend, do you want to go shopping next Tuesday?

걸어서 가면 시간이 많이 걸릴테니까 지하철을 타고 갈까요?
Since it's probably going to take a long time on foot, should we take the subway?

퇴근하는 대로 우리 외이프가 오면 피곤할 테니까 제가 집에서 저녁 식사를 차릴게요.
Because right after she gets off work my wife will probably be tired, I'll cook dinner home for her.

오늘 추울테니까 두꺼운 옷을 입으세요.
Since it'll likely be cold today, please wear thick clothes.

내일 도울테니까 반바지를 좀 사주세요.
Since tomorrow will probably be hot, can you buy me some shorts?

일본에 한동안 살아서 일본어 수업 들으면 쉬울테니까 걱정하지마요
Since you lived in Japan for a long time, if you take a Japanese class it'll probably be easy so don't worry.

자막이 없는 한국 영화를 보면 어려울테니까 미국 영화 볼래요?
Since watching a Korean movie without subtitles will probably be difficult, do you want to watch an American movie?


On a side note, there's a Kpop song that has this grammar point in the hook (or was it the bridge?) but I can't find it. The song sounded like 다라 from 2NE1 but I don't think it was one of her singles. Anyways, if you know it, leave a comment.
UPDATE: found it. It was 2NE1 not just Dara and it was "In da club". The bridge has the following lyrics:

니가 다짐했던 약속 다 가져가줄래
사소한 습관까지 작은 기억까지
모두 태울테니까
내 안에 살아있는 널 잠재울꺼야
니가 여태알던 내 모습은 이제 없는거야

Stay with me because this one is a bit tricky.

As you know, ~어/아서 is a connection to show order with reason.
"Because A happened, B happens" as in:
늦어서 미안해.
Because I'm late, I'm sorry.

But, so does ~으니까/인니까 show cause and effect order with reason.
"Because A happened, B happened" as in:
어제 피자를 먹었으니까 오늘 냉면을 먹자.
Because yesterday I ate pizza, today let's eat noodles.

So, why not flip them? Why can't I say these:

(x) 늦으니까 미안해.
(x) 어제 피자를 먹어서 오늘 냉면을 먹자.

Here's why. If you're asking for a:
favor or a request (blah blah해 주세요),
an order (blah blah 해라/blah blah으세요)
or a suggestion (blah blah을래?/blah blah을까?)

then you use ~으니까. Examples:

추우니까 따뜻한 옷을 입어봐.
Because it's cold, wear warm clothes.

자기야, 비가 오니까 우산을 가져 가요.
Honey, since it's raining take an umbrella with you.

감기 걸렸으니까 푹 쉬세요.
Since you caught a cold, rest well

몸이 안 좋으니까 일찍 가세요
Since you're not feeling well go (home) early.

여러분 금요일이니까 외식 하자!
Everyone, Since it's Friday, let's go out to eat!

시간이 없으니까 우리 택시 타는게 어때?
Since we're running late, should we take a taxi?

제가 외국인이니까 이해 주십시오.
Since I'm a foreigner, please try to understand me


So when does one use ~어/아서? Most commonly when it's an apology. Also, past tense is never reflected in the first verb. One would never say "늦었어서". Instead, "늦어서".

~어/아서 examples:

너무 늦어서 죄송합니다
(lit) Because I'm too late, I'm terribly sorry.
Sorry I'm so late.

연락을 못 드려서 미안해요
(lit) Because I didn't hear your call, I'm sorry.
Sorry I didn't hear your call

늦게 일어나서 밥을 못 먹었어요.
(lit) Because I lately woke up, I could not eat food.
I didn't eat breakfast because I woke up late.

시간이 없어서 숙제 못 했어요.
(lit) Because time did not exist, I could not do my homework.
Because I didn't have enough time, I didn't do my homework.

작년 여름에 한 반도 운동을 못 해서 살이 쪘어요
(lit) Because last year's summer I couldn't exercise not even once, I gained flesh.
I gained some weight because I didn't work out at all last summer.

So, in review:
when suggesting/requesting/ordering someone to do something, use ~으니까
When simply stating cause and effect or offering an apology, use ~어/아서

Bonus! Here's my teacher's response to my question. Her explanation is awesome and should help those still with questions as well as serve as a review.

Another reason my teacher is awesome is that she'll answer just about any question I have regardless of how trivial or basic it may seem. Today's puzzle was as follows:

I see "~하지오" a lot. I have always been confused by ~하지오 and ~하지요. I know that ~하죠 is just a shortened form but what is the original, correct spelling? Form the horse's mouth:

"잘 지내지오?" - 이것은 spelling 맞춤법이 틀렸어요
"잘 지내지요?" - 이것이 맞아요.
"잘 지내죠?" - 이것은 "지요?"의 shortened word (줄임말)이에요. 지요 = 죠

There you have it. Just like 께 and 게 it's a simple spelling error that doesn't really ruffle up any feathers. Thus ends another tasty Korean Grammar You Should Already Know.

When you want to press pause in your Korean, use 다가.

A similar connector "~면서" means "at the same time" while "~다가" means "stopped A and instead did B" with or without the intention to resume A at some point in the future. Another way to play with this grammar is by making it past tense: 갔다가 or 했다가. The difference is subtle but distinguishable. It's the difference between almost doing something and then doing something else and having done something and then change to something else.

I think I just confused myself. Don't worry. It's an easy point.

Some examples:

이토씨는 회사에 가다가 서류를 준비하지 않아서 다시 집에 되돌아 간 적이 있었어요
Ito was on his way to work when he realized that he didn't prepare the documents for work, so he had to turn back and go back home.

나는 한국 영화를 보다가 어려운 단어가 있어서 사전을 찾았어요
When I was watching a Korean movie, some difficult words came up so I paused the film and looked them up in the dictionary.

어젯밤 내 동생은 노래방에서 놀다가 급한 일이 생겨서 밖에 나갔다 왔어요
Lats night, my little brother was having fun at a karaoke room when something happened and he had to go outside for a minute.

우리 누나는 방에 음악을 들고있다가 전화가 와서 전화를 받았어요.
My sister was in her room listening music when the phone rang and she answered it.

버스를 기다렸다가 집에서 학원까지 멀어서 한자 수업을 빠졌어요.
I was waiting for the bus but since it's so far from my home to the school, I just skipped class.

옷을 샀다가 사이즈 안 맞아서 백화점에서 교환 했어요.
I bought some clothes but since they didn't fit, I exchanged them at the department store.

오늘 선글라스를 썼다가 좀 안 어울려서 뺐어요.
Today I was wearing sunglasses but because they didn't look all that great on me, I took them off.

To wish for something in English carries a few meanings. it could mean "What did you wish for?" "무슨 소원을 빌었어요?". However, it could sometimes also mean "hope". This example:
"I wish (hope) that you would all take your seats" is
고객 여러분, 모두 자리에 앉아 주시기 바랍니다.

Since it demonstrates a level of respect that's pretty high, it's most frequently heard as "~기 바랍니다". Also, it should have (를) attached as in 기를 바랍니다 but to omit the marker is fine. Also, since this is a announcer type of speech, you might not use it all the time, but to hear it and know its meaning is important. When I first heard it, I thought it was 바람 as in "wind". Good job. Anyways, you can here this on the subway or any other time there's a pleasant announcer telling you to do something.

More non-wind examples:

우리 형이 새로 식당을 열었어서 사업이 잘 되시기 바랍니다
My brother opened up a new restaurant, so I hope he does well

사장님의 아들 돌잔치가 있어서 아이를 건강하게 오래 사시기 바랍니다
Because the boss's kid is having his or her first birthday party, I hope he or she will live a long and healthy life

이모가 병원에 입원해서 빨리 회복되기 바랍니다
Because my aunt went to the hospital, I hope she gets better soon.

I like this grammar point and kind of wish English had something similar. <동사>는 길 is the equivalent of "On my way to I'll " Between Point A and point B there's an easy-to-access Point C that is no problem to drop by. Any example would be a spouse calling the other and asking to:
"Buy some milk on your way home" 
집에 가는 길에 우유를 사주세요. 


To complete the sentence structure of "picking up something on the way" or "dropping by somewhere" we need a new verb that is hard for me to pronounce. The verb to drop by something on one's way is 들르다, as in "집에 가는 길에 우체국에 들러서 우표를 사주세요" (Pick up some stamps at the post office on your way home).

More examples:

A: 지금 어딘데? Where are you?
B: 집에 가는 길이야. 왜? I'm on my way home. Why?

기숙사에 오는 길에 우체국에 편지를 부쳐 주시겠어요?
On your way to the dorm, could you mail my letter for me?

학교에 가는 길에 도서관에 책을 반납할래? 
Can you return my book to the library on your way to school? (lit. Do you wanna...?)

춘천에 가는 길에 강변역에 울진행 버스표 두 장 사주세요 
On your way to Chuncheon, please buy for me two bus tickets to Uljin at Gangbyeon Station.

교무실에 가는 길에 부장님에게 서류를 전해주시겠습니까? 
On your way to the teacher's workroom, could you please hand these papers to the supervisor?

Ask me why I mix these two up? I have no clue. They have virtually nothing to do with each other besides sharing similar pronunciation. I felt silly asking my teacher but she assured me that I wasn't the only idiot who had these two mixed up.

외해서 is "for" as in:

와이프 외해서 사는 것이예요
This is a gift for my wife

나를 외해서 한국말을 배우야지
I should learn Korean for my own benefit*

*스스로 is another similar expression:
이제는 스스로 한국말을 배워여
From here on out, I'm going to study Korean for my own sake


대해서 is "about" as in:

오늘 사 생활을 침하기 대해서 예기 하고싶어요
Today I want to talk about the invasion of privacy

한국 역사 관심을 대해서 한국에 왔어요
lit. Because I have interest about Korean history, I came to Korea

이것 대해서 말 해 주세요
Tell me about this

Picking right up after the last grammar point about order comes one that I find helpful. If you want to express a sequence of events that implies a direct progression, as in:

"Right after work, I leave immediately for night class" then one can say:
"퇴근하는 대로 수업에 가요".

If you find yourself trying to say "바로 그다음에" in a vain attempt to express something that happens (or happened) right after something, then you've found your new grammar point.

More examples:

과장의 택배를 받는 대로 저에게 연락 해 주세요
Call me when our boss's package arrives

인터넷 요금이 나오는대로 여기에 놓아 주고 보지마세요
When the Internet bill arrives, put it right here and don't look at it

아침 식사를 하는 대로 이를 닦아요
Right after I eat breakfast I brush my teeth

사람들이 모두 도착하는 대로 시작하겠어요
We'll start when everybody arrives

수업이 끝나는 대로 병원에 들릴려요
After class is finished, I'll drop by the hospital on my way home.

다 만드는 대로 먹으려고요
After it's all made, let's eat.

서울에 도착하는 대로 전화해
After you arrive in Seoul, call me

이 책을 다 읽는 대로 빌려 드릴게요
After I'm done reading this book, I'll let you borrow it.


Seems like I have a grasp on things but maybe this grammar point has more than one use to it.

Update: part two of my thoughts on this one. part one.

I get flustered trying to do the whole sequencing thing in Korean. Like all good students, I learned the "후에" grammar point first. As a means of learning more accurate ways to express order, I am introduced to ~고 나서. When A is finished B will happen (or did happen). Instead of saying "퇴근시간 후에 청국장을 먹었어요" one should say "퇴근하고 나서 청국장을 먹었어요". "~고 나서" does not express tense. Whether A and B already happened or they will happen, either way, the connector stays the same. The tense is reflected in the last verb. It's similar to ~고 but 고 does not imply order.

Examples:

밥을 먹고나서 수업을 다닐거예요
After I eat, I'm going to go to class.

형을 전화하고나서 낮잠을 잤어요
After I called my friend, I took a nap

보통 아침 7시에 일어나고서 식사를 해요.
Normally, after I wake up, I eat breakfast.

친구들랑 식사하고 나서 노래방에 갔어요
After I ate with some friends, we went to a 노래방.

It's not a hard grammar point to learn but it doesn't always sound right. The problem is in translating directly from English to Korean. For example, I want to say "After teaching, I'll check" so I think to myself "가르치고나서 확인할게요". Although it seems it would be fine, this is really not very natural to say at all. Unfortunately, the grammar point brought up in this post does not fully apply here, either. Instead, ~면 is more commonly used. Obviously the direct translation of 수업끝나면 확인할게요 is "If class ends, I'll check" the implication is more like "when" instead if "if". But don't we already have a "when" clause?

Confused? Join the club.

Korean is a fascinating language. There's even a great way, in Korean, to confirm that you didn't hear what someone just said. Furthermore, there's a way to tell the person that yes, indeed, I did ask that, I didn't hear what you said and now I am confirming that you asked the question in which was not heard. How validating. How many Korean-speakers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

There's an important distinction to make before starting the "what did you say?" game. First of all, there's questions and then there's statements. I typically hear the "what did you say?" verb conjugation for questions more often than for statements. Also, asking "what did you say? Is that what you said?" does not carry the same possible negative connotation that it does in English. I can't help but think to myself "Perk up your freakin ears next time son!" but thankfully I refrain. There's just a level of politeness that both 1) doesn't correspond exactly in English and 2) exists in Korean in a different way. It's not always the "what'd you say, boy?" feeling to it. Many times it's just a confirmation; almost a respectable confirmation before proceeding.

Repeating a Question
A: 미국에 가밨어요?
B: 미국 가봤냐고? 아니에요.

A: 밥 먹었어요?
B: 밥 먹었냐고요? 네 그럼요.

A: 야. 돈 있니?
B: 돈 있냐고? 아...그개...


Repeating a Statement
A: 오늘 컴퓨터 샀는데...
B: 컴퓨터 샀다고요? 언제? 얼마 줬어요?

A: 2년 동안 일본어 배웠어요
B: 2년 동안 배웠다고요? 와!

A: 걱정마. 맥주 열 잔만 먹었어.
B: 열 잔 먹었다고?! 죽으래?!


It's also important to note that the "고" in ~다고요 and ~냐고요 is pronounced more like /구/. Contrary to some advice, it isn't only to sound more cute; it's just easier to pronounce that way. ~냐구 just rolls off your tongue easier.

NOTE: This should have been posted a month ago but got lost in the pile of drafts. It's still pretty rough as "역시" is a strange bird. Below is what I wrote:
I spent almost an entire hour talking about this with a friend today and I still don't fully grasp it. This is my feeble attempt at starting to understand the versatility and not-quite-the-same-in-English glory that is '역시'. Bear with me.

As Naver points out, it means a whole lot of nothing. More specifically, it's misleading. It makes me think it's something that it isn't. It's like those purple sweet potatoes in Korea. They look like they'll taste like a grape but no. Just a sweet potato taste. You big fat lying potato. Why do you taste just like all the other sweet potatoes?

What was I saying? oh yeah. '역시' has many uses. They aren't exactly related to each other but all of them seem to essentially revolve around the speaker's inner monologue and/or to the end of a  We'll go over each dictionary definition and give an example:

1) 또한 too, as well, also, likewise
This seems to be a way to agree with someone's opinion. I'm already already familiar with "나도 그렇게 생각해요" (I think so, too). and in this situation, one can add the optional  "나도 역시 그렇게 생각해요" but what I don't know is what nuance changes...any help?

2) 그래도 but then, notwithstanding, nevertheless, though, however, in spite of, none the less
how does this differ from 그래도? don't know. The example given was that a couple is searching for a restaurant. They can't agree on anything because all restaurants don't sound appetizing. This place is too expensive, that place is too greasy, that place is too bland, etc. So, the couple agrees to simply go to 김밥천국 without really expecting anything. it was just a last minute compromise. Just eat and go. Once there, the food is surprisingly good. You say with a tiled head to your partner "흠...역시 김밥천국이야". What I don't know is the nuance. What exactly does that mean? "good choice, honey?"

3) 예전히 still, all just the same
the example was two friends meet after a long time apart. Say, three years. Back then, the friend lived in 명동. The other friend, in excitement of meeting his friend after such a long time asks "Hey, where are you living now?" and the friend replies "Still in 명동" to which the other friend replies "아! 역시..." Apparently this also requires a finger shake or a shit-faced grin to gain full effect.

4) 생각했던 대로 as expected, true to one's expectation
The example given was that if my friend wanted to go to England for a long time and he read a lot about England and dreamt all about going to England. England was on his mind. Once he got there, he was happy that it was exactly what he imagined. He simply said quietly to himself "아...역시" as in "I knew it".
Another example is a friend who setting you up with a blind date. He describes the girl you're going to meet as pretty, smart, playful, quick and from a nice family. Your imagination dreams up what she must look like. Once you finally meet her, she's everything you imagined and more. Again, you say to yourself "아...역시"

5) 결국 after all is said and done
If a guy didn't study for a test, prays to the heavens for a good grade but only receives a 15 out of a 100 on the test. In that case, he can say 역시 but I don't know what it means. It seems that it's practically the same as the more common definition above (#4)
- - - - - - - -

If you read this and feel that you have something to add, as always, please leave a comment!

I love using Korean kinship titles. I really do. 호칭 좋아해. I wrote about them a while back.

When I hear 오빠 I melt.
When I hear 형 I feel closer to my buddy.
When I call an older woman 누나 I grin like an idiot
When I hear some other guy call the waitress 언니 I get creeped out. Why is some guy using that word? Seoul people...Where was I? Oh yeah.
When I call an much older woman 할머니 I think of my mother's mother and how precious she will always be to me
When I call an older man 할어버지 I think of how my father's father fought in the Korean war and how he might have seen them when they were young
When I call a man 아저씨 I usually want buy something
When I call a woman 아줌마 I usually want to kill something

However you look at it, I like to use Korean titles. But without a doubt, there's no one way to change from the dreaded "아줌마/아저씨" titles to the more friendly "누나/형/오빠/언니" titles. Let's start from the most polite and work down. Also, one can replace 누나 or 누님 with any other title when appropriate:

형님이라고 부르세요 you may call me 'hyung'
형이라고 불러 주세요 please call me 'hyung'
형이라고 불러 줘 just call me your 'hyung
형이라고 불러 just call me 'hyung'

You can also do this if you find some Koreans using your first name when it is not appropriate for them to do so. For instance, when little kids call me "Matthew" I want to strangle someone. Instead, I gently remind them by saying "스미스 선생님라고 불러 주세요" Please call me Mr. Smith.

Now, when I was first learning all this, I was confused by this little tidbit: 형이 라고 불요 people call me 'hyung'. This doesn't mean "People, call me hyung!" as in "여러분 형이라고 불러주세요!" Instead, it means "people (in the world) call me hyung (because they are younger than me)". Use this only when referring to your age or title in relation to someone else. It's not terribly common so don't sweat it if it's confusing.

However, if you're like me and you are both 1) younger than the person that you are talking to and 2) you actually like using these kinship terms and want to initiate them. In this case you should ask permission beforehand:

누나라고 불러도 될까요? can I call you 'noona'?
누나로 불러도 될까요? can I call you 'noona'?
그럼, 누나라고 불까요? so, can I just call you 'noona' then?
그럼, 누나라고 불까? so, can I just call you 'noona' then?
누나라고 불거야. I'm going to call you 'noona'

Sometimes, you'll find that the person on the receiving end of your innocent and super-sweet question will smile in embarrassment or avoid the subject altogether. Why? Not everyone wants to be the older sibling, so to say. In the case of a 누나, you can *carefully* joke by saying "왜요? 누나라고 불리는 게 싫어요? You don't want to be a 'noona'?" The feeling from many older women is that a younger man, while he may be cute and sweet, is not a man to her and her heart does not feel the same loving affection towards a 동생 as she may feel towards a man whom she actually has romantic feelings towards. Accordingly, my wife sometimes simply hates it when I call her 누나. However, I do know of some couples who use it affectionately. In my case, I really like my situation; "연상의 아내 a wife older than her husband". Like most things, it various from person to person. For sure, the more common situation is "연하의 아내 a wife younger than her husband". In these cases, you can compare your age to your significant other when asked:

제가 한 살 어려요 I'm one year younger
내가 한 살 많아아요 I'm one year older
저보다 한 살 많아요 She's one year older than me
나보다 한 살 어려요 She's one year younger than me

Then again, if you come to find out that you are indeed that same age, there's little else to say other than names. Keep in mind that being the same age is the fast track to friendship. I may like titles and all but being the same age is a special type of friendship devoid of most formalities and responsibilities.

동갑이예요 We're the same age
우리는 동갑 아닌데? aren't we the same age?
알고보니 동갑이네 I'm surprised to find out that we are the same age!
들이 동갑이야 You guys are the same age
그냥 이름을 불러주세요 Just call me by my name

Regardless of same age or a few years difference, there's always the possibly embarrassing moment of when to lower speech. Who initiates it? The older person? The younger person? Can't you just slip in a lower speech term here and there and then they'll pick up on it? Well, technically, all are correct. If you are the older person and you want the younger to feel more comfortable, then tell them to drop the formalities. If you're younger, believe it or not, depending on the situation, it is possible to ask the older person to lower his or her speech in order to make the both of you closer. Finally, you can also just slip it in here and there but it carries not nearly the name level of politeness as not addressing it at all. I can say as an American, it does not make me at all uncomfortable to speak 존대말 but for many Koreans, speaking 반말 is the equivalent of taking off the tie and kicking off their shoes. They would much rather prefer it - so long as it is appropriate. Various speech lowering phrases that may help:

말 놓으세요 Please lower your speech (sir. you don't need to respect me)
저 아직 어리니까... since I'm still young...(you don't need to respect me)
허락하시면 저도 놓겠어요 if it's okay with you, I'll also drop the formalities
그럼, 우리 말 놓자 Well, let's lower our speech together
말 놓을까요? 편하게... why are you putting your language so high? relax
우리 반말 할까? shall we use 'casual speech'?
알았어. 말 놓을게 Okay. I'll lower my speech
뭐야?! 진짜로 반말 해도 되는 거야? WTF? really? You want me to use 'casual speech' with you?
말 놔도 되요? Can I lower my speech level?

As you may guess to where this post is heading, some people don't like to use these titles so I would strongly recommend to gauge the situation. Similarly, asking to use 반말 is probably not a good idea at work. If it's a work situation, just stick with Korean titles such as OOO씨 or OOO선생님 or their respective titles such as 교장님 (principal), 교감님 (vice principal) and 부장님 (supervisor) regardless of how close your relationship is. If ever curious as to where to place your speech, a few questions about age will guide you in the right direction. From the top down:

연세가 어떻게 되세요? can I ask how old are you?
나이가 어떻게 돼세요? how old are you?
나이가 어떻게 돼요? how old are you?
몇 살이세요? how old are you?
몇 살이에요? how old are you?
몇 살이야? how old are you?
한국나이로 스물 여덟이에요 In Korean age, I'm 28
미국나이로 스물 여섯이에요 In American age, I'm 26

other age specific questions include:

실례지만, 몇년생이세요? (sorry to ask but) what year were you born?
몇년생이세요? what year were you born?
생일이 언제예요? when is your birthday?
생일날에 뭐 할꺼야? when's your birthday?
저 83년생이에요 I was born in 83, son!
저는 1983년 9월 14일에 태어났어요 I was born in September 14th 1983
note: The eighty-three (83) in my birth year can be pronounced as /팔십삼/ but /팔삼/ is more natural sounding.

We covered a lot today but if you want more, there might be something you're looking for at the reference guide.

Thus begins the first of a series of simple grammar points that intermediate speakers should already know but for some reason still are not 100% confident on. What better way to start out this series than the bane of my linguistic existence:

에 versus 에서
(locative particles)
(조사 = particles)

I freaking hate these two. I mix them up and all they do is piss me off. Really.

The problem is complicated. "~에" is versatile and performs many functions. It can indicate time as in:
"다섯 시 반에 끝나요" (It ends at 5:30)
"7시에 약속 있는데" (I have plans at 7:00)
"지난 월요일에 사무실에 안 갔어" (I didn't go to work last Monday)
"다음 달에 시험 있어요?" (Do we have a test next time [class]?)

"~에서" wears many faces, too. When combined with "~까지", they form a cute little duo that help to indicate where and when someone is coming from and going to as in:
"7시에서 10시까지 수업 있어요" (I have class from 7pm to 10pm)
"KTX로 서울에서 부산까지 갈 수 있어요" (You can ride the KTX from Seoul to Busan)

I'm embarrassed that I even get them confused. I have been getting better at learning to use the proper one but still... One thing that I hear that helps to remember is that "~에서" is attached to a static location such as a restaurant, a room, a movie theater, swimming pool or home. But what, you say, is different between a location and a static location? Isn't it all just the same?

Yes. Basically.

For example, someone tells me that Starbucks is a static location (or an inanimate object) because it just sits there and can't move. This contrasts with a place that constantly moves like a car or your mother. Fair enough. I should use "~에서" As in "스타벅스에서 만나자!" (let's meet up at Starbucks!)

But then tell me why 서울 (Seoul) the city, the huge metropolis, the home of 18 million plus souls, is considered not a static location cause it can move, apparently. If you want to reference a place like Seoul, in this context, one must use "~에" as in "서울에 만나자!" (let's meet up in Seoul!)

"Oh, simple Matthew..." you say with a grin, "..that's because in English "in" means "~에" and "at" means "~에서"." Okay smart guy. Let's try it, shall we?

"이화여자대학교에서 공부해요" (I study at Ewha)
"도서관에서 공부해요" (I study in the library) no...wait. (I study at the library)....is that right? how about (To the library I study)...umm.. what about (Library is the place in which I study) yeah that's better.

See my confusion and sarcasm? It's confusing because it's not a 1:1 translation. For the most part, "책" equals "book" and thus a 1:1 translation between English and Korean does occur. However, the same cannot be true for our little location particles. These simple little particles seems to mess me up all the time.

So, keep in mind that "~에' can mean (at, on, in, to) and "~에서" can mean (in, at, from) but not exclusively limited to these definitions. Think outside the box. Try thinking in Korean when trying to speak Korean instead of translating what you want to say from English to Korean. Easier said than done, I know. This is when I turn to rote memorization. My secret weapon and quite an effective one, I might add.

What do I commit to memory? This:

"~에서" is used with "만나다", "왔어" and other verbs
"~에" is used with "있다" "없다" "가다" "오다" and other verbs.


Proper examples of "~에서" include:
"오늘 학교에서 싸웠어" (Today I fought at school)
"방금 공원에서 이효리 봤어" (I just saw Hyori Lee at the park)
"집에서 낮잠을 잤어요" (I took a nap at home)
"어디에서 왔어요?" (Where did you come from?)
"미국에서 왔어요." (I came from America)
"광화문역 오호선에서 만나래?" (Do you wanna meet up at Gwanghwamun Station Line 5?)
"중국에서 중국어를 배웠어요" (I learned Chinese in China)

Proper examples of "~에" include:
"지금 사무실에 있어" (I'm at the office right now)
"내일 우리 집에 오세요 (Tomorrow, come over to my house)
"어디에 갔다왔어?" (Where did you go [just now]/[on vacation]?)
"호주에 갔다왔어" (I went to [and came back from] Australia)
"어디에 살아요?" (Where do you live?)
"한국에 살고있어" ([Right now] I live in Korea [but it's just temporary])
"어제 현대백화점에 갔어" (Yesterday, I went to [the] Hyundai Department Store)
"책상위에 열쇠 있어" (The keys are on my desk)
"창문 앞에 있어" (It's in front of the window)
"서울에 사람이 많아" (There are a lot of people in Seoul)
"지금 형이 집에 없다고?" (Did you say that your brother is not home right now?)
"집에 가" (Go home)

But this doesn't always work. One can find contradictions to this 'rule' easily. If I were to translate "There are many flowers at the park" or "There are many beautiful women in Sinchon" can you guess what I use? That's right. I would break the 'rule' and use "~에". Thus, my rule is lame. I guess what really helps me is context. The more I hear "~에" and "~에서" being properly used in a Korean context, the more I understand it. When I do accidentally reverse them, it does seem kind of funny. One time I meant to say:
"집에 왔어요" (I'm home [while talking on the phone to your wife])
but instead said this:
"집에서 왔어요" (I am a citizen of a place "HOME"; lit. I come from home)

And of course the part that just adds the icing to the already sour cake, "~에" isn't even needed sometimes. In some short sentences, just omit them. As in:
"학교 가자" (let's go to school)
"어디 있어?" (where is it?)

But it seems "~에서" is always needed and is never omitted.

FML. The first of many Korean Grammar You Should Already Know.