우리 공부합시다
Let's study!

The 만 grammar particle is a great piece to add to your vocabulary! Emphasize and clarify by adding ‘just’ or ‘only’ to your sentences with this simple particle. I’ll go through some quick examples as well!

Placing 만 Grammar Particle

As in English, Koreans can also change where ‘only’ is placed to change the specific meaning of a sentence. ~만 can be placed attached to the subject or object of a sentence and replaces the usual particle that would sit there (so for a subject: ~은/는, or for an object: ~을/를). To quickly explain:

1. I only ate an apple (I ate an apple, and did nothing else)
   저는 사과를 먹기만 했어요
2. Only I ate an apple (I ate an apple, nobody else did)
   저만 사과를 먹었어요
3. I ate only an apple (I ate an apple, and ate nothing else)
   저는 사과만 먹었어요

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I’m here with a very interesting cultural post by request! Jeju’s Haenyeo (해녀; lit. sea women (海女)) are specialized female divers who earn their livelihood by diving without breathing equipment for abalone, conch, oysters, sea urchins, and more. And have been mastering the practice for multiple generations!

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Pluralizing a word/item isn’t as tricky as you might expect! Using 들 Korean plural particle can help you express multiples and emphasize the amount as much as you want.

Making Korean Plural Words

There are 2 main ways to make plural words in Korean. First is by simply adding a number; for example “가방 두개” (lit. bag 2) simply translates as “2 bags” without the need to add anything else to pluralize it.

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It’s time for another focused vocab list. This time focusing on animals. From pets to farms, zoos, forests, and skies I have got you covered for animals in Korean!

So let’s get into it~

Pets in Korean

고양이: cat
새끼고양이: kitten
개: dog
강아지: puppy
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I’m back with more Sino-Korean! The 의 in 의미 meaning comes from the Hanja 意 which means thought/idea/opinion. You’ll see 의 in words related to meaning, intention, willingness, and even carelessness.

의미: meaning/significance (everyday word)
의의: meaning/significance (more literary)

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You might have heard this grammar particle before if you’re a fan of Korean shows and dramas! There are a lot of “가지 마” (don’t go),  “울지 마” (don’t cry), “하지 마” (don’t do it) in Korean shows said by actors, and many more similar phrases. Adding the ~지 마 at the end of a verb is a simple and straightforward way to say “don’t do something” and really convey that urgency or emotion.

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