우리 공부합시다
Let's study!

One of my first posts on Sino-Korean and using Hanja to learn Korea was on 人 Hanja, which is where 인 in 인간 and many other words come from. While 人 is related to people, the Hanja we are covering today is also related, but more about describing a person. 者 or 자 relates more to describing people with a specific job, characteristic, status, etc.. The breakdown of the Hanja from many of these comes out to “the one who __”.

Professions

가입자: member/policyholder
강연자: lecturer
교육자: educator
기자: journalist
기술자: technician/engineer
사자: messenger/envoy
사회자: chairperson or host/MC (lit. take charge, assemble, those who)
연기자: performer (not usually used when talking about actors; has a wider range)
지휘자: conductor
철학자: philosopher

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가락 Words

• 손가락: fingers (손 = hand)
• 발가락: toes (발 = foot)
• 숟가락: spoon (숟 = 술)
• 젓가락: chopsticks (저 = 箸)
• 가락엿: Korean taffy stick (엿 = Korean traditional candy)

So What is 가락 Meaning?

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All of these terms can be translated as worry in Korean, but their meanings have different nuances. When do you use which one? I’ll run through them quickly, so let’s get into it!

고민 Meaning

고민 has more of a sense that you are thinking about something seriously. Possibly choosing between something or deciding on what to do. It can have the feeling of being concerned about a decision.

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Today’s grammar lesson is a quick one. We’ll be getting into how to quote people, making sentences to use “they said” in Korean.

Situations to Use ~다고 하다

Yes, it is useful when quoting someone, but also when expressing a thought, belief, promise, and more, whether it’s your own or someone else’s. Here’s a quick overview of some other uses:

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Humans of Seoul is a blog I have been following before I started studying seriously! They focus on interviewing Koreans of all ages about various topics with both original Korean and English translations.

This is a perfect light resource to develop your reading skills. With a full range of ages, that means everyone can find a conversation to their depth or vocabulary level to practice with. Also, the range of topics means there will definitely be something to interest you and give you a perspective on Korean life and the people living there! From sports, books, hobbies, school, romance, work, parenting, childhood, health, and much more.

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A while ago, I went through all the different types of 방 or rooms in Korean and mentioned wanting to go more in-depth on Korean bathhouses; well, today is the day! A lot of 찜질방 are 24/7, with floor heating, sleeping rooms, sauna areas, full body scrubs, and much more to help you fully relax.

no little duckies included, but the towel wrap is accurate!

What is a Korean Bathhouse?

Bathhouses and the matching saunas have existed traditionally in Korea since the rise of Buddhism. But modern 찜질방, with multiple baths, relaxation area, and more, are more recent; rose in popularity in the 1990s. These are perfect places to unwind and relax after walking and climbing so many stairs around Korea!

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