This is NOT written by AI.

There is a cultural context I need to talk about before we talk about the vocabulary in the picture below. In Korea, dryers are still not as common as in other, developed countries. Many households have a washing machine but not a dryer. However, most of the washing machines that come in newer apartment units have a drying function.

So let’s talk about the drying functions first.

Drying Functions (건조 기능)

1. 강력건조 = Power Dry

   This is a high-heat cycle for complete drying. Best for thick items like heavy denim or towels, but carries the highest risk of fabric damage and shrinkage. So be VERY CAREFUL when using it!

   • 강력 = Strong / High Power

     eg. 더 강력한 파스가 필요해요.
     (I need stronger 파스.)

   • 건조 = Dry / Drying

     eg. 겨울에 피부가 너무 건조해져요.
     (In winter, my skin gets so dry.)

2. 표준건조 = Standard Dry

   This is the default drying mode for regular, everyday laundry loads. But again, most standard washing machines, are not designed for drying clothes. They are simply meant for washing them.

   • 표준 = Standard / Average

     eg. 표준어와 사투리 차이를 알아요?

     (Do you know the difference between standard language and regional dialects?)

   • 건조 (covered above)

4. 다림질용 = ‘For-Iron’ Dry

   This is another drying mode where fabrics remain slightly damp. This allows one to iron the items without needing to spray them again with water. I’ve never used this function since most electric irons have a spray function.

   • 다림질 = Ironing → 다리다 = to iron

     eg. 아침에 늦잠을 자서 옷을 못 다렸어요.
     (I couldn’t iron my shirt because I slept in this morning)

   • 용 (用) = For / Purpose (쓸 용)

     eg. 혹시 유아용 젓가락이 있어요?
     (Do you have children’s chopsticks?)

5. 시간건조 = Timed Dry

   This is a manual control mode where you select a specific time duration (e.g., 30 mins, 1 hour) regardless of moisture sensors.

   • 시간 = Time / Duration

     eg. 평일에는 언제 시간이 괜찮으세요?
     (What time works best for you on the weekdays?)

   • 건조 (covered above)

Washing Functions (세탁 기능)

5. 알뜰삶음 = Eco-Boil Wash

   This is a high-temperature wash (60°C–90°C) engineered to save energy. It mirrors traditional Korean laundry habits of boiling white cottons, underwear, and towels in a metal pot to sanitise (살균) and bleach (표백) them.

   • 알뜰 = Economical / Energy-saving

     eg. 해가 질 때 시장에 가면 알뜰 쇼핑을 할 수 있어요.

     (I can buy things at cheaper if l go to the market when the sun goes down.)

   • 삶음 = Boiling → 삶다 = to boil

     eg. 수건을 한번 삶아야 할 것 같아요.

     (I think I need to boil the towels.)

6. 찌든때 (불림) = Soak Wash

   This is where fabrics are soaked in warm soapy water first so that hard dirt or strong smells (like musty towels or sweaty gym clothes) come off more easily before the main wash.

   • 찌든때 = Deeply ingrained dirt → 찌들다 = to be deeply stained

     eg. 요즘 일에 찌들었어요.
     (I’m buried in work these days.)

   • 불림 =Soaking / Steeping → 불리다 = to soak/swell

     eg. 죽을 만들려면 쌀을 미리 불려놓아야해요.

     (If you want to make porridge, you have to soak the rice beforehand.)

7. 기능성의류 = Activewear

   This is a low-heat, gentle wash cycle designed to protect technical fabrics (Gore-Tex, Dry-Fit, spandex) and maintain their water-repellent coatings. Although we do have these functions, it is often difficult to wash them properly ourselves, so we take them to the dry cleaners.

   • 기능성 = High-performance / Functionality

     eg. 기능성 바람막이라서 가격이 좀 있어요.

     (It’s a little pricey because it has high functionality.)

   • 의류 = Clothing / Garments

     eg. 여성 의류 코너는 몇층에 있어요?

     (Which floor is the women's clothing section on?)

8. 란제리/울 = Lingerie / Wool (= Delicates)

   This is a low-spin, gentle cycle that protects silk, lace, knitwear, and delicate items from stretching or shrinking.

   • 란제리 = Lingerie (self explanatory!)

   • 울 = Wool (self explanatory!)

9. 이불 = Bedding

   This cycle uses high water volumes and pressure burst to thoroughly saturate and wash bulky bedding materials.

   • 이불 = Blanket / Duvet / Bedding

     eg. 집에 와서 창문을 열고 베개랑 이불을 털었어요.
     (I came home, opened the window, and shook out my pillow and blanket.)

10. 찬물세탁 = Cold Water Wash

    This cycle washes exclusively with cold water to cut energy consumption and prevent shrinkage or colour bleeding.

    • 찬물 = Cold water → 차다 = to be cold

      eg. 겨울에도 찬물로 샤워를 해요.
      (I take a cold shower even in winter.)

    • 세탁 = Wash / Laundry

      eg. 여름에는 세탁할 옷이 산더미예요.
      (In summer, there is a mountain of clothes to wash.)

11. 스피드워시 (Speed Wash / Quick Wash)

    This is a fast cycle (15–30 minutes) designed for small or lightly worn loads that just need a quick refresh.

    • 스피드 = Speed (self explanatory!)

    • 워시 = Wash (self explanatory!)

12. 헹굼 + 탈수 (Rinse + Spin)

    This course skips the main wash. It is perfect for rinsing and spinning out items you’ve hand-washed in the sink.

    • 헹굼 = Rinsing → 헹구다 = to rinse)

      eg. 가글로 입을 두세 번 행궈주세요.
      (Please rinse your mouth two or three times with mouthwash.)

    • 탈수 = Spin-dry / Water extraction

      eg. 탈수 기계에 수영복을 돌렸어요.

      (I spun my swimsuit in the spin dryer.)

Okay, that’s enough about washing machines for one post. I’m going to split this into two seperate posts. Stay tuned, and come back for the next one!

I was using the remote control to turn on the AC today and realised how frustrating it can be when you go to another country and need to operate the air conditioning or heating. In this post, I’m going to make sure you can use the AC remote control without Google Lens!

1. 공기 청정 = Air Purification

   • 공기 = Air

     eg. 서울에 비해서 공기가 너무 좋아요!
     (Th…

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안녕하세요! 학생 여러분^^ 이번 주도 잘 지냈어요? 한국은 7월 말부터 8월 초가 본격적인 여름 휴가철이에요. 저는 날씨가 조금 선선해지는 가을쯤에 ‘늦휴가’를 가려고 해요. 여러분의 나라에서는 보통 언제 휴가를 가나요? 다들 여름 휴가 때 무엇을 하면서 시간을 보내는지 궁금해요.

✅ 진이 선생님이 직접 뽑은 자주 쓰는 단어 5개

• 본격적이다 = In full swing / Officially starting

  → 본격적인 장마가 다음주부터 시작될 거예요. (The rainy season will start in earnest next week.)

• 휴가철 = Vacation season / Peak holiday season

  → 휴가철에 숙소를 잡기가 어려워요. (It is difficult to book accommodations during the peak vacation season.)

• 선선하다 = Cool / Breezy / Refreshing

  → 선선한 바람에 잠이 솔솔 왔어요. (The cool breeze made me feel drowsy and lulled me to sleep.)

• 언제 = When / About what time

  → 어제 언제쯤 집에 들어갔어요? (Around what time did you get home yesterday?)

• 궁금하다 = To be curious / To wonder

  → 너무 궁금했지만 묻지 않았어요. (I was very curious, but I didn't ask.)

[ENG]

Hello, everyone! Hope you all had a great week! In Korea, the peak summer vacation season usually starts between late July and early August. As for me, I’m planning to take a ‘late vacation’ in autumn when the heat cools down. When is the summer vacation season in your country? What do you usually like to do during summer break?

생동감을 더하는 의성어

I often suggest that students read short, simple stories (traditional folk tales for children, as they are a great way to learn both the Korean language and its culture. These stories often include many onomatopoeic words. In this section, I will introduce 10 of them to you, with an example for each one.

• 콜록콜록 = coughing sound

  → 어젯밤에 콜록콜록 기침을 많이 하던데 괜찮아요? (You were coughing so much last night. Are you okay?)

• 두근두근 = heart throbbing / pit-a-pat

  → 내일이 첫 출근이라 너무 두근두근해서 잠이 안 와요. (Tomorrow is my first day at work, and my heart is pounding so much that I can’t sleep.)

• 보글보글 = bubbling / simmering sound

  → 보글보글 끓기 시작하면 면을 넣으세요. (Once it starts bubbling, put the noodles in.)

• 바삭바삭 = crispy / crunchy

  → 겉은 바삭바삭하고 안은 촉촉해요. (It’s crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.)

• 토닥토닥 = pats on the back/shoulder

  → 어머니가 방에 들어오셔서 어깨를 토닥토닥 두드려주셨어요. (My mother came into my room and gently patted me on the shoulder.)

• 매끈매끈 = smooth / silky

  → 때를 2시간동안 밀었더니 피부가 매끈매끈해졌어요. (After scrubbing off dead skin cells for two hours, my skin became smooth and silky.)

• 쫄깃쫄깃 = chewy

  → 개인적으로 저는 쌀떡보다 밀떡이 더 쫄깃쫄깃한 것 같아요. (Personally, I think wheat rice cakes are chewier than rice cakes.)

• 바스락바스락 = rustling / crunching sound

  → 바스락바스락 거리는 소리에 과자를 몰래 먹다가 선생님께 걸렸어요. (I got caught by the teacher while secretly eating snacks because of the rustling sound.)

• 투덜투덜 = muttering / grumbling

  → 동생이 집까지 오는 길 내내 투덜투덜거렸어요. (My younger sibling grumbled all the way home.)

• 엉엉 = sobbing / crying loudly

  → 제 직장 동료가 책상에 엎드려서 엉엉 울고 있었어요. (My coworker was slumped over their desk, crying hysterically.)

비슷하지만 다른 단어: 보통 vs 평소

In one of my classes this week, I had to explain these two Korean words that both mean “usual” in English. 보통 is used to describe what is generally or typically true for most people or situations, or to indicate that something is just “average” (neither bad nor exceptionally good). On the other hand, 평소 refers to “ordinary times” or one’s “usual daily routine,” especially when contrasting it with an unusual event or someone’s behaviour today. Let’s take a look at some examples for each.

보통 = Generally / Typically / Average

• 보통 아침에는 밥을 잘 안 먹고 출근해요. (Usually, I don't eat breakfast before going to work.)

• 옛날에 한국 사람은 보통 키가 크지 않았어요. (In the past, Koreans were generally not very tall.)

• 저희 어머니는 보통 감정을 잘 들어내지 않아요. (My mother usually doesn't express her emotions much.)

평소 = Usual times / Everyday routine

• 평소와 다르게 기분이 우울했어요. (Unlike usual, I felt depressed today.)

• 재료가 소진돼서 평소보다 일찍 문 닫았습니다. (We closed earlier than usual because we ran out of ingredients.)

• 재고를 정리하기 위해서 평소보다 더 싸게 팔고 있어요. (We are selling these cheaper than usual to clear out inventory.)

이번 주말도 한국어 공부를 틈틈이 하면서 재미있게 보내고, 다음 주 뉴스레터를 통해 만나도록 해요.

[ENG]

I hope you have a fun weekend while studying Korean in your free time, and I'll see you in next week's newsletter!

안녕하세요, 학생 여러분!

이번 한 주도 잘 보냈어요? 저는 지난 며칠 동안 폭염과 폭우 때문에 집 밖을 나서지 않았어요. 하지만 책상에 오래 앉아있었더니 아무래도 허리에 무리가 간 것 같아요. 가까운 한의원에 가서 침을 맞았는데 별로 효과가 없었어요. 이상하게 30분 정도 걷고 집에 돌아오면 많이 아프지 않아요. 사실 이 뉴스레터를 쓰기 전에도 오전에 남편과 외출을 하면서 좀 걸었더니 허리에 통증이 심하게 느껴지지 않아요. 여러분은 규칙적으로 운동을 하고 있죠? 한국어 공부를 열심히 하느라 저처럼 오래 앉아있지 말아요! 집 밖에 나가서 산책하면서 주변을 둘러보는 여유를 가져보세요.

✅ 진이 선생님이 직접 뽑은 자주 쓰는 단어 10개

• 폭염 = Heatwave / Extreme heat

  → 서울은 지금 폭염에 시달리고 있어요. (Seoul is suffering from a heatwave right now.)

• 폭우 = Heavy rain / Torrential downpour

  → 폭우가 와서 한강에 물이 범람했어요. (The Han River flooded due to the heavy rain.)

• 나서다 = To step out / To set out / To leave

  → 집을 언제 나설거예요? (When are you going to leave the house?)

• 무리 = Overdoing it / Strain / Impossible

  → 절대 무리하지 마세요! (Please don't overexert yourself!)

• 한의원 = Traditional Korean medicine clinic

  → 한의원에 갔는데 저 빼고 다 할머니셨어요. (I went to a traditional Korean medicine clinic, and everyone except me was an elderly woman.)

• 별로 = Not really / Not particularly

  → 생각보다 별로 맵지 않아서 다 먹을 수 있었어요. (It wasn't as spicy as I thought, so I was able to eat it all.)

• 효과 = Effect / Effectiveness

  → 파스를 붙이면 좀 효과가 있어요? (Is it effective if you put on a pain relief patch?)

• 외출하다 = To go out

  → 지금 외출 중인데 혹시 한 시간 후에 오실 수 있나요? (I'm out right now, could you possibly come in an hour?)

• 통증 = Pain / Ache

  → 다행스럽게도 통증이 좀 줄어들었어요. (Fortunately, the pain has subsided a bit.)

• 심하다 = Severe / Excessive / Too much

  → 아무리 생각해도 그 장난은 너무 심했어요! (No matter how much I think about it, that prank went too far!)

[ENG]

Hi, Students! Have you been enjoying another nice week? For the last couple of days, I’ve been trying to stay at home because of the heat wave and heavy rain. I think the prolonged sitting has increased the pain in my back. I went to an oriental medicine clinic and got acupuncture. Yet it seems it didn’t help as much as I hoped. Strangely, when I come back home after a half-hour walk, my back doesn’t hurt as much. Even before I sat down to write this newsletter, I went out with my husband this morning and walked around a little more than usual. I think that somehow reduced the pain a lot. You’re all working out regularly, right? Please do not sit for too long studying Korean, and make the same mistake I did. Make sure to go out and see the world too!

아이스크림 이름으로 단어 공부

한국 아이스크림을 먹어본 적이 있어요? 제일 좋아하는 아이스크림 이름이 뭐예요? 몇몇 학생들은 이미 알겠지만 여름에는 더위사냥을 주로 먹어요. 이름 ‘더위서냥’에서 알 수 있듯이 여름에 먹어야지만 진짜 맛을 알 수 있어요. 한국에서 잘 알려진 아이스크림 이름을 같이 보면서 단어를 공부해볼까요?

[ENG]

Have you ever tried Korean ice cream? What’s your favourite flavour? Some of you may already know this, but I really like the ice cream called 더위사냥 during the summer. As the name ‘더위사냥’ suggests, it’s best enjoyed when it’s hot outside. Let’s check out some other popular Korean ice creams and learn a few new words together.

• 더위사냥 = 더위 (heat) + 사냥 (hunting) → Beat the heat!

  

• 호두마루 = 호두 (walnut) + 마루 (the best) → The best of walnut flavour

  

• 쌍쌍바 = 쌍 (twin) + 쌍 (twin) + 바 (bar)

  

  It’s an ice cream that is meant to be split into two and shared, but as you can see in the photo, it often doesn’t split equally. When I was a child, my friend and l would still buy two so we could each eat both our halves.

• 수박바 = 수박 (watermelon) + 바 (bar)

  

  It is an ice cream that has a shape of a watermelon slice, but it is not watermelon flavour. In fact nobody likes the red part…

• 요맘때

  It took me some time to figure this one out. 요 comes from the word Yogurt, and 맘때 comes from the French word Moitie, which means “the half.” They want to suggest that this is a new ice cream with half yogurt. I still don’t really get it, but I like the strawberry flavour.

  

  .

• 보석바 = 보석 (crystal) + 바 (bar)

  

• 돼지바 = 돼지 (pig) + 바 (bar)

  

  I am not a big fan of this ice cream because my brain works too hard to figure out the connection when with the pig when I look at the package. The picture above shows how it got thinner over time, as if the “pig” had gone on a diet.

• 메로나

  

  They simply added an ‘a’ to the end of the word 멜론 (melon in Korean), so 메론아 turns into 메로나. My husband kept saying it sounds like the name of a skin cancer, Melonoma.

• 누가바

  

  The name comes from the chocolate nougat that covers the vanilla ice cream. 누가바 is said to be an ice cream that thieves avoid because they worry that ‘누가 볼까봐 (누가 봐),’ which means someone might see them. Did you get the joke? ba-dum-tss…

• 설레임 = 설레임 (feeling of excitement/fluttering)

  

  It seems to come from a homonym, 설래임, which means “to fall like dew after a light snow”.

이번 한 주도 잘 마무리하기를 바라며 여기서 끝내도록 할게요. 마트에 가서 한국 아이스크림을 사먹으면 사진을 찍어서 단체톡에 올려주세요! 저도 단체톡에 인증(?) 사진을 올리도록 할게요. 그럼 안녕-!

[ENG]
I’ll wrap up the newsletter by wishing you a great end to the week. If you try Korean ice cream, snap a photo and share it in the group chat. I’ll share mine too! Bye for now!

안녕하세요! 그동안 다들 잘 지냈어요? 여러분의 한 주는 어땠나요? 날씨 때문에 힘들지는 않아요? 지금 한국은 많이 덥고 습해요. 그래서 외출하기가 꺼려지기도 해요. 그래도 저는 비가 많이 오지 않는 날에는 웬만하면 가방을 메고 나가서 일을 해요. 여러분은 하루 중에 어디서 시간을 제일 많이 보내나요?

이번 주에는 유독 책을 많이 읽고, 또 글을 많이 쓰는 시간을 보냈어요. 저는 평소에 책을 동시에 여러 권 읽는 편인데요. 장르나 언어권을 서로 다르게 섞어서 읽으면 내용이 섞이지 않고 잘 읽히더라고요. 그리고 책을 읽을 때 꼭 지키는 습관이 있어요. 독서하며 문득 떠오르는 생각들이나 좋은 문장들이 책을 덮을 때 날아가 버리는 게 아쉬워서, 항상 공책을 펼쳐 두고 그때그때 메모를 하며 읽어요. 여러분은 책 읽는 것을 좋아해요? 지금은 무슨 책을 읽고 있나요?

✅ 진이 선생님이 직접 뽑은 자주 쓰는 단어 10개

• 힘들다 = Hard / Difficult / Exhausting

  → 요즘 회사 생활이 힘들어요? (Is work life tough for you these days?)

• 보내다 = To spend (time)

  → 이번 방학을 정말 알차게 보냈어요. (I spent this vacation in a really meaningful way.)

• 유독 = Particularly / Unusually

  → 오늘따라 유독 날씨가 덥고 습하네요. (The weather is particularly hot and humid today.)

• 평소 = Usually / Ordinary times

  → 평소에는 화장을 잘 하지 않아요. (I don’t usually wear makeup on regular days.)

• 섞다 = To mix / Blend

  → 고추장을 넣고 골고루 잘 섞어서 드세요. (Add the red pepper paste and mix it well before eating.)

• 지키다 = To protect / Keep (a promise/habit)

  → 세상으로부터 제 꿈을 지키려고 노력했어요. (I tried to protect my dreams from the world.)

• 습관 = Habit

  → 올해는 좋은 습관 3개를 기르고 싶어요. (I want to build three good habits this year.)

• 문득 = Suddenly / Out of nowhere

  → 문득 친구가 생각나서 전화를 걸었어요. (Out of nowhere, my friend crossed my mind, so I called them.)

• 떠오르다 = To come to mind / Pop up

  → 좋은 생각이 떠올랐어요! (A great idea just came to mind!)

• 펼치다 = To open (a book/notebook) / Spread out

  → 교과서를 꺼내고 10쪽을 펼쳐 보세요. (Please take out your textbook and open to page 10.

[ENG]

Hello, everyone! How have you all been? How was your week? Has the weather been treating you okay? Right now, Korea is very hot and humid. It makes me a bit hesitant to even step outside. Still, on days when it’s not raining too hard, I usually pack my bag and head out to get some work done. Where do you spend most of your time during the day?

This past week, I spent a lot of time reading and writing. I’m usually the type of person who reads several books at once. If I mix up the genres or the languages they’re written in, the stories don’t blend together and I can follow them quite easily. I also have a habit I always stick to when reading: since I hate the thought of new ideas and good sentences slipping away, I always keep a notebook open next to me and jot down my thoughts as I go. Do you enjoy reading? What books are you reading these days?

그래서 생일이 언제예요?

이번 주에 부모님한테 전화가 왔는데, 다음 주가 생일이라고 하셨어요. 한국 사람들은 보통 카카오톡으로 친구들 생일을 쉽게 알 수 있어요. 몇 년 전에 제 남편도 카카오톡 알림을 보고 ‘오늘 어머니 생일이야? 왜 말 안 해줬어?’ 하고 깜짝 놀라서 저한테 물어봤어요.

하지만 저희 부모님은 서류에 적힌 생일과 진짜 생일이 달라요. 옛날에는 아기들이 일찍 죽는 경우가 많아서 출생 신고를 일부러 늦게 했어요. 그래서 저희 어머니도 서류에는 12월이라고 적혀 있지만 진짜 생일은 6월이에요. 한국의 나이 많은 어른들은 이렇게 서류상 생일과 진짜 생일이 다른 분들이 많아요.

이쯤 읽으면 여러분은 ‘어머니가 태어난 달은 6월인데 왜 7월에 생일이에요?’ 하고 궁금할 수 있어요. 그 이유는 한국의 ‘음력’ 문화 때문이에요. 지금은 대부분 양력(숫자 달력)을 쓰지만 옛날 어른들은 모두 음력으로 생일을 계산했어요. 음력 생일은 매년 날짜가 바뀌기 때문에 올해는 7월이 된 거예요. 한국의 설날(Lunar New Year)이나 제사 같은 전통 행사도 다 음력으로 해요. 지금도 문화적인 행사들은 음력과 관계가 깊어요.

다시 생일 이야기로 돌아오면 저는 어렸을 때 달력안의 작은 글자 음력의 개념을 걸 알고 너무 신기했어요. 그래서 어린 마음에 음력 생일, 양력 생일을 둘 다 챙하고 싶다라고 생각한 적도 있어요. 여러분 나라에서는 달력에 음력 날짜가 적혀져있나요?

[ENG]

My parents called me this week and told me that next week is their birthdays. In Korea, we can easily find out our friends’ birthdays thanks to KakaoTalk, a messenger app we use a lot. A few years ago, my husband suddenly saw a KakaoTalk notification, got surprised, and asked me, “Is today your mother’s birthday? Why didn’t you tell me?”

However, my parents’ birthdays on paper are different from their real birthdays. Long ago, many babies passed away at a young age, so people purposely registered their births late. For example, my mother’s birthday is written as December on paper, but her real birthday is in ‘June.’ Many older adults in Korea have different official and real birthdays like this.

You might also wonder, “Wait, if you said your mother was born in June, why is her birthday now in July?” The reason is the “lunar calendar.” Today, most people use the solar calendar, but older people used to calculate their birthdays using the lunar calendar. Because lunar birthdays correspond to a different day on the solar calendar each year, her birthday falls in July this year. Traditional Korean holidays like Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok or other ancestral rituals are all based on the lunar calendar. Even now, cultural events are deeply related to the lunar calendar.

Going back to the birthday story, I found this lunar calendar concept so fascinating when I first heard about it as a child. So, I secretly wanted to celebrate both my lunar and solar birthdays. Why? Because I could eat cake twice! But unfortunately, I just celebrate my birthday once using the solar calendar.

성격을 알려주는 조사 (particles)

Particles are like tags for nouns that show their role in a sentence, which is crucial since Korean doesn’t have a strict word order like English. When going through the “tunnel of particles,” there are two key particles to focus on: 밖에 and (이)나.

밖에 is a particle I often draw an angry or disappointed face (😠/😮‍💨) next to. You use this particle with a number/quantity to show that the amount is much less than what you expected. It is VERY important to note once again: 밖에 must always be followed by a negative verb ending, like 없다.

Example:

• 지갑에 돈이 삼천 원밖에 없어요. (I only have 3,000 won in my wallet.)

• 지난주에 너무 바빠서 숙제를 이것밖에 못 했어요. (I was so busy last week that I could only do this much homework.)

• 저는 그 사람의 이름밖에 몰라요. (I know nothing about that person except for their name.)

On the other hand, (이)나 works the exact opposite way. I often draw a content or surprised face (😲) for this one. It is used with a number/quantity to show that the amount is much more than what you expected. It translates to "As many as..." or "As much as..."

Example:

• 아침과 점심을 안 먹어서 저녁에 밥을 세 공기나 먹었어요. (I didn’t eat breakfast or lunch, so I ate as many as three bowls of rice for dinner!)

• 혼자서 10년이나 살았어요? (Have you lived by yourself for as long as 10 years?)

• 제가 바빠서 핸드폰을 확인 못 했는데, 전화가 10통이나 왔었어요. (I was too busy to check my phone, and I had as many as 10 missed calls!)

이번 뉴스레터는 평소보다 조금 길었어요. 읽으면서 공부하느라 너무 수고했어요. 이번주 한주 마무리 잘하고 우리 다음주 뉴스레터에서 만나요. 그럼 안녕-!

[ENG]

This newsletter was a bit longer than usual. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and study it! Have a great rest of your week, and I'll see you in next week's newsletter. Bye for now!

다들 이번 주도 잘 보냈어요? 한국은 이제 본격적인 장마철이라, 아침마다 흐린 하늘로 하루를 시작하는 날이 많아요. 한국 여름은 습도가 워낙 높아서 잠깐만 밖에 나가도 찜질방에 온 것처럼 땀이 비 오듯 쏟아진답니다. 예전엔 물병 없이도 잘 돌아다녔는데, 요즘은 나갈 때마다 너무 더워 갈증이 심하다 보니 카페를 전전하게 되더라고요. 이대로는 탈수로 쓰러질 것 같아서 큰 물병을 인터넷으로 주문했어요. 여러분도 아프지 말고, 몸 건강과 마음 건강 모두 늘 잘 챙기는 것 잊지 말아요.

✅ 진이 선생님이 직접 뽑은 자주 쓰는 단어 10 → 15개

(p.s. 이번주는 중요한 단어가 많아서 15개를 골라봤어요!)

• 본격적 = In earnest / Full-scale

  → 본격적으로 시작해볼까요? (Shall we start in earnest?)

• 흐리다 = Cloudy

  → 주말 내내 날씨가 너무 흐려요. (The weather is so cloudy all weekend.)

• 습도 = Humidity

  → 오늘 밖에 습도가 많이 높아요? (Is the humidity outside high today?)

• 워낙 = By nature / So

  → 아버지는 워낙 말씀이 없으세요. (My father is by nature very quiet.)

• 땀 = Sweat

  → 땀을 좀 닦고 있었어요. (I was wiping off some sweat.)

• 예전 Past / Before

  → 우리 예전에 만난 적 없어요? (Haven't we met before?)

• 돌아다니다 = Roam around / Move around

  → 아침부터 저녁까지 시내를 돌아다녔어요. (I roamed around downtown from morning till night.)

• 갈증 = Thirst

  → 아이스크림으로 갈증을 날려버렸어요. (I blew away my thirst with ice cream.)

• 심하다 = Severe / Heavy

  → 주말에는 교통체증이 심해요. (The traffic congestion is severe on weekends.)

• 전전하다 = Wander from place to place

  → 여러 회사를 전전하다가 드디어 정착했어요. (After wandering from company to company, I finally settled down.)

• 탈수 Spin-dry / Dehydration

  → 수영복을 가방에 넣기 전에 탈수하고 싶어요. (I want to spin-dry the swimsuit before putting it in my bag.)

• 주문하다 =Order

  → 여기 주문할게요! (I'll order here!)

• 마음 = Heart / Mind

  → 그 날 이후로 마음이 불편해요. (My mind has been uneasy since that day.)

• 건강= Health

  → 돈보다 건강이 중요해요. (Health is more important than money.)

• 잊다 = Forget

  → 약속을 잊지 말고 꼭 지켜주세요. (Please don't forget the promise and make sure to keep it.)

[ENG]

Did everyone have a good week? In Korea, the monsoon season has officially started, so many days begin with a gloomy sky every morning. Summers in Korea are so incredibly humid that even just stepping outside for a moment makes you sweat bullets, like you’re inside a jjimjilbang. I used to be fine walking around without a water bottle, but lately, it’s been so hot that I get severely thirsty whenever I go out, forcing me to hop into a cafe. Feeling like I might collapse from dehydration, I ordered a large water bottle online. Make sure to stay safe out there, and don’t forget to always look after both your physical and mental health.

선생님이 추천하는 고전 영화

많은 학생이 요즘 스트리밍 서비스로 최신 한국 드라마나 영화를 많이 보고 있어요. 한국어 선생님으로서 조금 더 오래된 한국 영화도 접해봤으면 좋겠다고 생각해서 고전 영화 중 하나인 <소나기>를 추천하고 싶어요. 사실 ‘엠마’라는 학생과 지난 수업 시간에 한국 영화에 대해 이야기를 나누다가 제가 추천해 준 영화인데, 정말 명작이랍니다. 저는 그 영화의 대표 삽입곡인 <산골 소년의 사랑 이야기>만 들어도 눈물이 주르륵 나요. 몇몇 학생분들도 알다시피 저는 시골에서 태어나고 자랐거든요. 그래서 이 노래만 들으면 무더운 여름철, 풀내음 가득한 시골 냇가가 자연스레 떠올라요. 영화를 찾아보다가 마침 엄청나게 흥행한 드라마 <폭삭 속았수다>에 출연한 아이유와 박보검이 이 노래를 커버한 무대 영상이 있어서 아래에 넣어두었어요. 영상과 함께 그 시절의 감성을 느껴보세요!

[ENG]

Many students these days are watching a lot of recent Korean dramas and movies on streaming services. As a Korean language teacher, I’ve hoped that you could also experience some older Korean cinema, which is why I’d like to recommend a classic film called ‘The Shower’ (Sonagi). I actually recommended this to Emma during our last class while we were chatting about Korean movies.

Even just hearing its signature song, ‘A Mountain Boy’s Love Story,’ brings tears to my eyes. As some of you may know, I was born and raised in the countryside. Whenever I listen to this song, it evokes memories of countryside streams and the fresh scent of grass on a hot summer day.

While looking up the movie, I happened to find a video of IU and Park Bo-gum, who starred in the hit drama ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines,’ covering this very song! I’ve included the link above, so I hope you enjoy the video and feel the nostalgic vibe of those days!

This week’s ‘FSM’ (Frequently Seen Mistakes)

While flipping through the notebook I keep next to me during class, I found the perfect topic for us to cover this week: the difference between ‘이’ and ‘이번’.

As you know, the word ‘이’ means ‘this,’ but it also happens to mean ‘two’ in Sino-Korean numbers. Because of this overlap, a lot of students mistakenly use ‘이’ when they actually need to use ‘이번’. One of the examples is saying 이주 instead of 이번주.

So, what exactly does ‘이번’ mean? It literally translates to ‘this time.’ This means whenever you are using a time-related word to talk about the current week, month, or cycle, ‘이번’ is the word you want. Otherwise, the person listening might easily misunderstand you and think you’re talking about ‘two’ of something!

1. 이번 = This time (Exclusively for Time)

이번 specifically means "this time" or "this turn." It combines 이 (this) with 번 (time/turn). You use it when talking about events, schedules, or occurrences happening in the current time frame (like this week or this month).

• 이번 주 (This week)

• 이번 달 (This month)

• 이번 일요일 (This Sunday)

• 이번 학기 (This semester)

Example:

A: 이번 주말에 시간 있어요? (Do you have time this weekend?)

B: 아니요, 다음주까지 바쁠 거 같아요. (No, I think I'll be busy until next week.)

2. 이 = This (For General Objects, Places, and People)

On the other hand, when you are pointing at visible, physical things like objects, locations, or people, you use 이. This functions exactly like “this” in English.

• 이 책 (This book)

• 이 사람 (This person)

• 이 것 → 이거 (This thing)

Example:

A: 이 식당은 점심시간에 항상 사람들이 줄서서 기다리고 있어요. (There is always a line of people waiting at this restaurant during lunchtime.)

B: 동네 맛집이에요? 우리도 다음번에 가볼까요? (Is it a local hot spot (famous local restaurant)? Shall we check it out next time, too?)

여름 휴가철이 다가오고 있어요. 여러분은 휴가 계획이 있어요? 아니면 벌써 다녀왔나요? 저는 올해 초부터 계획해 본다고 말만 하다가, 이번에 신청한 사업에 선정되어 앞으로 세 달간은 인터뷰와 원고 작업을 하느라 바쁠 것 같아요. 그래서 저는 남들보다 조금 늦은, 가을에 떠날 여행을 계획해 볼까 생각 중이랍니다. 바쁠 때일수록 잠깐의 쉼을 챙기는 게 참 중요해요. 우리는 결국 ‘삶’이라는 소풍을 하러 온 거니까요. 여러분도 숨 고르기 잊지 마세요! 그럼, 다음 주 뉴스레터에서 또 만나요.

[ENG]

The summer vacation season is just around the corner! Do you have any vacation plans yet? Or maybe you’ve already been? I’d been saying I should plan something since the beginning of this year, but I ended up getting selected for a project I applied for! So, for the next three months, I think I’ll be quite busy with interviews and writing manuscripts. Because of that, I’m thinking of planning a trip for the fall, a little later than everyone else. But you know, the busier we get, the more important it is to take a little breather. After all, we’re here to enjoy this picnic called ‘life.’ Don’t forget to take a moment to catch your breath! See you in next week’s newsletter!

진이 선생님

안녕하세요? 이번 뉴스레터가 하루 늦게 왔죠? 원래 어제 발행했어야 했는데, 어제는 지방에 다녀오느라 새벽 4시에 나가서 저녁 10시에 집에 돌아오는 바람에 오늘 쓰게 됐어요. 주말이라서 아침에 보강 수업을 하고 밀린 잠을 몰아서 잤어요. 그나저나 이번주 수업에서 많은 학생분들이 뉴스레터를 재미있게 읽는다고 말해줘서 더 열심히 적게 되네요. 다들 열심히 한국어를 배우고 문화와 역사에 관심을 가져줘서 너무 고마워요! 항상 여러분 때문에 더 좋은 선생님이 되는 거 같아요.

✅ 진이 선생님이 직접 뽑은 자주 쓰는 단어 10개

• 보강 = Makeup class / supplementary lesson

  → 내일 아침에 보강이 있어요. (I have a makeup class tomorrow morning.)

• 지방 = The provinces / countryside

  → 주말에 지방에 출장 가야 해요. (I have to go out of town for a business trip this weekend.)

• 돌아오다 = To return / to come back

  → 집에 몇 시에 돌아와요? (What time are you coming back home?)

• 밀리다 = To be left undone (work, sleep)
  → 숙제가 너무 많이 밀렸어요. (My homework is so piled up.)

• 몰다 = To do everything at once

  → 주말에 유튜브를 몰아서 봐요. (I binge-watch YouTube all at once on weekends.)

• 적다 = To write down

  → 이름과 이메일을 적어 주세요. (Please write down your name and email.)

• 문화 = Culture

  → 한국의 카페 문화가 좋아요. (I like Korea's cafe culture.)

• 역사 = History

  → 저는 한국 역사를 공부하고 있어요. (I am studying Korean history.)

• 관심 = Interest

  → 요즘 제 관심사는 오직 건강이에요. (These days, my only interest is health.)

• 가지다 = To have

  → 제 친구도 한국에 관심을 가지고 있어요. (My friend also has an interest in Korea.)

[ENG]

Hi everyone! I’m so sorry for being a day late. This newsletter was supposed to go out yesterday, but I had to travel out of town, leaving at 4 a.m. and not getting back until 10 p.m.,so I ended up writing it today instead. Since it’s the weekend, I caught up on some much-needed sleep after finishing my morning makeup class.

By the way, hearing from so many of you during this week’s classes that you enjoy reading this newsletter really inspires me to write even more! Thank you all so much for studying Korean so hard and for showing such a deep interest in our culture and history. You all inspire me to become a better teacher every day.

한국 음식을 만들어볼까요?

이번 주는 여름 음식에 대해서 이야기를 해보고 싶었어요. 많은 학생분들이 미역국을 잘 알고 있는 거 같아요. 하지만 '오이냉국'이라고 들어봤어요? 여름에 먹는 별미예요. 저는 어릴 때 어머니가 여름마다 큰 스테인리스 통에 냉국을 만들어서 냉장고에 넣어두시면, 밥을 먹을 때마다 꺼내 마셨어요. 맛은 새콤달콤하면서 시원해요. 요리법이 어렵지 않냐고요? 엄청 쉬워요. 재료는 미역, 오이, 청양고추, 양파, 식초, 설탕이면 돼요. 여러분들이 집에서 만들 수 있도록 아래에 레시피 영상을 넣어두었어요.

[ENG]

This week, I wanted to talk about summer food. A lot of students think of “미역국” (seaweed soup) when they hear the word “미역” (seaweed). But have you ever heard of “오이냉국” (chilled cucumber soup)? It’s a special summer delicacy! When I was young, my mom used to make a big batch of naengguk in a giant stainless steel container and keep it in the fridge. Whenever we had a meal, we would take it out and enjoy it together. If I had to describe the taste, it’s sweet, tangy, and incredibly refreshing. You might wonder, “Isn’t it hard to make?” Not at all, it’s super easy! All you need are a few simple ingredients: seaweed, cucumber, spicy chili pepper, onion, vinegar, and sugar. I’ve included a recipe video below so you can try making it at home. Give it a shot!

‘별표 다섯 개’ 문법

This week, I wanted to introduce some frequently used compound verbs. The two structures we will look at today are “Verb + 보다” (to try doing) and “Verb + 주다” (to do something for someone).

1. Verb + 보다 (To try doing something)

   While 보다 on its own means “to see,” when attached to another verb, it means “to try doing something” (to see how it goes) or “to have done something before” (past experience).

• 먹다 (to eat) → 먹어 보다 (to try eating)

  eg. 이거 먹어 봐요. (Try eating this.)

• 쓰다 (to use/wear) → 써 보다 (to try using/wearing)

  eg. 이 모자를 한번 써 봐요. (Try wearing this hat.)

• 입다 (to wear) → 입어 보다 (to try on (clothes))

  eg. 한번 입어 봐도 돼요? (Can I try it on?)

• 배우다 (to learn) → 배워 보다 (to try learning)

  eg. 태권도를 배워 보고 싶어요. (I want to try learning Taekwondo.)

• 만들다 (to make) → 만들어 보다 (to try making)

  eg. 김치를 직접 만들어 봤어요. (I tried making kimchi myself.)

2. Verb + 주다 (To do something for someone)

   While 주다 on its own means "to give," when attached to another verb, it means "to perform an action as a favor or for someone else's benefit."

• 돕다 (to help) → 도와주다 (to help out)

  eg. 저를 좀 도와주세요. (Please help me.)

• 닫다 (to close) → 닫아 주다 (to close for someone)

  eg. 창문을 닫아 주세요. (Please close the window.)

• 바꾸다 (to change/switch) → 바꿔 주다 (to change/switch for someone)

  eg. 다른 걸로 바꿔 주세요. (Please change it to a different one.)

• 보이다 (to show) → 보여주다 (to show someone)

  eg. 사진을 보여주세요. (Please show me the photo.)

• 만들다 (to make) → 만들어 주다 (to make for someone)

  eg. 엄마가 요리를 만들어 줬어요. (Mom made a dish for me.)

다음 주에 혹시 오이냉국을 만들어 본다면 저에게도 꼭 알려주세요. 점점 여름이 더워지는데, 밖에 나갈 때 뜨거운 햇빛 조심하시고, 집에서 쉴 때는 시원하고 맛있는 음식을 먹으면서 더위를 물리쳐 봐요. 그럼 건강한 모습으로 우리 수업 때 또는 다음 뉴스레터로 만나요!

[ENG]

If you happen to try making “오이냉국'“ next week, please let me know! As the summer days get hotter, please be careful of the strong sunlight when you go outside. When you're resting at home, let's beat the heat by eating cool and delicious food! Until then, stay healthy, and I'll see you in class or in the next newsletter!

진이 선생님

안녕하세요! 이번 한 주도 잘 보내고 있어요? 지난주에 뉴스레터를 발행하지 못해 정말 미안해요. 요즘 한국은 비도 자주 오고 습한 데다가 기온까지 높아서 그야말로 찜통더위가 이어지고 있어요. 여러분이 있는 곳의 날씨는 어떤가요? 한국처럼 습한 여름인가요, 아니면 건조한 여름인가요? 그것도 아니라면 아예 정반대의 계절을 보내고 있는지 궁금하네요!

✅ 진이 선생님이 직접 뽑은 자주 쓰는 단어 10개

• 발행하다 = To publish / to issue
  → 이 책이 언제 처음 발행되었어요? (When was this book first published?)

• 습하다 = To be humid
  → 낮 시간에 밖은 너무 습해요. (It's too humid outside during the day.)

• 기온 = Temperature
  → 내일은 기온이 뚝 떨어집니다.

• 찜통더위 = Sweltering heat
  → 8월에는 찜통더위가 찾아와요. (The sweltering heat comes in August.)

• 날씨 = Weather
  → 오늘 날씨가 정말 좋네요. (The weather is really nice today.)

• 건조하다 = To be dry
  → 겨울에는 피부가 건조해요. (My skin is dry in winter.)

• 아예 = (Not) at all / completely
  → 그 사람을 아예 몰라요. (I don’t know that person at all.)

• 정반대 = The exact opposite
  → 둘은 성격이 정반대예요. (The two have exact opposite personalities.)

• 계절 = Season
  → 어떤 계절을 제일 좋아해요? (Which season do you like the most?)

• 궁금하다 = To be curious / to wonder
  → 그 결과가 너무 궁금해요. (I’m so curious about the result.)

[ENG]

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all having a great week. I’m so sorry for missing last week’s newsletter. Lately, Korea has been experiencing non-stop sweltering heat, with frequent rain, high humidity, and soaring temperatures. How is the weather where you are? Is it a humid summer like Korea, or a dry one? Or maybe you’re spending time in a completely opposite season? I’d love to know!

선생님 플레이리스트에서 뽑아온 노래

이번 주 뉴스레터에는 제 플레이리스트를 뒤져서 새로운 노래 한 곡을 들고 왔어요. 바로 밴드 중식의 ‘나는 반딧불’이라는 노래인데요. 몇 달 전 버스에서 흘러나오는 라디오를 듣다가, 우연히 신청곡으로 나온 이 노래를 처음 접하게 되었어요. 그러다 어느 날 밤, 문득 생각나서 가사를 찾아보며 다시 들었는데 마음이 찡하고 울컥하더라고요. 마침 유튜브를 보다가 알고리즘 추천으로 한국의 인기 예능 프로그램인 <유 퀴즈 온 더 블럭>에 출연한 아티스트의 영상을 보게 되었어요. 영상에서 유재석 ‘자기’님이 “예전의 나에게 무슨 말을 해주고 싶냐”는 질문을 던졌을 때, 아티스트가 눈물을 흘리는 모습을 보며 그동안 정말 고생을 많이 하셨다는 게 진심으로 느껴졌습니다.

[ENG]

For this week’s newsletter, I dug into my playlist and pulled out a special track for you: “I am a Firefly” (나는 반딧불) by the band Joongshik. I first stumbled across this song a few months ago while catching the radio on the bus. Then, just the other night, it randomly popped into my head, so I looked up the lyrics and gave it another listen. It really hit close to home and left me feeling quite emotional. By total coincidence, while scrolling through YouTube later on, the algorithm served up a clip of the artist appearing on the hit Korean variety show, You Quiz on the Block. In the video, the host, Yoo Jae-suk, asked them, “What would you say to your younger self?” Seeing the artist break down in tears at that very question, I could truly feel the weight of all the hardships they’ve gone through.

이번 주의 ‘FSM’ (Frequently Seen Mistakes)

This week, instead of talking about common mistakes students make, I thought to share an interesting feature of the Korean language. Unlike English, Korean doesn’t always require a subject. For native English speakers, this might feel a bit unnatural at first. However, because verbs (predicates) are the central focus of a Korean sentence, you don’t need to state the subject if it’s already clear from the context. In fact, when speaking Korean, people rarely say “저는“ (I). Next time you’re on the subway, if you listen to people chatting or talking on the phone, you’ll notice it’s incredibly rare to hear them explicitly use “I” or “me” as the subject. That’s because repeating “저는“ over and over in a conversation makes you sound a bit like a robot!

• 저는 배고파요. → 배고파요.

• 나는 배고파. → 배고파.

Have you ever come across the word “눈치” (nunchi) while watching Korean media? Nunchi refers to the subtle art and ability to quickly gauge a situation and grasp what’s going on without anyone saying a word. There are some expressions related to nunchi, so I’d love to introduce a few of them to you. Study them together with some everyday examples!

• 눈치가 없다 = to be clueless / tactless
  → 왜 이렇게 눈치가 없어요? (Why are you so clueless? / Read the room!)

• 눈치를 챙기다 = To read the room / grab a clue

  → 눈치 좀 챙겨요! (Read the room! / Get a clue!)

• 눈치를 보다 = To sense someone's mood / walk on eggshells

  → 왜 자꾸 부모님 눈치를 봐요? ((Why do you keep walking on eggshells around your parents?)

• 눈칫밥을 먹다 = To live at the mercy of others / suffer constraints)
  → 거기서 눈칫밥 먹지 말고 그냥 나오세요. (Don’t stay there walking on eggshells, just leave.)

여러분은 이번 주말에 뭐 할 거예요? 저는 어제 언니랑 조카가 서울에 놀러 와서 함께 시간을 보내고 있어요. 요즘 밖에 나가면 정말 덥지만, 그래도 귀여운 조카를 보니 너무 행복해요. 여러분은 밖이 너무 습하고 더울 때 보통 주말을 어떻게 보내시나요? 역시 에어컨을 빵빵하게 틀고 '집캉스'를 즐기는 것이 최고인가요? XD

(What are you all up to this weekend? My older sister and my niece came to visit Seoul yesterday, so I'm spending time with them over the weekend. It’s incredibly hot outside lately, but just looking at my adorable niece makes me so happy! What do you usually do on the weekend when it’s just too hot and humid outside? As expected, is there nothing better than blasting the AC and enjoying a nice 'staycation' at home? XD)

진이선생님

안녕하세요! 벌써 6월 첫째 주네요. 저는 이 뉴스레터를 부모님 집에서 서울로 가는 기차에서 쓰고 있어요. 창밖을 보면 푸른 산이 펼쳐져 있고 몇몇 밭에는 마늘을 수확하는 사람들이 보여요. 이번에 급하게 내려온 이유는 마늘 수확철이라 일손이 부족해서 아버지께서 급하게 저에게 연락을 주셨어요. 햇빛이 뜨거웠지만 바람이 선선하게 불고 가끔 지나가던 구름이 햇빛을 가려줘서 그나마 일하기 수월했어요. 여러분이 계신 곳의 6월은 5월과 어떻게 달라요? 그리고 여러분의 6월은 어떻게 흘러가고 있나요?

✅ 진이 선생님이 직접 뽑은 자주 쓰는 단어 10개

• 푸르다 = To be blue / green

  → 가을 하늘이 참 푸르네요. (The autumn sky is so blue.)

• 이유 = Reason

  → 무슨 이유가 있어요? (Is there a reason?)

• 수확하다 = To harvest

  → 가을 하늘이 참 푸르네요. (The autumn sky is so blue.)

• 급하다 = To be urgent / In a hurry

  → 지금 마음이 너무 급해요. (I am in such a hurry right now.)

• 일손 = Helping hand / Labor

  → 요즘 시골은 일손이 부족해요. (The countryside is short of helping hands these days.)

• 햇빛 = Sunlight

  → 햇빛이 눈부셔요. (The sunlight is blinding.)

• 선선하다 = To be cool / Refreshing

  → 날씨가 선선해요. (The weather is cool.)

• 가리다 = To cover / Block

  → 손으로 얼굴을 가렸어요. (I covered my face with my hands.)

• 수월하다 = To be easy / Effortless

  → 이 컵은 씻기 수월해요. (This cup is easy to wash.)

• 흘러가다 = To flow / Pass by

  → 시간이 정말 빨리 흘러가네요. (Time really passes by so quickly.)

[ENG]

(Hello! Can you believe it’s already the first week of June? I’m actually writing this newsletter on the train coming back to Seoul from my parents’ place. Looking out the window, there are lush green mountains stretching out as far as the eye can see, and in some of the fields, you can spot people harvesting garlic. The reason I rushed down this time is that it’s garlic season. My dad called me an urgently because they were short of hands. It was pretty hot out, but there was a nice cool breeze, and every now and then the clouds would drift by and block out the sun, which made working outside so much easier. How does June feel different from May where you are? And how is June treating you so far?)

선생님, 이것이 궁금해요!

One of my students asked in the group chat, “선생님! We learned 못 and 안 for negation, but I heard ‘불편해’ in a show I was watching . What is this letter ‘불’?” Okay, no need to panic. There are only a selected number of words where we put that hanja (Sino-Korean character) for negation.

You will notice that the first set among the following words all start with 불(不). 불 is a hanja derived (한자) prefix and it carries the meaning of “not” or “un-”. Think of it like the English prefixes un-, im-, or in- just placed at the front of a word to flip its meaning. Below 불, I’ve included a few more prefixes that you might find useful to know.

Here are some common ones:

• 불(不): not / un-

  • 불편하다 (uncomfortable)

  • 불가능하다 (impossible)

  • 불공평하다 (unfair)

  • 불충분하다 (inadequate)

• 미(未): not yet

  • 미완성 (unfinished)

  • 미성년자 (minor; not yet an adult)

• 무(無): without / none

  • 무료 (free; no cost)

  • 무개념 (having no sense / clueless)

• 비(非): non-

  • 비공개 (non-public / private)

  • 비정규직 (non-regular / contract work)

A few things to keep in mind:

• Unlike 안 and 못, these hanja prefixes are not separate words. The prefixes are attached directly to the noun or adjective.

• You cannot use them freely with any word. Words pair with specific prefixes, so you need to learn them as vocabulary rather than a grammar rule.

• The good news is that once you recognise the prefix, you can often guess the meaning of unfamiliar words just like in English!

So next time you come across a word starting with 불, 미, 무, or 비, you already have a clue about what it means.

이번 주의 ‘FSM’ (Frequently Seen Mistakes)

This week, a mistake that I noticed students making was future tense negation. I think I have emphasised so much on present and past tense with the rules and irregular rules. But jamsimanyo!!! we need future tense at some point! When you have to reflect the tense with the last verb of the sentence, it is easier to use method two. Why? Let’s have a look.

• 안 추울 거예요.

  ㄴ For the one above, you have to think of the irregular rules of the present tense with that verb.

• 춥지 않을 거예요.

  ㄴFor this one, you just drop the -다 and put -지 않다. Another tip is to make sure to remember all the tenses of 않다: 않아요, 않았어요 and 않을 거예요.

If you do remember them, you won’t feel stuck at the end of a sentence when you are speaking! Voilà! Small things save you a headache .

이번 주 뉴스레터가 여러분 한국어 공부에 도움이 됐기를 바라요. 마음 그리고 몸건강 챙기면서 한국어 공부도 계속 열심히 하길 바라요. 좋은 질문을 해준 Kelsey에게 특별히 감사 인사를 전하고, 열심히 공부하고 있는 소중한 학생들 모두에게도 감사해요. 여러분 덕분에 저도 선생님으로서 많이 발전하고 있어요. 행복한 주말 보내세요!

(I hope this week’s newsletter was helpful for your Korean studies. Take care of both your mind and body, and keep up the great work with your Korean! A special thank you to Kelsey for the great question, and to all my dear students who are working so hard. Because of you, I’m growing so much as a teacher myself. Happy weekend!)

진이 선생님

안녕하세요! 벌써 오월 마지막 주네요. 요즘은 에어컨 없이 집에서 오래 앉아 일하기가 꽤 힘들어졌어요. 그렇다고 에어컨을 너무 틀면 냉방병에 걸릴 수 있으니 조심해야 해요!

지방 선거일이 코앞으로 다가오면서 길을 걷다 보면 뜨거운 햇빛에 선거 유세 차량까지 더해져 꽤 지치기도 해요. 확성기는 일정 시간에만 사용할 수 있지만, 야간 업무를 하시는 분들은 소음 때문에 낮잠도 제대로 못 주무시니 정말 힘드실 것 같아요. 여러분이 있는 나라는 선거철에 어떤가요? 한국과 많이 다른가요?

✅ 진이 선생님이 직접 뽑은 자주 쓰는 단어 10개

• 마지막 = Last / final

  → 오늘이 마지막이에요. (Today is the last day.)

• 힘들다 = To be hard / exhausting
  → 힘들면 말해요. (Let me know if it gets hard.)

• 틀다 = To turn on (a device)

  → 에어컨 틀어도 돼요? (Is it okay if I turn on the AC?)

• 냉방병 = Illness from too much AC

  → 냉방병에 걸렸어요. (I got AC sickness.)

• 햇빛 = Sunlight Korean
  햇빛이 눈부셔요. (The sunlight is blinding.)

• 일정 = Schedule / set time
  → 일정이 있어요. (I have plans.)

• 야간 = Nighttime / night shift
  → 야간에 일해요. (I work at night.)

• 소음 = Unwanted noise
  → 소음이 심해요. (The noise is bad.)

• 제대로 = Properly / correctly

  → 제대로 못 잤어요. (I didn't sleep properly.)

• 선거철 = Election season
  → 선거철마다 힘들어요. (Every election season is tough.)

[ENG]

(Hello everyone! Can you believe it’s already the last week of May? Lately, sitting at a desk and working from home without AC has gotten pretty tough. But turning it on too much can cause AC sickness, so I’ve been trying to be careful!

With local elections just around the corner, walking outside is quite exhausting between the blazing sun and noise from the various campaign vehicles. Loudspeakers are only allowed during certain hours, but for those who work night shifts, not being able to sleep properly during the day because of the noise must be really hard. What are election campaigns like in your country? Are they very different from Korea?)

선생님 플레이리스트에서 뽑아온 노래

5월에 일어난 일이 너무 많은 만큼 변화도 많이 있었어요. 그런 만큼 제 신체 건강, 그리고 특히 정신 건강을 돌보기 위해 일기를 쓰고 있어요. 하지만 가끔 펜을 들기조차 힘든 날에는 노래를 듣기도 해요. 혹시 악동뮤지션 알아요? 최근에 새 앨범이 나왔는데, 그중에서 제가 가장 좋아하는 노래는 "소문의 낙원"이에요. 아래에 뮤직비디오와 가사 영상 링크도 넣었어요. 여러분도 힘든 일이 있다면 이 노래를 들으며 잠시 쉼을 가져보는 건 어떨까요?

[ENG]

(So much happened in May, and with it came a lot of changes. To take care of my physical health, and especially my mental health, I've been keeping a journal. But on days when even picking up a pen feels like too much, I just listen to music. Have you heard of AKMU? They just released a new album, and my favourite song from it is " Paradise of Rumours" I've linked the music video and a lyrics video below. If you're going through a hard time, why not take a little break and let this song keep you company?)

이번 주의 ‘FSM’ (Frequently Seen Mistakes)

This week, I want to talk about a pronunciation mistake that is often made by Korean learners. It is the y+vowel combination, especially the consonant ㄹ with ㅕ. This sound does not exist in English, which is why it feels so unnatural at first.

When it is difficult, break it down like this: 려 = 리 + 어

Start by saying 리 and 어 separately and slowly, then gradually combine them faster and faster until it feels natural. Try it: 리어 리어 리어 리어!

I have also brought some words where the original verb gets modified to change tense, resulting in the ending 려. Practice these words using the same breakdown method and you will get it in no time!

• 어렵다 = to be difficult / hard

  → 한국어 발음이 어려워요. (Korean pronunciation is difficult.)

• 버리다 = to throw out / away

  → 영수증을 버렸어요. (I threw away the receipt.)

• 내리다 = to come down, get off

  → 지금 비가 내려요. (It is raining now.)

곧 있으면 주말이에요~ 모두들 그때까지 힘내고 틈틈이 한국어 공부도 (열심히) 하세요!

(The weekend is almost here! Hang in there, everyone, and don't forget to squeeze in some Korean study!)

진이 선생님

안녕하세요! 다들 이번 한 주도 잘 보냈어요? 제가 지금 있는 서울은 지난 며칠 동안 비가 와서 시원했었지만, 오늘은 또 더워졌어요. 이제는 오후 2시쯤이 되면 많이 덥기도 해요. 낮 시간에 밖에 있으면 이마에 송글송글 땀이 맺히기도 해서, 진짜 여름이 오면 어떡하지 하고 벌써 걱정이 돼요.

그나저나 곧 있으면 벌써 6월이라니, 2026년의 절반 가까이가 벌써 지나갔어요. 그런 생각을 하니 목표를 다잡고 지금 내가 가는 방향을 확인하기 좋은 시점인 것 같아요. 여러분의 한국어 여정은 어떻게 되어가고 있나요?

[ENG]

Hi, students and learners! Hope you've all been well! Here in Seoul, it rained for the past few days and gave us a nice break from the heat, but today it's warm again. Around 2 PM it gets especially hot, and I can already feel the beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I'm honestly a little worried about what full summer is going to feel like! Anyway, it's almost June, which means nearly half of 2026 has already gone by. That thought makes me want to check in on my goals and make sure I'm heading in the right direction. How is your Korean learning journey going?

한 문단, 우리 같이

The passage below is one I wrote down while reading <밤이여 오라 (Come, Night)> by author Lee Seong-ah. I noted it personally because when I went to Australia, I went with the mindset of starting a second life.. and this passage resonated deeply with me.

가족은 내가 선택한 적 없는 이름과 같았다. 독일에 와서 내 이름을 버릴 때 그것은 가족을 버리는 것과 다르지 않았다. 나는 나 스스로를 잉태하고 새로이 태어나고자 했다. 이방인들 사이에서 나는 생애 첫 숨을 토해내듯 심호흡을 했다. 한나 아렌트가 호흡하던 공기가 탯줄을 타고 내게 들어온다고 주술을 걸었다. 낯선 언어와 하늘과 바람이 나의 착각을 응원하고, 명치가 뭉쳐 있던 응어리가 각설탕처럼 뜨겁게 녹아서 풀어졌다.

This week, try reading through this paragraph over the weekend. Rather than using a translator, I'd encourage you to read it first, highlight the parts you don't know, and look words up in a dictionary. On Monday, I'll put up the explaining video on YouTube where I go through each sentence and look at commonly used grammar patterns and vocabulary.

이번 주의 ‘FSM’ (Frequently Seen Mistakes)

Something I noticed a lot in classes this week is that students are getting confused by the particle "밖에." When you use "밖에," the verb that follows must be in its negative form. Many students think "negative = 안/못," but these three verbs have their own unique negatives. Do you remember them?

• 이다 (to be) → 아니다 (to not be)

• 있다 (to have/exist) → 없다 (to not have/exist)

• 알다 (to know) → 모르다 (to not know)

Some students also mix up "만" and "밖에," but the difference is really about nuance and feeling. "밖에" carries a sense of dissatisfaction or disappointment from the speaker. That’s why I would never say to my students, "이것밖에 안 했어요? (Is this all you did?)" I completely understand when students can't finish their homework. Sometimes life gets busy. But if a student goes a long time without doing any homework at all… they might get to see a different side of me. (농담이에요! ㅎㅎ)

영상은 아래 유튜브 채널에 올릴 거랍니다. 그럼 우리 또 월요일에 영상으로 만나요.

(The video will be posted on the YouTube channel linked below. See you in the video on Monday! )

https://www.youtube.com/@KoreanWithJinyi

진이 선생님