To You, Who Love the Korean Language
Tenth Letter
안녕하세요! 지난주에는 다른 포스팅도 많이 올렸고 개인적인 약속들도 있어서 편지를 쉬어갔어요. 다들 잘 지내고 있죠? 한국은 다음 주면 벌써 말복이에요. 그래서 오늘부터 무더위가 조금씩 물러가는 게 느껴져요. 하지만 여전히 습도가 높아서 잘 때 에어컨을 3시간 정도 예약해 두고 자곤 해요. 수업을 하다 보면 화면 너머로 전해지는 학생들의 열정이 뜨거운 태양만큼이나 강렬하게 느껴져요.
저는 다음 달에 일본으로 답사 겸 여행을 떠나기 전이라 한창 일본어를 열심히 공부하고 있어요. 일본어는 한국어와 문법이 비슷해서 비교적 수월하게 배우고 있어요. 제가 가르치는 대부분 학생들은 모국어가 영어예요. 영어와 많이 다른 언어인 한국어가 훨씬 어렵게 느껴질 텐데도 늘 진심을 다해 공부하는 모습을 보면 괜히 가슴이 몽글몽글하고 벅차오를 때가 있어요. 한국어 선생님으로서 그리고 한국인으로서 정말 감사하고 고마운 마음입니다! <3
[ENG]
Hi everyone! I took a break from sending out the newsletter last week since I had already made a number of posts and had a few personal plans. How is everyone doing? Malbok is coming up next week here in Korea, so the worst of the heat seems to be fading, starting from today. It’s still pretty humid, though, so I usually set my AC timer for 3 hours before going to bed.
Whenever I’m in a class, I can feel my students’ passion coming through the screen, burning just as bright as the hot summer sun. With a field trip and vacation to Japan coming up next month, I’ve been studying Japanese pretty hard lately. Since Japanese grammar is so similar to Korean, the learning process has been relatively smooth. Most of my students are native English speakers, so Korean must feel so much more challenging. Seeing them put in so much effort always warms my heart. As a Korean teacher and a native Korean, I’m truly grateful for each and every one of you! <3
✅ 진이 선생님이 직접 뽑은 자주 쓰는 단어 15개
약속 = Appointment / Promise / Plans
→ 내일 친구랑 아침에 브런치 약속이 있어요.
(I have brunch plans with a friend tomorrow morning.)
말복 = Malbok (The last of the three dog days of summer)
→ 말복이 지나가니까 날씨가 시원해졌어요.
(The weather became cooler after Malbok passed.)
무더위 = Sweltering heat / Heatwave
→ 무더위가 기승을 부리고 있어요.
(The sweltering heat is raging.)습도 = Humidity
→ 습도가 너무 높아서 끈적끈적해요.
(The humidity is so high that I feel sticky.)예약하다 = To make a reservation / To book / To schedule
→ 내일 병원 검진 예약이 5시에 있어서 칼퇴해야 해요.
(I have a doctor's checkup scheduled for 5 PM tomorrow, so I need to leave work right on time.)화면 = Screen / Display
→ 인터넷이 약해서 화면이 계속 멈춰요.
(The screen keeps freezing because the internet is weak.)열정 = Passion / Enthusiasm
→ 어렸을 때는 열정만 넘쳤어요.
(When I was young, I was brimming with nothing but passion.)답사 = Field trip / On-site survey / Exploration
→ 한국 주변 나라로 답사를 자주 떠나요.
(I often go on field trips to countries around Korea.)떠나다 = To leave / To depart
→ 가끔은 아무도 몰래 떠나고 싶을 때가 있어요.
(Sometimes I feel like leaving secretly without anyone knowing.)한창 = In the middle of / In one's prime / Height of
→ 한창 클 나이니까 많이 드세요.
(You're at an age when you still growing a lot, so please eat plenty.)비슷하다 = To be similar / Resemble
→ 관심사가 많이 비슷해서 금방 친해졌어요.
(We became close quickly because our interests are very similar.)배우다 = To learn
→ 작년보다 한국어를 더 열심히 배우고 공부하고 있어요.
(I am learning and studying Korean much harder than last year.)진심 = Sincerity / True heart
→ 저번에 있었던 일에 대해서 진심으로 사과드립니다.
(I sincerely apologize for what happened last time.)괜히 = For no reason / Uselessly / In vain
→ 부모님은 작은 것에도 때로는 괜히 섭섭해하세요.
(Parents sometimes feel hurt for no reason, even over small things.)마음 = Heart / Mind / Feeling
→ 공항에 친구를 데려다주지 못해서 마음이 무거워요.(My heart feels heavy because I couldn’t take my friend to the airport.)
귀신과 팥
“선생님! Why are you talking about ghosts in the middle of summer?”
In Korea, summer is actually the season for ghost stories and haunted houses! Getting goosebumps from a good scare gives you chills that help you beat the sweltering heat.
In one of my recent classes, we ended up talking about why red beans (팥) are scattered to ward off evil spirits. If you’ve watched the popular drama “When Life Gives You Tangerines” (폭싹 속았수다), you might remember the scene where the grandmother-in-law sprinkles red beans on the character Yang Geum-myeong. She believes the spirit of Geum-myeong’s late mother is lingering around her, preventing her from having a son! Even today, some people still carry a small pouch of red beans in their bag to protect themselves from bad luck or negative energy.
Where does this belief come from? Traditionally, red is considered a bright, “Yang” (positive) color representing warmth and energy. Evil spirits and ghosts, on the other hand, belong to the cold, dark “Yin” world. Because red beans are bright red, people believed they have the power to repel dark spirits.
This tradition isn’t just associated with summer; it’s also has a connection to winter! On 동지 (Dongji), the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day and longest night of the year, dark energy (Yin) is at its peak. To protect their households from evil spirits on this pitch-black night, Koreans traditionally make and eat 팥죽 (Red Bean Porridge). Before eating, people would even sprinkle a spoonful of the porridge around the gates or corners of the house as a protective shield.
Whether to beat the summer heat with a spooky story or to stay safe on the longest winter night with a warm bowl of porridge, red beans remain one of Korea’s favourite charms against evil!
^I’m attaching a video of a folk tale called “팥죽 할머니와 호랑이.”
This week’s ‘FSM’ (Frequently Seen Mistakes)
This week, I wanted to talk about the difference between 개월 and 달, which are both used as units for counting months in Korean. When I tell my students that we use two different systems for counting months, their eyes glaze over! But don’t worry! It actually gets much easier once you know when each one is used.
개월 → Sino-Korean System
Used when counting the exact duration or number of months ("How many months?").
Example:
제 친한 친구는 이제 임신 9개월 차예요. (My close friend is now in her 9th month of pregnancy.)
한국에서 무비자로 몇 개월동안 있을 수 있어요? (How many months can I stay in Korea visa-free?)
한국에 온 지 1년 3개월 되었어요. (It has been 1 year and 3 months since I came to Korea.)
달 → Native Korean System
Used in everyday speech or when referring to calendar months ("this/next/last month").
Example:
슬프게도 이번 달에 공휴일이 없어요. (Sadly, there are no public holidays this month.)
요즘에 유튜브에 해외에서 한달살기 컨텐츠가 유행하고 있어요. (Lately, "living abroad for a month" content is trending on YouTube.)
한국에서 보내는 마지막 달이라서 알차게 보낼 거예요. (Since it's my last month in Korea, I'm going to make the most of it.)
‘TMI’이지만 내일 검진을 받으러 치과를 가요. 그래서 너무 무서워요. 어른이 되어도 병원은 너무 무서워요. 진료 잘 받고 올게요. 다들 아프지 말고 다음주 포스팅으로 만나도록 해요. 그럼 안녕-!
[ENG]
On a side note (a bit of TMI!), I’m going to the dentist tomorrow for a checkup, and I’m honestly TERRIFIED. No matter how old I get, going to any type of doctor is still so scary! Wish me luck with my appointment. I hope everyone stays healthy, and I’ll see you in next week’s post. Bye for now!
진이 선생님