K Word Showdown Volume 1 PDF

 
Text and image copyright © 2014 Talk To Me In Korean

K-Word Showdown Vol. 1 TalkToMeInKorean.com
About K-Word Showdown

Thank you for downloading K-Word Showdown Volume 1. This is an
audio program designed to help you understand some interesting and
important differences between similar or related Korean words or
expressions. This is an accompanying e-book to be used together with
the audio program.
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!
How to Study with K-Word Showdown
You can study with just this e-book when you can not listen to the audio
program, but in order to check the correct pronunciation of each of the
expressions and sample sentences used in this program, we
recommend that you use this e-book along with the audio tracks. If you
want to study or review on the go, just listening to the audio tracks also
will be sufficient to help you learn.
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Audio Tracks
The audio program is divided into three tracks, each of which introduce
10 pairs of expressions.
Audio Track #1 - Expressions 1 to 10
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2/2페이지
잠시만요 vs. 잠깐만요
!
Just a second. Just a second. !
Wait a second. Wait a second. !
Excuse me. Excuse me. !
!
!
They are basically interchangeable, but 잠시만요 tends to be used more often in
a more formal setting than 잠깐만요. Both are used when you ask someone to
wait for a moment while you are doing something. However, 잠시만요 is more
often used as “Excuse me” than 잠깐만요 whereas 잠깐만요 is more often used as
“Wait!” to stop someone.
!
Example #1
A: 빨리 가자! = Hurry up and let’s go!
B: 잠시만요. = Just a second. / 잠깐만요 = Just a second.
!
In this context, 잠시만요 and 잠깐만요 are interchangeable, but 잠시만요 feels
slightly more polite and less casual.
!
Example #2
You can use 잠시만요 when you want to pass through in the subway, in a store,
etc.. If you say 잠깐만요 in such settings, you may sound like you want to talk to
the other person about something.
잠시만요. = Excuse me.
!
Example #3
When you are speaking casual and informal language (반말) with friends, you
can drop the -요 at the end and just say 잠시만 or 잠깐만. You can shorten 잠깐만
even further and just say 잠깐, too, but you cannot shorten 잠시만 to 잠시, as 잠시
has a slightly different meaning.
!
잠시만. = Just a second. Wait.
잠깐만. = Just a second. Wait.
잠깐. = Just a second. Wait.
잠시 = for just a second (잠시 can only be used as an adverb and therefore as
part of a sentence. e.g. 잠시 갔다 올게. = I’ll come back in a second.)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
지금 vs. 이제
!
now and now !
at present then now !
currently from now on
!
!
!
• 지금 = now (the plain form of saying ‘now’)
• 이제 = and now, as late as now (when you are comparing the past and the
present, when you mention a change in situation (상황 변화), when you were
waiting for something for a while (이제야))
• 이제 (겨우) = only (when you are talking about someone’s age or progress,
you can use 이제 겨우 or just 이제 to mean “just,” “only,” or “merely.”)
!
Example #1
2/35페이지
지금 몇 시예요? = What time is it now? (just checking the time)

이제 몇 시예요? = What time is it now? (you can’t wait for a certain time, you are
repeatedly asking)
!
Example #2
이제 뭐 해요? = Now what are we/you doing next? (after finishing something)
지금 뭐 해요? = What are you doing now?
!
Example #3
A: 아들이 중학생이라고 했나요? = Did you say your son was a middle school
student?
B: 아니요. 이제 겨우 10살이에요. = No. He is only 10 years old now.
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
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그리워요 vs. 보고 싶어요
I miss (someone).
I miss you.
I miss (a place).
I want to see (something/someone).
I miss (doing something).
!
보고 싶어요 (originally meaning “I want to see”) means that you miss someone,
and 그리워요 means that you miss someone or something. So you can only use
보고 싶어요 about people or pets, whereas 그리워요 can be used for things,
places, and even food. Another difference is that 그리워요 (or the original verb
3/35페이지
form 그립다) is considered to be a more poetic expression, therefore it is often

used in song lyrics or poems to talk about people who are missed.
!
Example #1
“I miss Korea.”
한국이 그립다. (natural)
한국이 보고 싶다. (awkward)
!
“I miss my school days.”
학창 시절이 그립다. (natural)
학창 시절이 보고 싶다. (wrong)
!
Example #2
“friends that I miss”
그리운 친구들 (poetic)
보고 싶은 친구들 (colloquial)
!
Example #3
“Mom, I miss you.”
엄마, 보고 싶어요. (natural)
엄마, 그리워요. (wrong and unnatural)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
지루해요 vs. 심심해요

It’s boring. / I’m bored. I’m bored. / (Food) is bland.
!
4/35페이지
지루해요 and 심심해요 can both be used when you want to say “I am bored.” But
when you want to say that something “is boring,” you can only use 지루해요.
Technically 심심하다 is not impossible, either, but when you say that something
is 심심하다, it means that it is bland or not interesting, especially the taste of a
certain food. When you are doing something but it’s not fun and you feel bored,
you can say 지루해요 (e.g. 이 영화 지루해요. = This movie is boring. / 영화 보고 있는
데, 지루해요. = I am watching a movie, and/but it is boring.) more commonly.
When you are not doing anything and are just bored, it is more common to say
심심해요.
!
Example #1
“This movie is boring.”
이 영화 지루해요. (o)
이 영화 심심해요. (x)
!
“This book is boring.”
이 책 지루해요. (o)
이 책 심심해요. (x)
!
Example #2
이 음식 너무 심심해요. 소금을 더 넣어야겠어요.
= This food is too bland. I need to add more salt.
!
이 음식 너무 지루해요. (x)
!
If you want to say “This dish is boring.” you can say “이 음식은 너무 평범해요.” to
mean that the dish is not interesting.
!
5/35페이지
Example #3
“We are not doing anything fun now. Shall we go see a movie?”
심심한데 영화 보러 갈까? (o)
지루한데 영화 보러 갈까? (o)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
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피곤해요 vs. 힘들어요
I’m tired.
! I’m tired.
It’s tiring.
! It’s tough.
! I’m struggling.
!
!
피곤해요 is a more direct way to say that you are tired, and 힘들어요 means that
something is tough, difficult, tiring or even challenging. You can say 피곤해요
after a long day of working or walking, or when you couldn’t sleep much the
previous night, whereas you would say 힘들어요 more commonly when you find
something to be a struggle and as a result you are physically, mentally and/or
emotionally tired.
!
Example #1
오늘 너무 힘들어요. (physically + mentally tired)
= I am so tired today.
= Today is such a tough day for me.
!
오늘 너무 피곤해요. (only physically tired)
= I am so tired today.
6/35페이지
!
Example #2
“Getting up early in the morning is too hard.”
아침 일찍 일어나는 거 너무 힘들어요 (o)
아침 일찍 일어나는 거 너무 피곤해요 (x)
!
Example #3
You can even use 힘들다 and 피곤하다 together and make them mean the
opposite.
!
A: 비행기 오래 타서 힘들었죠?
= Taking such a long flight was hard, right?
B: 힘들진 않았는데 조금 피곤했어요.
= I didn’t have a hard time, but I was a little tired.
—————————————————————————————————————————————
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정말 vs. 진짜
really
!
really
truly truly
!
true story real thing
!
authentic !
!
!
They both mean “truly” or “really” when you use them as an adverb (e.g. 진짜 예뻐
요 = It’s really pretty.), and 진짜 has a more casual feel to it. In addition to the
meaning of “really”, 정말 can also mean ‘real’ or ‘true’ as opposed to 농담 (joke)
7/35페이지
or 거짓말 (lie), and 진짜 can also mean ‘real’ or ‘authentic’ as opposed to 가짜

(fake) or 모조품 (imitation product).
!
Example #1
이거 진짜예요? (real thing)
= Is this real?
!
이거 정말이에요? (truth)
= Is this true?
!
Example #2
“My teacher is so pretty.”
우리 선생님은 정말 예뻐요. (o)
우리 선생님은 진짜 예뻐요. (o)
!
Example #3
이거 진짜 명품이에요?
= Is this a real brand-name product?
!
이거 정말 명품이에요?
= Is this really a brand-name product?
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
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벌써 vs. 이미
already already
!
!
8/35페이지
벌써 and 이미 both mean “already”., Basically, you use either 벌써 or 이미 to

describe something that already happened, but IF you already knew about that
fact, you can use 이미 (e.g. 이미 출발했어요 = They already departed.), whereas if
you did NOT already know that something had already happened, you can use
벌써 to show your surprise. (e.g. 벌써 출발했어요? = They already departed?)
!
When you are on the “telling” side of a story, 이미 and 벌써 are usually
interchangeable because you do not know whether the story will be a surprise
or not to the listener. But even when they are interchangeable, 이미 has a more
formal feel to it than 벌써.
Example #1
A: 콘서트 벌써 끝났어요?
= Is the concert already over? (The speaker didn’t know.)
!
B: 한 시간 전에 이미 끝났어요.
= It was already over an hour ago. (This speaker knows.)
!
Example #2
A: 경화 씨 집에 갔어요.
= Kyung-hwa went home.
!
B: 벌써 집에 갔어요? (o)
= She already went home?
B: 이미 집에 갔어요? (x)
!
Example #3
벌써 두 시네요. (Wow. It’s already two o’clock!)
9/35페이지
이미 두 시네요. (You see, it’s already two o’clock. It’s too late.)
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—————————————————————————————————————————————
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감사합니다 vs. 고맙습니다
Thank you.
! Thank you.
!
!
They both mean "thank you." 감사합니다, a sino-Korean expression, sounds
more formal than 고맙습니다, a native Korean expression, even though both
words have the same -ㅂ니다 formal ending. 고맙습니다 is used more often in
casual form (고마워) rather than with the formal ending whereas 감사합니다 is
never used in casual form (감사해). Recently, however, young people tend to
say 감사 or 감사해 very casually in a cute/informal way. You can also see some
young people texting ㄱㅅ to mean “감사" or “thank you.”
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Example #1
“Thank you very much.”
정말 감사합니다. (o)
정말 고맙습니다. (o)
!
Example #2
도와줘서 고마워. = Thank you for helping me.
도와줘서 감사해. (incorrect)
!
Example #3
“Thank you for helping me.”
10/35페이지
도와줘서 고마워요. (o)

도와줘서 감사해요. (o)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
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뿐이다 vs. 밖에 없다
only only
it is the only (thing) there is nothing(no one) else other than …
!
뿐 alone can mean “only” and with -이다, which means “to be,” 뿐이다 means that
someone/something is the only person/thing (that is so-and-so or does so-
and-so). 밖에 없다 literally means that “other than that” or “outside (밖에) of
something,” there is nothing (없다), so it ends up meaning “only” too.
!
The difference between these two is that 밖에 없다 is used so commonly in
everyday Korean that 뿐이다 or 뿐 is mainly used in written Korean. (e.g. 이거밖에
없어요 (more common) = I only have this. = 이것뿐이에요 (less common)) In song
lyrics, text messages or romantic dating lines, however, you can often hear 뿐이
다 being used.
!
Depending on the circumstances, however, 뿐이다 is sometimes used as part of
some set idiomatic phrases, such as -(으)ㄹ 뿐이다 (= it’s only just that...), A는 -
(으)ㄹ 뿐이지 B는 (= A is only so-and-so about one thing, and about this other
thing(B), A is better or worse), etc.
!
Example #1
11/35페이지
한 시간밖에 없어요 (We only have one hour.)

한 시간뿐이에요 (x) (-뿐이에요 can not be used together with the subject of the
sentence because the meaning is not clear enough. It is possible, however, to
use -뿐이에요 after the same word (한 시간) if 한 시간 is not the subject of the
sentence. (e.g. 남은 건 한 시간뿐이에요.))
!
Example #2
너뿐이야. (o) (poetic) = You are the only one (I have).
너밖에 없어. (o) (poetic) = You are the only one (I have).
!
Example #3
동생이 한 명뿐이에요. (written language) = I only have one younger sibling.
동생이 한 명밖에 없어요. (spoken language) = I only have one younger sibling.
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
어떻게 vs. 어떡해?

! What should I do?
how
!
!
Many people mix up these two expressions because they sound almost
identical, but they are totally different expressions. 어떡해 is basically a
contraction of the phrase 어떻게 해, which means "what should I do?" or "what
am I supposed to do?" whereas 어떻게 is a single word that just means "how".
!
Example #1
이제 어떡해요? = What now?
이제 어떻게요? (incorrect)
12/35페이지
!
Example #2
거기에 어떻게 가요? = How do we get there?
거기에 어떡해 가요? (incorrect)
!
Example #3
진짜요? 어떻게요? (Really? How?)
진짜요? 어떡해요? (Really? What should we do?)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
선생님 vs. 스승님

teacher teacher
!
master
!
!
!
선생님 is someone who teaches you knowledge or skill, especially at schools or
private institutes. (e.g. 수학 선생님 = math teacher, 피아노 선생님 = piano teacher)
스승님 is more of a bigger word for someone who leads you in the right direction
of life as well as teaches you knowledge or skill. In that sense, the word 스승 is
not often used in everyday conversations, especially amongst younger
generations, unless when they talk about teachers' day, which is 스승의 날 in
Korean. For both 선생님 and 스승님, when you use the words to address
someone, you must always keep the -님 at the end, because otherwise you
might end up sounding impolite.
!
Example #1
우리 학교 수학 선생님 = my math teacher at school
13/35페이지
우리 학교 수학 스승님 (incorrect)
!
Example #2
이 분은 저의 스승님이에요. = He is my master, teacher, or someone that I consider
as the most important teacher.
이 분은 저의 선생님이에요. = He is my teacher/instructor/professor.
!
Example #3
스승(님)으로 모시겠습니다. = I will consider/treat you as my teacher. (You can
either add or remove 님 in this case.)
!
선생으로 모시겠습니다. (incorrect) (선생 is never used without the suffix -님 to
address someone directly.)
!
선생님으로 모시겠습니다. = I will consider/treat you as my teacher (but not quite at
the ‘스승님’ level).
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
장난 vs. 농담
joke joke
!
prank
!
!
!
장난 is something you do to pick on or taunt someone, and 농담 is a joke or lie
that you tell someone. When you want to say “I’m just kidding,” however, either
장난이에요 or 농담이에요 (장난이야 and 농담이야 in casual language) can be used,
because the fact that you didn’t really mean anything serious is still the same.
14/35페이지
농담 is often used together with the verb 하다, and 장난 is often used with either
하다 or 치다.
!
Example #1
장난 치다가 다쳤어요. = I got injured while being mischievous.
농담 하다가 다쳤어요. (incorrect) (You can’t get injured while just kidding.)
!
Example #2
장난으로 한 말이에요. = I just said it as a joke. / I was just kidding.
농담으로 한 말이에요. = I just said it as a joke. / I was just kidding.
!
Example #3
그 사람은 농담을 많이 해요. = He often jokes.
그 사람은 장난을 많이 쳐요. = He often does pranks or tells jokes.
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
바로 vs. 당장
!
right now
right after
right now !
directly
right away !
!
!
바로 has a lot of meanings, but when it is used related to time, it means "right
after" something or “without waiting.” 당장 has the same meaning as 바로, but
tends to have a slightly stronger nuance than 바로. So if someone says “당장 여기
로 와" (in casual language), it can mean “Stop whatever you are doing and come
15/35페이지
over here now,” whereas “바로 여기로 와" can mean “Come here as soon as you
are done with what you are doing.”
!
Example #1
한 시간 후에 바로 돌아오세요. = Come right back in one hour.
한 시간 후에 당장 돌아오세요. (incorrect) (한 시간 후 and 당장 contradict each other.)
!
Example #2
“I’ll go right now.”
지금 바로 갈게요. (o)
지금 당장 갈게요. (o)
!
Example #3
여기서 바로 집으로 갈 거예요? = Are you going to go home directly from here?
여기서 당장 집으로 갈 거예요? (incorrect)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
일찍 vs. 빨리
early quickly
!
!
!
일찍 means “early” in terms of time, so you use it when something happens
earlier than a certain time or just early in the day, whereas 빨리 means “fast” or
“quickly” in terms of speed, so you use it when something is done quickly. In
some cases, however, they are used interchangeably. For example, if
something was finished early because it was done quickly, either word can be
used.
16/35페이지
Example #1
일찍 배달해 주세요. = Please deliver it early in the morning/day.
빨리 배달해 주세요. = Please deliver it quickly.
!
Example #2
그 사람은 음식을 빨리 먹어요. = He eats food quickly.
그 사람은 음식을 일찍 먹어요. (incorrect)
!
Example #3
빨리 끝낼게요. = I will finish it as soon as possible.
일찍 끝낼게요. = I will finish it earlier than usual.
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
신기해요 vs. 재미있어요

!
It’s interesting. It’s interesting. !
It’s fascinating. It’s fun. !
It’s novel.
!
!
신기해요 is one of the most difficult Korean expressions to translate into English.
Since it is often translated as “interesting,” you might get it confused with the
expression, 재미있어요. However, you say 신기해요 when you see or hear
something that you have never experienced before or when you experience any
situation that you find fascinating, intriguing, and/or hard to understand. You
say 재미있어요, however, when you find something fun and enjoyable.
!
Example #1
17/35페이지
양을 처음 봐서 신기해요. = It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a sheep so it’s
fascinating.
양을 처음 봐서 재미있어요. (incorrect)
!
Example #2
제 친구는 신기한 재주가 있어요. = My friend has a crazy trick( or skill).
제 친구는 재미있는 재주가 있어요. = My friend has a fun trick( or skill).
!
Example #3
이 영화 너무 신기해요. = Some aspects of the movie are very new, original, or
advanced.
이 영화 너무 재미있어요. = This movie is so much fun.
—————————————————————————————————————————————
어렸을 때 vs. 젊었을 때

when one was little when one was young
when one was a child when one was younger than now
!
어리다 and 젊다 both mean "to be young," but 어리다 is more closely related to
children’s youth, whereas 젊다 can be related to anybody’s youth or young
mindset/body/age. 젊다 is more relative than 어리다, so if you are 60 years old,
you can say that someone in his 40s is relatively ‘젊다' compared to you,
although he might not be considered to be ‘young’ by everybody.
!
The word for “child”, 어린이, also comes from 어리다. So if you say 어렸을 때, it
usually refers to your childhood, and if you say 젊었을 때, it usually means the
time when you were younger than now, but you were already an adult.
18/35페이지
!
Example #1
If you are 20 years old:
어렸을 때 = when I was little
젊었을 때 (incorrect) (You are still young.)
!
Example #2
If you are 60 years old:
어렸을 때 = when I was a child
젊었을 때 = when I was younger (than now)
!
Example #3
저희 아빠는 젊었을 때 술을 많이 마셨어요. = My father drank a lot when he was young.
저희 아빠는 어렸을 때 술을 많이 마셨어요. (strange) (Drinking and ‘어렸을 때’ don’t go
well together because that would imply that the person drank alcohol when he
was a child.)
—————————————————————————————————————————————
함께 vs. 같이
together together
!
!
These two words both mean "together," and they are often used with a particle
-와/과 or -(이)랑, which means "with." The main difference between 함께 and 같이
is how formal they are. 함께 is definitely more formal than 같이, and it is mainly
used in written Korean. In that sense, 함께 is usually used with -와/과, whereas
같이 is often used with -(이)랑 colloquially.
!
Example #1
19/35페이지
“I went on a trip with my family.”

가족과 함께 여행을 다녀왔어요. (o)
가족이랑 같이 여행을 다녀왔어요. (o)
가족이랑 함께 여행을 다녀왔어요. (o)
가족과 같이 여행을 다녀왔어요. (o) (This one can also mean “We went on a trip
together like a family.”)
!
Example #2
“Let’s sing all together.”
다 같이 노래 불러요. (o)
다 함께 노래 불러요. (o - formal)
!
Example #3
“Do you want to go with me?”
나랑 같이 갈래? (spoken language)
나와 함께 갈래? (poetic, drama line, written language)
—————————————————————————————————————————————
섭섭하다 vs. 서운하다

!
to be sad
to be disappointed
to be sad
!
to be disappointed
to be upset
!
!
!
These two are almost identical. They are both used when someone, who you
felt close to and expected to trust you, misunderstood your good intentions or
when you feel like they are putting some distance between you and them. You
can use these expressions when you feel left out or when you are disappointed
20/35페이지
that you didn’t get the same kind of considerateness that you expected from
them. Although 섭섭하다 and 서운하다 can be used interchangeably, 서운하다 has
a slightly stronger nuance of being upset by something that someone did or
said, whereas 섭섭하다 can be said about a situation too.
!
Example #1
“I was disappointed because my friends didn’t invite me yesterday.”
어제 친구들이 안 불러줘서 서운했어요. (o)
어제 친구들이 안 불러줘서 섭섭했어요. (o)
!
Example #2
행사가 너무 빨리 끝나서 섭섭해요. = I’m sad that the event ended so soon.
행사가 너무 빨리 끝나서 서운해요. (unnatural)
!
Example #3
네가 전학 간다니 섭섭해. = I am sad that you are changing schools.
네가 전학 간다니 서운해. = I am sad and upset (at you) that you are changing
schools.
—————————————————————————————————————————————
아쉽다 vs. 아깝다
to be sad (Something) is a waste.

to be sorry (Something/someone) deserves better.
to be not good enough
!
You say 아쉽다 basically when you wish that the situation were better, or when
you wish that something (good) hadn’t ended yet. For example, when you feel
21/35페이지
bad because you don't have something with you when you need it, or when you
still feel attached to someone or something even though you need to say
goodbye to them or even though you already said goodbye to them, you can
use 아쉽다. You say 아깝다, however, when you lose something precious or when
you don't want to throw away or give away something because it is so
precious. You also say 아깝다 when you have to give something to someone
who doesn’t deserve it or when you think someone or something’s value is not
being recognized enough. When something or someone came very close to a
successful result and didn’t make it, you can say 아쉽다 because you wish the
situation were better, and 아깝다 because you’ve lost an opportunity.
!
Example #1
오늘 축구 경기에서 져서 너무 아쉬웠어요. = I was so sad that we lost the soccer
match.
오늘 축구 경기에서 져서 너무 아까웠어요. = Too bad that we lost the soccer match.
We could’ve won.
!
Example #2
시간을 많이 썼는데 아깝네요. = We’ve spent so much time for nothing.
시간을 많이 썼는데 아쉽네요. = We’ve spent so much time, but I’m disappointed by
the result.
!
Example #3
여자가 아까워요. = The man doesn’t deserve the woman (in a couple).
여자가 아쉬워요. = The woman doesn’t deserve the man (in a couple).
!
!
!
22/35페이지
—————————————————————————————————————————————
아주 vs. 너무
very
!
very !
! too
excessively
!
!
너무 originally only had the meaning of “too,” so it was supposed to emphasize
negative opinions about something, whereas 아주 means “very.” Over time,
however, 너무 started being used just like 아주, and is even used more often
than 아주 in real life. So you will hear people say 너무 more commonly than 아주
when they want to say “very.”
!
Example #1
“It’s a very good idea.”
아주 좋은 생각이에요. (o)
너무 좋은 생각이에요. (o)
!
Example #2
너무 무리하지 마세요. = Don’t work too hard. Don’t overwork yourself.
아주 무리하지 마세요. (unnatural)
!
Example #3
이거 너무 크죠? = This is too big, right?
이거 아주 크죠? = This is very big, right?
!
23/35페이지
자동차 vs. 자가용

!
car
car !
private car
automobile
owner-driven
!
!
!
자동차, which can be shortened into 차, refers to a car. However, 자가용 has two
meanings. First, it means "for private use," and it is usually used when you want
to clarify that a vehicle or a machine is not for business/commercial use. (e.g.
자가용 비행기 = personal aircraft, 자가용 버스 = private bus) And secondly, 자가용
can mean a car, the same as 자동차 or 차, but it is usually used when you want to
mean "a car for family use." For example, when a news article talks about how
people commute to their workplace, they often use 자가용, not 자동차, as a
means of transportation. Some old people use the word 자가용 more often than
자동차 in everyday conversations though.
!
Example #1
“Do you go to work by car?”
자동차로 출근하세요? (o)
자가용으로 출근하세요? (o)
!
Example #2
자동차 사고 = car accident
자가용 사고 (incorrect)
!
Example #3
“How many cars does your family have?”
24/35페이지
집에 자가용 몇 대 있어요? (o)

집에 자동차 몇 대 있어요? (o)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
집 vs. 주택
!
house house !
home housing
!
!
집 is a generic word for house, and 주택 is house or housing. As 주택 is a more
formal word, it is usually used in a professional term or on a legal document. In
everyday conversations, however, 주택 tends to be used to refer to single/
detached houses in order to differentiate it from apartment houses.
!
Example #1
주택에 살아요, 아파트에 살아요? = Do you live in a house, or in an apartment?
집에 살아요, 아파트에 살아요? (incorrect)
!
Example #2
저 집에 가는 길이에요. = I am on my way home.
저 주택에 가는 길이에요. (incorrect)
!
Example #3
저는 주택에 살아 본 적이 없어요. = I’ve never lived in a house.
저는 집에 살아 본 적이 없어요. (incorrect)
!
25/35페이지
아빠 vs. 아버지 (엄마 vs. 어머니)

dad
!
mom
daddy
! father
mommy
mother
father
! mother
!
!
아빠 is closer to “dad” or “daddy”, and 아버지 is closer to “father,” and they both
can also be used when you address your own father. Since 아버지 is a more
formal and mature word, people call their father 아빠 when they are little, but
start to call him 아버지 when they grow older. It depends on the family, but men
tend to call their father 아버지 more often than women do. The same thing
applies to 엄마 (mom) and 어머니 (mother).
!
Example #1
“Dad, what are you doing?”
아빠, 뭐 해? (casual, natural)
아버지, 뭐 하세요? (polite, natural)
아빠, 뭐 하세요? (polite, natural)
아버지, 뭐 해? (incorrect)
!
Example #2
저도 아빠가 되었어요. = “I’ve also become a father.”
저도 아버지가 되었어요. (unnatural)
!
Example #3
“Mom and dad”
엄마 아빠 (natural)
26/35페이지
엄마 아버지 (natural)
아빠 엄마 (natural)
아빠 어머니 (unnatural)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
!
아버지 vs. 아버님 (어머니 vs. 어머님)
father father-in-law mother-in-law
mother
other people’s father other people’s mother
!
아버지 means father, and it is also how you address your own father. 아버님 is an
honorific word for 아버지, but you can only use it to address another person’s
father, such as your father-in-law or your friend's father. You can use 아버님 for
your own father only when you write a letter to him or when you mention him to
other people after he passes away. The same thing applies to 어머니 and 어머님.
!
Example #1
저희 아버지는 올해 은퇴하셨어요. = My father retired this year.
저희 아버님은 올해 은퇴하셨어요. = My father-in-law retired this year.
!
Example #2
경화 씨 아버님, 여기 앉으세요. = (To Kyung-hwa’s father) Please sit here.
경화 씨 아버지, 여기 앉으세요. (incorrect)
!
Example #3
어머님 아버님 여러분 어서오세요. = Parents, welcome!
어머니 아버지 여러분 어서오세요. (incorrect)
27/35페이지
뛰다 vs. 달리다
to run to run
!
to jump
!
to leap !
!
뛰다 and 달리다 both mean "to run," but 뛰다 can also include the meaning of “to
jump,” whereas 달리다 only means “to run from place A to place B.” So when you
just hear a sentence like 뛰세요, it can mean either “Run!” or “Jump!” You have to
tell from the context. Similarly, 잘 뛰어요 can either mean that someone runs well
or jumps high.
!
So when someone (or animals or vehicles) ‘runs’ from place A to place B in a
mostly horizontal motion, you can use 달리다, and when someone (or animals or
insects) ‘run/jump/move’ in a very bumpy up-and-down motion, you use 뛰다.
You can use 뛰다 to describe prices increasing too.
!
Example #1
“Did you run all the way here?”
여기까지 뛰어왔어요? (o)
여기까지 달려왔어요? (o)
!
Example #2
얼마나 높이 뛸 수 있어요? = How high can you jump?
얼마나 높이 달릴 수 있어요? (incorrect)
!
Example #3
이 차 어때요? = How is this car?
28/35페이지
- 잘 달려요. = It drives well.

- 잘 뛰어요. (incorrect)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
가슴 vs. 마음 mind
! chest, breasts,
! heart, mind
!
가슴 can refer to the chest, breasts, feelings, or the heart (not the body organ;
it’s 심장) whereas 마음 only refers to feelings, heart (not the organ), or mind. The
opposite word of 가슴 is often 머리 (head), as in “heart vs. head / emotions vs.
reason,” and the opposite word of 마음 is often 몸 (body), as in “mind vs. body.”
!
Example #1
가슴이 아파요. = My chest hurts. / I am heartbroken.
마음이 아파요. = I am heartbroken.
!
Example #2
가슴에 손을 얹어 보세요. = Put your hand(s) on your chest.
마음에 손을 얹어 보세요. (incorrect)
!
Example #3
신나서 가슴이 뛰어요. = I am excited so my heart is pounding.
신나서 마음이 뛰어요. (incorrect)
!
!
29/35페이지
수업 vs. 강의 vs. 레슨
class
!
class private lesson
lecture video lesson
!
! online lesson
!
!
수업 is a class, and it tends to be used for regular classes that you take, not
one-time lectures, whereas 강의 is often translated to ‘lecture’ in English, and it
can be used for a one-time class. In universities, however, 강의 is much more
commonly used to refer to regular classes as opposed to regular classes at
elementary/junior high/high schools, which are called 수업. If you call a class for
elementary/junior high/high school students 강의, it sounds like either it is a
one-time lecture or an online class(온라인 강의 or 인터넷 강의).
!
When it comes to 레슨, it often refers to a private class/lesson, especially in the
music industry. (e.g. 바이올린 레슨 = violin lesson, 보컬 레슨 = lessons for
vocalization and singing, 춤 레슨 = dance lesson) If you learn musical
instruments or dance from a teacher with a lot of other students, you would call
it 수업. 수업 and 강의 are used together with the verb 듣다 if you are a student,
and with 하다 if you are a teacher or a lecturer, whereas 레슨 is used with the
verb 받다 if you are a student, and 해 주다 if you are a teacher.
!
Example #1
오늘 피아노 강의가 있어요. = I have a piano lecture to give.
오늘 피아노 레슨이 있어요. = I have a private piano lesson to take/give.
!
Example #2
30/35페이지
저 인터넷으로 수업 들어요. = I take my lessons online. (Online university only)

저 인터넷으로 레슨 들어요. (incorrect)
저 인터넷으로 강의 들어요. = I watch lessons online. (Online education)
!
Example #3
“math class”
수학 수업 (middle school, high school)
수학 강의 (university)
수학 레슨 (incorrect)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
아기 vs. 아가
!
baby baby
one’s daughter-in-law
!
!
!
아기 is a general term for babies, so it is used when you make a statement
whereas 아가 is an addressing form. It is also used by some (but not all)
mothers-in-law to address their daughters-in-law.
!
Example #1
아기가 태어났어요. = The baby was born.
아가가 태어났어요. (incorrect)
!
Example #2
아가야 여기 봐. = (To an infant) Baby, look here.
아기야 여기 봐. (incorrect)
31/35페이지
!
Example #3
아가, 내일 바쁘니? (To one’s daughter-in-law) Are you busy tomorrow?
아기야, 내일 바쁘니? (incorrect)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
상사 vs. 사장님
boss owner of a company
superior president
If you say someone is your 상사, it means that the person is in a higher position
than you in your workplace, but if you say someone is your 사장님, it means that
the person is in 사장 position in your workplace.
!
If it is a small company, the owner is usually 사장, and if the company is
relatively big where there are many directors or stockholders, the president of
the company is 사장 or 대표. And 님 is just an honorific suffix used mainly after a
person's work or specialty title.
!
If you want to specifically refer to your “direct boss,” the one you report to, you
have to know more specific position terms, such as 과장님, 부장님, 차장님, 팀장님,
etc..
!
Example #1
사장님, 안녕하세요. = (To your boss/president) Hello.
상사(님), 안녕하세요. (incorrect)
!
32/35페이지
Example #2
Only if he were not my boss…
직장 상사만 아니면… (o)
사장님만 아니면… (o)
!
Example #3
내가 상사니까 내가 먼저 예약했어. = Since I’m your boss, I reserved it first.
내가 사장님이니까 내가 먼저 예약했어. (incorrect)
!
—————————————————————————————————————————————
수영하다 vs. 헤엄치다

!
to swim to swim
!
!
These two are very similar, but 수영 often refers to the professional sport that
you need to learn whereas 헤엄 implies the movement you make in order to go
forward or simply float in the water. In that sense, you use 헤엄치다 more when
you describe the movement of animals in the water.
!
Example #1
요즘 매일 아침 수영해요. = I swim every morning these days.
요즘 매일 아침 헤엄쳐요. (incorrect)
!
Example #2
“Children are swimming in the swimming pool.”
아이들이 수영장에서 수영하고 있어요. (o)
아이들이 수영장에서 헤엄치고 있어요. (o)
33/35페이지
!
Example #3
수영할 줄 알아요? = Do you know how to swim?
헤엄칠 줄 알아요? (x)
!
 
34/35페이지
감사합니다
! !
! Text written by Hyunwoo Sun & Kyung-hwa Sun!
! Audio recorded by Hyunwoo sun & Kyung-hwa Sun!
! Cover design by Chesney Lattuga
!
This publication may not be reproduced, made into derivative works, or distributed in whole
or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including mass printing,
photocopying, recording, or by an information storage or retrieval system without written
consent of the copyright holder. For more information or inquiries regarding copyright,
write to us at TalkToMeInKorean@gmail.com with a subject line of “Copyright Inquiry.”
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About K-Word Showdown

지금 몇 시예요? = What time is it now? (just checking the time)

form 그립다) is considered to be a more poetic expression, therefore it is often

지루해요 vs. 심심해요

or 거짓말 (lie), and 진짜 can also mean ‘real’ or ‘authentic’ as opposed to 가짜

벌써 and 이미 both mean “already”., Basically, you use either 벌써 or 이미 to

도와줘서 고마워요. (o)

한 시간밖에 없어요 (We only have one hour.)

어떻게 vs. 어떡해?

선생님 vs. 스승님

신기해요 vs. 재미있어요

어렸을 때 vs. 젊었을 때

“I went on a trip with my family.”

섭섭하다 vs. 서운하다

아쉽다 vs. 아깝다

to be sad (Something) is a waste.

자동차 vs. 자가용

집에 자가용 몇 대 있어요? (o)

아빠 vs. 아버지 (엄마 vs. 어머니)

- 잘 달려요. = It drives well.

저 인터넷으로 수업 들어요. = I take my lessons online. (Online university only)

수영하다 vs. 헤엄치다

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