What is the problem with Korean wind-powered cars?

 ANSWER: They only go in circles.

The Sino-Korean word for "windmill" is 풍차 (風車), which literally means "wind (風) wagon (車)" or "wind car."

What's the difference between 병신 같은 놈 and 미친놈?

 ANSWER: 병신 같은 놈 (dumbass) is what you say when you look in your rearview mirror back at a slow driver that you just passed on the road, and 미친놈 (jackass) is what you say when you look ahead at a driver that just passed you on the road.

What does 처녀 (處女) literally mean?

 ANSWER:  "a place or home (處) girl (女)" or "a residing [at home] girl"

My Korean-English dictionary defines 처녀 (處女) as "a virgin" or "a maiden," but it literally means "a place or home (處) girl (女)" or "a residing [at home] girl," which used to mean a girl who still lived with her parents, and that used to mean a girl who was still unmarried. These days, however, 처녀 has come to mean "a woman who has yet to have sex," whether she still lives at home or not.

By the way, 처사 (處士) is a Sino-Korean word that my dictionary defines a "a retired gentleman" or "a scholar in retirement," but it literally means "a place or home (處) scholar (士)," a scholar who stays at home.

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary

What is the best kind of 바람 (wind?) when you are in a hurry?

ANSWER: 선바람

The pure-Korean word for "wind" is 바람, but in the case of 선바람, the 바람 has a different meaning, one that suggests "not wearing the appropriate clothing," usually because one is in too much of a hurry to change. Consider the following example from my Korean-English dictionary:

그는 맨발 바람으로 뛰어나갔다.

"He ran out into the street barefoot."

맨발 is the pure Korean word for "barefoot," and 맨발로 can translate as "in one's bare feet." The difference between 맨발로 and 맨발 바람으로 is that 맨발 바람으로 implies more urgency and inappropriateness than 맨발로. If a person runs outside barefoot because that is how he or she wants to go outside, then 맨발로 can be used, but if a person runs outside barefoot in order to escape a burning house, for example, then 맨발 바람으로 is better because it suggests urgency and inappropriateness.

My Korean-English dictionary defines 선바람 as "(one's) present attire" or "the outfit one has on," and it defines 선바람으로 as "just as one is." My Korean-Korean dictionary defines 선바람 as "차리고 나선 그대로의 차림새," which essentially translates as "the outfit one is currently wearing." I have read that the 선 in 선바람 is a prefix that means "untrained," "unskilled," "immature," or "clumsy," so 선바람 could literally translate as "clumsy attire," which suggests inappropriate attire.

So, if you call a friend and invite her to a party you are at, but your friend says she is not dressed for it, you can tell her, 그냥 선바람으로 나와," which can translate as "Just come as you are."

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary

Do you need to know Chinese characters to understand Korean?

 ANSWER: It depends.

Can anyone translate the following Korean sentence into English?

기지에 기지 있는 기지가 있다.

UPDATE:

Now here is the same sentence with the Chinese characters included:

기지(基地)에 기지(機智) 있는 기지(枝指)가 있다.

On the base (基地), there is a witty (機智) six-fingered guy (枝指).

Sorry! Today I came across the word 기지 (枝指) and wanted to play with it a little.

Anyway, 기지 (枝指) is the Sino-Korean word for 육손이, which means "a six-fingered person." When pronounced 지, 枝 means "branch," but when pronounced 기, it means 육손이. So since 指 (지) means "finger," 기지 (枝指) literally means "a branch (枝) finger (指)," or a person with "a branch finger."

From 활용대옥편 (Chinese Characters Dictionary)

From 활용대옥편 (Chinese Characters Dictionary)

Does 되바라지다 mean "narrow-minded" or "sophisticated"?

 ANSWER: Both?

My Korean-English dictionary gives three different definitions for the Korean adjective 되바라지다. The first definition is "shallow," "open," or "exposed," so 되바라진 접시 translates as "a shallow dish," and 되바라진 장소 as "an exposed place," possibly suggesting that a place surrounded by high mountains or walls is safer than a place not surrounded by high mountains or walls. Koreans, therefore, seem to associate "shallowness" with "being exposed."

The second definition of 되바라지다 is "shallow-brained," "narrow-minded," "intolerant," or "illiberal," so 되바라진 사람 could translate as "a narrow-minded person," right?

But then there is the third definition, which is "overly smart," "too sharp," "sophisticated," "pert," "saucy," "forward," or "cheeky." The example phrase with the third definition is 되바라진 사람, which is translated as "a pert (sophisticated) person." 

So, does 되바라진 사람 mean "a shallow narrow-minded person" or "a sophisticated cheeky person"? I'm confused.

The Korean for the third definition is 너무 똑똑하다, which can translate as "too smart," and that suggests that 되바라진 사람 could translate as "a person who is too smart for his or her own good" or "a person who is too smart for his or her own britches," which is usually used when a child or young person acts smarter than people think he or she should act.

So, it seems that 되바라지다 is basically just a stronger version of 바라지다, of which the third definition is "saucy," "cheeky, and "stuck up." The example phrases with the third definition of 바라지다 are 바라진 아이, which is translated as "a forward child," and 바라진 말을 하다, which is translated as "say a cheeky thing."

So it seems the definition of 되바라진 사람 has changed from meaning "a shallow narrow-minded person" to meaning "a person who is too smart for his or her own good," which means "overconfident" or "cocky."

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary

From Dong-A's Prime Korean-English Dictionary