Korean Language Notes

ANSWER: To grab a cow's ear. The word 잡다 means "to grab," and the word 우이 (牛耳) is a Sino-Korean word (한자어) that literally mea...

ANSWER: Yes  

ANSWER: I'm not exactly sure how the Korean language will change, but I suspect that Koreans will continue to change their language in ...

  ANSWER: (B) (A) translates as "It will become rainy weather," and (B) translates as "It will rain." As the Ghostbuste...

ANSWER: 가르마 is currently considered the correct word, even though my vintage 1996 Dong-A Korean-English dictionary lists 가리마 instead.  In my...

  ANSWER: Well, it is translated below as "I'm screwed," which is said when one realizes that one in a very bad or hopeless s...

  ANSWER: 베개 When I first went to Korea in the late '1970s, I thought the Korean word for "pillow" was 벼개 since that was the ...

 ANSWER: 자유가 있다. So then, why does Article 14 of the Korean Constitution read, "모든 국민은 거주, 이전의 자유를 가진다" instead of "모든 국민에게 ...

  ANSWER: My dictionary says that 전말 means "particulars," "details," "a full account," "the course of ev...

  ANSWER: No. The Sino-Korean word for "anti-aircraft gun" is 고사포 (高射砲), which literally means "high (高) shooting (射) cannon...

ANSWER: Well, it is the first definition under 인 in my Korean dictionary and is defined as 늘 되풀이하여 배다시피 한 버릇, which can be translated as ...

ANSWER: No, the 야 in 야하다 is the Chinese character 冶 (야), which besides meaning "to smelt" or "to cast," can also mean ...

  ANSWER:  Both words have the syllables 나 and 다 in them. My Korean-English dictionary lists about 20 different definitions for 나다, but the ...

  ANSWER: If it is the Sino-Korean 방정 (方正), it is a good thing, but if it is the pure-Korean 방정, it is a bad thing. Besides meaning "s...

ANSWER: Apricot? The Korean word for "flesh" is 살, and the Korean word for "color" is 색, so together 살색 (pronounced 살쌕) ...

ANSWER: 시쳇말 is defined as "그 때에 유행하는 말," which could be translated as "popular [or fashionable] language [or expression] of ...

ANSWER:  "큰 힘을 쓰다," which could be translated as "to use great strength." By the way, why isn't 용빼다 in the dictionar...

  ANSWER: Because out of the 133 keywords listed under 병 in my Korean-English dictionary there are only 5 that start with the 병 (甁) that me...

ANSWER: Ten 되s make a 말 ( mal ). And since ten 홉s make a 되, 100 홉s make a 말. And, by the way, 10 말s make a 섬, which is a big straw sack. So...

  ANSWER: "All work," "all things," or "everything." The 열 in 열 일 is the pure Korean word for "ten,...