Thursday, January 15, 2026

Which is correct: 걸맞는 부부 or 걸맞은 혼인?

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ANSWER: 걸맞은 혼인 is the correct phrase, which can translate as "a well-met marriage." So, what is wrong with saying 걸맞는 부부? Well, 걸...
Thursday, January 08, 2026

What's the difference between 궁색하다 and 군색하다?

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ANSWER: One means "poor," and the other means "really poor." Also, one of them can also mean "awkward." My Ko...
Monday, December 08, 2025

In Korea, what is the difference between a young widow and a virgin?

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ANSWER: One wears a red skirt, and the other a green one. The Sino-Korean word 청상 (靑裳), with 裳 (상), literally means "green (靑) skirt (...
Thursday, December 04, 2025

Why do Koreans say 웃어른 instead of 윗어른?

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ANSWER: Because there is no 아랫어른. The pure-Korean word 위 means "up" or "top," and the pure-Korean word 아래 means "do...
Wednesday, December 03, 2025

Why is the Korean word for "exchange rate" written as 환율 instead of 환률?

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ANSWER: Because the 환 in 환율 (換率) ends in a ㄴ. In Korea, the Chinese character 率 (률/율) can be written as either 률 or 율, depending on what wo...
Monday, December 01, 2025

Is 찻집 (a tearoom) a pure Korean word?

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ANSWER: Yes. Since 2017, the National Institute of Korean Language has claimed that 찻집 is a pure Korean word. That means that they conside...
Sunday, November 30, 2025

What's the difference between 과년 (瓜年) and 과년 (過年)?

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ANSWER: One means "marriageable age," and the other means "past the marriageable age." The 瓜 (과) in 과년 (瓜年) can mean ...
Thursday, November 27, 2025

What does 삐라 mean?

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ANSWER: Well, according to my 1998 edition Dong-a's Prime Korean-English Dictionary , it means: "a (hand) bill; a leaflet; a placa...
Wednesday, November 19, 2025

What is the difference between 갱신 (更新) and 경신 (更新)?

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ANSWER: 갱신 (更新) means "to renew," which suggests "extension," and 경신 (更新) means "to revise," which suggests ...
Tuesday, November 18, 2025

The Korean word for "cow" is 소, but what is the Korean word for "beef"?

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 ANSWER: Apparently, both 소고기 and 쇠고기 are now acceptable. In Korea, 소 means "cow," and 고기 means "meat," but I had learn...
Monday, November 17, 2025

To say, "Open a store" in Korean, do you say, "가계를 벌리다" or "가계를 벌이다"?

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ANSWER: You say "가계를 벌이다."  Both 벌리다 and 벌이다 can mean "to open," but 벌리다 is used in the sense of "spreading someth...
Sunday, November 16, 2025

What's the difference between 굉장히 크다 and 굉장히 작다.

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 ANSWER: One makes sense and the other doesn't. 매우 크다 means "very big," and 매우 작다 means "very small," but even thoug...
Wednesday, November 12, 2025

What's the difference between 이슬비 and 가랑비?

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ANSWER:  Koreans say that 이슬비 is rain that means "Stay (있으라)!" and 가랑비 is rain that means "Go (가라)!" Even though 이슬비 and...
Monday, November 10, 2025

What does the Sino-Korean word 사소 (些少 mean?

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ANSWER: It means "trivial, "insignificant," "small," or "petty." The Chinese character 些 (사) in 사소 (些少) ...
Thursday, November 06, 2025

Has the book "Red Scarf Girl" been translated into Korean?

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ANSWER: Yes.  Is America now in a cultural revolution? Is Donald Trump a wannabe Chairman Mao? And are red hats just a substitute for ...

When do you use 새끼줄?

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ANSWER: Well, I use it when I get angry at a string or rope. It may not make much sense to Koreans, but I often say it when I get frustrate...
Wednesday, November 05, 2025

What's the difference between "60세" and "만 60세"?

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  ANSWER: One means 60 years old, and the other means Korean-age 60 years old, which is really 59 years old. The Chinese character 歲 (세) is...