What's the most popular Korean shade tree?

In Korean, a "shade tree" is called a 정자나무. The 정자 is the same 정자(亭子) used to mean "pavilion," which is a covered outdoor structure that people relax under. Since people also like to relax under shade trees, 정자나무 seems like the perfect name for "shade tree."

Here are some Korean shade trees:

• 느티나무 ----zelkova tree
• 팽나무 ------nettle tree
• 회화나무 ----Japanese pagoda tree
• 왕버들-------Glandulosa willow

Can you guess which of the above shade trees is the most popular in Korea? Well, among the four, the 느티나무 (zelkova tree) is, by far, the most popular. In fact, I have read that 80 percent of the shade trees in Korea are 느티나무.

Traditionally, Korean villages have one or two huge shade trees at their entrances, and the 느티나무 seems to be the most popular. These trees act as a kind of outdoor gathering place for the people of the village, which means the trees play an important part in their lives, or, at least, they used to.

I have also heard that, in the past, Korean villagers would often keep a store of rocks under the village shade tree, so that they could be used to defend the village from attack. The village tree was a good place to keep the rocks because the tree was near the entrance of the village and because the spirit of the tree could bless the rocks, which would help make sure the rocks hit their targets.

The 느티나무 is mentioned a great deal in Korean literature, which is not surprising since it has played such a prominent role in the lives of many Koreans. Even Koreans who have grown up in the city know about 느티나무 because most probably have relatives who still live in small villages in the countryside.

The reason I have posted on 느티나무 today is not only that it is an important part of Korean culture, but also that it was mentioned in this story on the Korean Lab Web site.

What is the "ringworm tree"?

There is a tree at the corner of an intersection I have to cross on my way to school. I often stand under it while waiting for the light to change. The leaves are as big as or bigger than my hand and quite beautiful, especially in the fall. The trunk is patchy and peeling. I have often wondered about the name of the tree and have sometimes asked Koreans, also waiting for the light, if they knew its name. They have always answered with "몰라요." Today, however, I picked up one of the big leaves lying on the ground and decided that I was going to find out the name the of tree.

I did a search on Google with the word "가로수" and found this page. Then I went to "Forrest Korea" and started looking up the trees on the list. I finally found the tree here. The Engish name of the tree is "sycamore." Here is a good picture of a leaf and the trunk of the tree.

Koreans imported the sycamore tree from the United States because they made good "roadside trees" (가로수) and are not easily affected by pollution. The Korean name for the sycamore is 양버즘나무, which means "Western ringworm tree." Koreans called it the ringworm tree because the peeling bark of the tree reminded them of the peeling skin on the shaved heads of the many Korean children who used to suffer from ringworm. Many Koreans, however, did not like referring to such a beautiful tree by such an ugly name and started to also call it 플라타너스, which is the Korean pronunciation of "Platanus," which comes from "Platanus occidentalis," the Latin name for the tree.

Having solved that mystery, I may finally be able to sleep soundly tonight.

Why does "가" change 너 & 저 to 네 & 제?

In Korean, 가 and 이 are subject markers that Koreans attach to a noun or pronoun to show that the noun or pronoun is the subject of the sentence. 가 attaches to nouns and pronouns that end in vowels, and 이 attaches to nouns and pronouns that end in consonants. Between the two subject markers, 이 is the older one since Koreans did not start using 가 until a couple of hundred years ago. Before that, 이 was attached to all nouns and pronouns, regardless of whether they ended in vowels or consonants.

The new grammar rule must have caused a bit of confusion in Korea because some Koreans in some regions, even today, mark the subject of a sentence by using 이 and 가 together, maybe just to be safe. Consider the following sentence:

당신 너 딸이가 찾아왔습니다.
Your daughter is here looking for you.

Notice how 이 and 가 are both used to mark the subject?

I have read that 네가 and 제가 are probably abbreviated forms of 너이가 and 저이가.

How do Koreans say "dumbfounded"?

While reading a story called "당나귀 알," I came across the phrase, "수박 장수는 너무 기가 차서...," and become curious about the word 기차다. I became curious because I could not remember ever seeing the word before, even though I most probably have. It may just be one of those words that I have looked up a dozen times, but never really paid enough attention to. Anyway, I want to remember it this time by giving it a little attention.

기차다 means "dumbfounded," "stunned," or "shocked," and, therefore, seems to have the same meaning as 기막히다, which I have heard many times before. Actually, when I first saw 기차다, the word 숨차다 (be out of breath) came to mind, and I thought the writer may have made a mistake by writing 기차다 instead of 기막히다. Of course, after looking up the word, I realized that I was the one who made the mistake.

By the way, I noticed that another definition for 기차다 is 정떨어지다, which means "become disgusted ," "fall out of love ," or "grow sick of." I mention this because 정떨어지다 is a good word that is used a lot in Korea.

From now on, I think I will finally be able to remember 기차다.

You nestling! ... What did you call me?!

In Korean, I usually avoid talking about "nestlings" because I feel like I am cursing.

The Korean word for "nestling" is 새새끼.

What is wrong with 나는 싸웠다?

"나는 싸웠다" is considered an awkward sentence in Korean because the speaker does not say who he or she fought with. Koreans would normally say something like 나는 그와 싸웠다, which means "I fought with him." In English,"I had a fight" may sound all right, but Korean normally requires that you mention with whom you had the fight.

It takes two to tango, it takes two to fight, and it takes two to do many other things, as well. There are certain Korean verbs that require a partner or an opponent to perform the action, and among these verbs, some require that if you mention one partner or opponent, you mention the other. Often you mention that partner or opponent by using one of the "and" conjunctions, that is, 와, 과, or 하고. Here is a list of some of those "two-to-tango" verbs:

• 겨루다
• 견주다
• 결합하다
• 경쟁하다
• 공모하다
• 다투다
• 마주치다
• 맞닥뜨리다
• 맞서다
• 부닥치다
• 비교하다
• 상담하다
• 성교하다
• 싸우다
• 씨름하다
• 어울리다
• 언쟁하다
• 연애하다
• 의논하다
• 합치다
• 협력하다
• 혼인하다
• 화합하다

How do I study Korean?

I have been studying Korean for almost thirty years, but not in a very systematic way. Also, when I started, there was no Internet, no personal computers, and few Korean language sources for foreign learners. In March 1977, when I first came to Korea in the navy, the best Korean language source for foreign learners were two books called "Myongdo Korean I & II." Later, a third and forth book came out, but they were not as good as the first two. These days there is almost too much out there.

I consider myself fluent, but there are different levels of fluency. For example, I can watch Korean soap operas, follow TV news, and discuss a range of topics with taxi drivers and others, but I still have trouble following certain discussions on TV and understanding groups of Koreans when they start talking in their abbreviated style of chatter, which is often filled with slang and idiomatic expressions. They also have background information on the topics that I do not, which makes it hard to follow them.

What are my suggestions for learning Korean?

First, I would get the 6-book series from the Yonsei Korean Language Institute and read through them about five or six times. Those books are filled with good stuff, and you will learn something new everytime you read them.

Second, while going through the Yonsei books, start with the first grade textbook on the Korean Lab Web site and work your way up. That will help make sure you learn the cultural items and language expressions that every Korean knows, instead of things that only a few super-educated Koreans know.

Third, get yourself a Korean chat friend because that will help you get plenty of exposure to the slang. By the way, here is a link to Korean Chat Expressions.

Fourth, stay curious and do not pretend to be more fluent than what you are, which means ask questions when you do not know. Read newspapers and college level material, but also read children's stories, which teach those little verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that foreign learners of Korean seem to have a lot of trouble with.

Fifth, learn the Korean idioms because they are used all the time. Here is a good Idiom Dictionary.

Sixth, learn Korean proverbs because if they come up in conversation and you do not know them, you will get lost. Korean proverbs are fun. Just read them at your leisure. Here is a Proverb Dictionary.

Seventh, learn Chinese characters and Chinese character idioms. Knowing Chinese characters will help you better understand and remember a lot of confusing Korean words. Naver has the best Chinese Character Dictionary I have seen. In fact, Naver has just about the best everything.

Eighth, listen to Korean news broadcasts. I listen to the KBS 9 O'clock News to develop my listening skills. After listening to the news on TV, I can go on the Internet an hour later and listen to it again while following a transcript the site provides. That allows me to see and hear the portions of the news that I did not hear the first time around.

Ninth, keep an online diary or write a blog in Korean. I do not do it, but I should. I do have this blog, however, and the reason I have it is that when I write about something dealing with the Korean language, it helps me to learn and remember what I am writing about.

Tenth, do not get frustrated. When you are nearing the top of one hill, expect to see another one on the other side. Enjoy the journey and do not worry about reaching your destination because there will always be another hill.

Well, that is my 10-Step Plan for learning Korean. I do not read many Korean novels or watch many Korean movies because both are a little difficult for me to understand and enjoy. I prefer TV soap operas to movies because the dialog is not usually mixed with background noise and special effects, making it hard to hear. Also, a soap opera is a story that continues over several months instead of just two hours, so I have time to follow the story, understand the characters, and learn their style of speech and favorite expressions.

I prefer reading Korean history and language books to novels because they have more explanation. I especially like Korean language related books. I also like Korean children's stories because they are fun and are stories that almost every Korean has read. Novels are usually too difficult and tend to mix in a lot of dialect, which I am not really interested in learning right now. There are too many things to learn, and novels seem to take up too much time.

That is how I study Korean, but I am sure everybody has his or her preferred way.

The difference between 자기, 자신, & 자기 자신?

This week I am talking about "reflexive pronouns" in some of my English classes. In the process, I started thinking about how much easier English reflexive pronouns are than Korean.

The following words can act as reflexive pronouns in Korean:

• 자기
  자기 생각만 한다.
  You think only of yourself.
  -
• 자신
  네 자신이 생각하라.
  Think for yourself.
  -
• 자기 자신
  (너) 자기 자신도 돌보지 못 한다.
  (You) cannot look after yourself.
  -
• 저
  그 놈은 저밖에 모른다.
  He thinks only of himself.
  -
• 당신
  대통령께선 당신을 돌보지 않고 나라 걱정만 하십니다.
  The president neglects himself and only worries about the country.
  -
• 스스로
  문이 스스로 열렸다.
  The door opened by itself.
  -
• 서로
  (그들이) 서로 욕하다.
  (They) call each other names.
  -
• 자체
  목적 자체는 훌륭했다.
  The motive itself was admirable.

The Differences Between the Different Pronouns

자신 and 자기 are both reflexive pronouns, but 자신 has two functions that 자기 does not. 자신 can be used redundantly to emphasis the preceding noun or pronoun, but 자기 cannot. See the following example:

• 나 자신은 이 그림이 좋다.
  I, myself, like this picture.

자신 can also be used to mean "alone" or "on one's own," but 자기 cannot. 스스로 can also be used in this way. See the following the examples:

• 네 자신이 생각하라.
  Think for yourself.
  -
• 그는 스스로 결정했다.
  He decided for himself.

저 and 당신 are first person and second person pronouns, respectively, but they can also be used as reflexive pronouns, which can be very confusing. When used as reflexive pronouns, they function the same as 자기 and 자신, but 저 seems to be less respectful, and 당신 is more. Consider these examples:

• 그 놈은 제가 하지 않았다고 주장한다.
  That guy claims he did not do it.
  -
• 대통령께선 당신을 돌보지 않고 나라 걱정만 하십니다.
  The president neglects himself and only worries about the country.

Notice how the reflexive pronoun, 저, just like the first person pronoun 저, changes form when the subject marker 가 is attached. By the way, in the past, 저 and 당신 were used only as reflexive pronouns, but now they seem to be used more as first and second person pronouns than as reflexive pronouns.

자기 자신 is treated as an independent reflexive pronoun, and can replace 자신 and 자기 in many situations, but in complex sentences, there is a big difference in meaning. Consider the following examples:

1. 갑수는 을수에게 병수가 자기를 때렸다고 말했다.
   -
2. 갑수는 을수에게 병수가 자기 자신를 때렸다고 말했다.

In Sentence 1, is 갑수 saying that 병수 hit him (갑수) or that 병수 hit himself? In the case of Sentence 1, 자기 usually refers to the subject of the main clause, but not always, which makes it somewhat confusing. However, 자기 자신 is used only to refer to the subject of the clause it is in. Here are the translations:

1. 갑수는 을수에게 병수가 자기를 때렸다고 말했다.
   Kap-su told Eul-su that Byeong-su hit him (Kap-su).
   -
2. 갑수는 을수에게 병수가 자기 자신를 때렸다고 말했다.
   Kap-su told Eul-su that Byeong-su hit himself.

자체 is used as a reflexive pronoun for things or concepts. Consider the following example:

• 덕을 행한다는 것, 그 자체가 보상이다.
  Virtue is its own reward.

Why did Koreans make reflexive pronouns so confusing?

What's the oldest living species of tree?

Answer: 은행나무 (the gingko tree)

How many of these questions can you answer correctly?

Are dried persimmons scarier than tigers?

Today I read a story about a tiger that came down from his mountain looking for food. He came upon a remote farmhouse where a man was eating dinner at a table in front of the house. The tiger began to sneak up on the man, but before he could get close enough to attack, the man looked up at the sky and said, 소나기가 올 것 같은데," and then grabbed his things off the table and ran into the house. After seeing how scared the man was of this thing called 소나기, the tiger suddenly got scared, too, and ran into the nearby barn to hide.

It grew dark and the tiger was still hiding in the barn when a cow thief came sneaking in. The tiger heard him come in, but he thought it was 소나기 and hide his face in the straw in an effort to hide.

It was so dark in the barn that the cow thief had to feel his way around. When he touched the fur of the tiger, he thought it was a cow and said, "옳지 이 집에 제법 쓸 만한 황소가 한 마리 있구나," and then jumped up on its back and slapped him on the butt.

The tiger was so shocked and afraid when 소나기 jumped up on his back and slapped him on the butt that he jumped up and started running back to the mountain with 소나기 clinging to his back. The more he tried to shake 소나기 off his back, the tighter he would hold on. The tiger had never been attacked like this before and was sure he was going to die.

After he realized he was on the back of a tiger instead of a cow, the thief had no choice but to hang on to the back of the tiger, fearing that he would be eaten if he fell off. After a fairly long time running around in the forrest on the back of the tiger, the thief saw a branch of a large tree overhanging the path they were running on. Feeling that this was his last chance to save himself, the thief jumped up and grabbed the branch as they passed under it. The thief then climbed up into the tree and hide among its leaves as the tiger continued to run away down the path.

It was not until sometime later that the tiger realized that 소나기 was no longer on his back. When he realized it, he felt he was lucky to be alive, and ever since then, tigers have feared 소나기.

The story ends with the following sentence:

호랑이는 곶감보다도 하늘을 더 무서워하게 되었다고 한다.

They say that tigers have become more afraid of the sky than of dried persimmons.

For non-Koreans who have not read Korean children stories, the above sentence would probably leave them scratching their heads, but Koreans would know its meaning right away.

Here is a link to a story about a tiger and a dried persimmon. The story is similar to the one above, but it is 곶감 the tiger fears, not 소나기:

호랑이와 곶감

Here is a link to other stories on the same site.

And here is a link to an interesting site with pictures and stories about Andong and other writings.

The above story shows that knowing Korean children stories will help Korean language learners better understand the language. For further proof, consider the following passage, which would have been difficult to understand without knowing the story about the tiger and the dried persimmon.

한 진보운동가의 고백 나는 노사모가 무섭다! 홍기표 민주노동당 당원 사람들은 말한다. 호랑이보다 곶감이 더 무섭다고. 나는 생각한다. 새천년민주당이라는 종이호랑이보다 그 호랑이가 손에 쥐고 있는 곶감(노무현을 사랑하는 사람들의 모임, 이하 노사모)이 더 무섭다고.

The above passage comes from a site I cannot link to, which is all right since it is not really worth reading, anyway.

What does 개나리를 솎다 mean?

Yesterday I read "4學年이 되어서" in the fourth grade textbook on the Korean Lab Web site. The story was nothing special, but it did give me a little cultural insight, and I learned a few little language-related things, as well. What follows are a few of the things I noticed.

I have been studying Korean for a long time, but I do not remember ever reading or hearing the word 솎다. I may have read it and just forgotten it, or I may have heard it and not realized it, but, at any rate, I stopped and looked up the word last night while reading the story. 솎다 means "thin [cull] (out) plants." I think that is a useful word, but I have to be careful when pronouncing words with a "소" in them because if I am lazy about rounding my lips, they come out as "서." In fact, I have learned to take special care when pronoucing any word that has an ㅗ sound in it since Koreans seem to be very particular about their ㅓ's and ㅗ's.

The story refers to students in the fourth grade as 상급생, which means "upper-class students." It implies that fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students are considered "upper-class students," and first, second, and third grade students are "lower-class students" (하급생). I do not remember hearing such designations when I was in elementary school, even though we may have felt that way.

Finally, the story begins with the following sentence:

경호네 班에서는 4學年이 되어서 처음으로 學級 어린이會가 열렸습니다.

After becoming fourth-year students, Kyeong-ho's class had a grade-level student meeting for the first time.

What caught my eye in the above sentence was the use of 네 after 경호, where it is used instead of 의 to make 경호 a possessive noun. I have known 네 to be used in this way to refer to one's family, but until I saw it used in the above story, I never realized that it is also used to refer to other groups. I may have heard it used, but just assumed that it was 의 since 의 and 네 sound similar in spoken Korean. Now that I think about it, I have seen it before, but just never paid attention to it. In fact, I saw it in a cartoon that I talked about here.

I have noticed that when I read fairly easy stories, I pay attention to smaller things, things that I tend to overlook in more difficult stories. I think that is a good thing.

What does 난중일기(亂中日記) mean?

난중일기(亂中日記) is the diary that was kept by Admiral Yi Sun-shin(이순신 장군) from 1592 to 1598, during the Japanese invasion of Korea, which Koreans refer to as the 임진왜란(壬辰倭亂). The diary is a national treasure in Korea. In fact, it is National Treasure No. 76 (국보 76호).

The diary was mentioned in a story on the Korean Lab Web site entitled "현충사를 다녀와서." 현충사 is the shrine erected in honor of 이순신. The shrine is located in Asan County(아산군) in South Chungcheung province (충청남도). If you want to learn more about 이순신 and his shrine, you can go to this great site. If you want to read the diary, you can go here, where there is a version for children and for adults. To turn the page of the children's version of the diary, you have to click and hold on the corner of the page and pull it as if you were turning the page with your finger.

Since the diary is mentioned in a third grade textbook, we can assume it is something every Korean grade schooler is expected to know, which means that serious students of Korean should probably know about it, too.

난중일기(亂中日記) literally means "diary during the disturbance." Here are the Chinese characters:

• 亂 어지러울 란(난) disturbed; confused; disturbance
• 中 가운데 중 middle; during
• 日 날 일 day
• 記 기록 기 record

Koreans usually attach the character 亂(란) to other characters to designate a specific war, rebellion, riot, or disturbance (i.e. 임진왜란, 병자호란). 亂(란) is the same 亂(란) found in the word 난리(亂離), which can mean "an uproar," "a disturbance," "a riot," "a revolt," and even "war." Koreans use "난리 났다" to describe a scramble for half-price items in a department store, a fight between a husband and wife, a labor riot, a natural disaster, and almost any situation where there is much confusion. A "flood" can be called a 물난리, and a "fire" can be called a 불난리.

I like reading the textbook stories and poems on the Korean Lab Web site because they do more than just teach me Korean; they give me a glimpse into how Koreans think, and why they view the world the way they do. If you start with the stories in the first grade textbook and work your way up, you have a chance to develop the same language and thought patterns that Koreans have. What Koreans learn in their grade school years most likely stays with them for the rest of their lives. That is why elementary education is so very important. Unfortunately, prejudice and hate can also be taught in these formative years.

One thing that I did not like about the story, "현충사를 다녀와서," was that the writer used to word 왜놈 to describe the Japanese. 왜놈 is a derogatory term equivalent to the English word "Jap." Here is the relevant piece of text from the story:

이순신 장군이 세계 최초의 철갑선을 만들어 왜놈들과 싸워 이겼다는 생각을 하니 가슴이 뿌듯했다.

Admiral Yi Sun Sin built the world's first iron-clad ship and beat "the Japs" in battle. When I thought about that my heart filled with pride.

I do not think it is right to be teaching children such derogatory terms. It would be like American textbooks teaching children to refer to Koreans, Vietnamese, and other Asians as "gooks." Children learn enough hate and prejudice from their parents and peers; they should not also be learning it from their teachers.

What does 두문불출(杜門不出) mean?

두문불출(杜門不出) means "close one's door and do not go out." In other words, it means "seclude onself." The characters are as follows:

• 杜 막을 두 close; shut
• 門 문 문 door
• 不 아니 불 not
• 出 날 출 exit; come out; go out

I like the character 杜(두) because it is simple and natural. Afterall, how many things are more simple and natural than "a tree" and "earth"? However, I do understand why the Chinese would choose this character combination to mean "shut."

I mention the expression because I have been secluding myself recently. After my classes, I come straight home and lock myself in my apartment. For some reason, I would rather be with my books than with people.

I will be turning fifty soon, which means that I have been studying Korean for almost thirty years. My first "descent" Korean textbook was Myongdo Korean 1, given to me by a guy I knew in the navy who was nicknamed "Tex." That book was like the Rosetta stone to me because I finally got a logical explanation of the Korean language, something I did not get in the 32-week course I had recently completed at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. I loved that Myongdo book and carried it with me almost everywhere I went. With that book, I felt that it was only a matter of time before I would be speaking Korean like a Korean. Boy, was I naive.

After almost thirty years of studying Korean, I am only now beginnning to see a light at the end of the tunnel, but even that may be a mirage since I have seen similar lights in the past. Korean has been like a carrot dangling from a stick in in front of my nose, tempting me to keep trudging along on my path to master the language, but always staying just out of reach. Sometimes I feel like a Guinea pig in some alien experiment in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

I wonder how my life would be different if I had not gotten addicted to Korean? Would I have married one of the women I pushed aside in my pursuit of the language. Would I now have a house, a family, and a dog somewhere in the US? Would I enjoy more the company of friends and family?

It has been so long that I cannot remember what it feels like to live a day without feeling obligated to pick up a Korean book and study. Sometimes I do not know if I am in heaven or hell.

What does 깐돌이 mean?

While reading "내 동생" on the Korean Lab Web site, I came across the word 깐돌이, which is defined in this book as student slang for "똑똑한 남자." However, while talking to a Korean friend of mine on the phone today, I asked her about 깐돌이, and she said it was used to refer to a "meticulous person," which makes sense since 깐깐하다 means "tenancious," "meticulous," or "particular." Now I am not sure which meaning was used on the Korean Lab Web site.

By the way, I bought my copy of this book years ago and paid 3,800 won for it. Today, I looked and found the new version of the book here for 15,000 won. Comparing the two tables of contents, the only thing that seems different is that the newer version has added two new sections: 12. 욕설----105 and 상업어----122. Unless those two sections are something really special, I think I was right to get my book early.

What does 삥뜯다 mean?

삥뜯다 is student slang that means "forcefully take money from someone." I saw the word in this cartoon, which was on this site. The name of the cartoon is "범생," which is an abbreviation for 모범생, which means "model student." A couple of other expressions in the cartoon are as follows:

• 족치다 to torture severely; to put the screws (to a person)
• 손보다 take care of; repair
• 깝치다 to put on airs.
• 분지르다 to break off; to fracture (a bone)

Here is the dialog and my translation:

뒷좌석 여자1: 야 우리 저년한테 삥뜯어서 노래방이나 가자.

(전화 울리는 소리)

뒷좌석 여자2: 야, 너....

모범: (전화를 받으면서) 여보세요. 아, 언니. .... 네, 지금 S고 애새끼들 족치러 가는 중이었어요. .... M고는 언니네가 손보기로 했죠? 그새끼들 다시는 깝치지 않게 다리 하나 분질러 놓으세요. .... 지금 곧 애들 만나니까 애들 필요하면 몇명 보낼게요. 연락주세요. 엄마때문에 범생이처럼 하고 나왔어요. .... 네...네. .... 네, 그럼 끊을게요. .... 나한테 무슨 볼일이라도?

뒷좌석 여자2: 아아뇨. 잘못봤어요.

Back Seat Girl1: Hey, let's take some money from that girl and go to a singing room or something.

(Phone rings)

Back Seat Girl2: Hey, you....

Model Student: (Answering the phone) Hello. Ah, older sister. ....Yes, I am on my way to "S" High School to put the screws to those punk kids. ....Your group is going to take care of the kids at "M" High School, right? .... Break one of their legs so that they do not get high and mighty again. .... I'm getting ready to meet my girls, so if you need any help, I'll send some over. Just call. Because of mom, I am dressed up as a model student today. .... Okay, okay, all right, bye. (hangs up the phone and turns to the girls behind her) Did you have something to say to me?

Back Seat Girl 2: No, we thought you were someone else.

Does 이르다 change to 이르러요 or 일러요?

Tonight I was reading "집 이야기" on the Korean Lab Web site and came across the following sentence:

오늘날에 이르러서는 생활이 복잡해지고 人口도 많아져 그에 맞는 여러 종류의 집이 開發되었다.

Today a variety of house styles have been developed to match our more complex lives and larger population.

When I read the word 이르러서는, I was reminded of something I learned sometime in the past. There are three 이르다 in my dictionary, and two of them change to 일러 when the polite ending 요 or certain conjuctions are added, but one of them changes to 이르러. The three 이르다 are as follows:

1. 이르다 (이르러) 1) reach; arrive 2) extend to; come to
   -
2. 이르다 (일러) 1) say 2) explain; teach 3) tell; report 4) tell on (a person)
   -
3. 이르다 (일러) 1) early 2) premature

The first 이르다 is the one that appeared in the story I was reading.

What tree never lies?

Answer: The black oak

In Korean, the "black oak" is called 참나무. The reason I say the black oak tree never lies is that one meaning for 참 is "truth," so 참나무 could literally be translated as the "truth tree," although I do not know if that is where the name came from. Here is a picture of a 참나무.

In an earlier post, here, I talked about "The Tree Song," which also mentions 참나무. Here is the line from the song:

이놈 대끼놈 대나무 거짓말 못해 참나무
The Bamboo, a little pest,
The Black Oak, unable to lie

I am not sure of the meaning of 대끼놈, but I have seen it used to refer to mischievous children. If anyone knows the exact meaning, I would appreciate it if you would let me know.

How many holes are there in a man's body?

According to oriental medicine, there are nine holes in a man's body. Seven of the holes are in the head: the eyes, the ears, the nostrils, and the mouth. The other two holes are the butt hole and the pee hole. In Korean, these nine holes are referred to as 구규(九竅). The character 九(구) means "nine," and 竅(규) means "hole." Another name for the nine holes is 구혈(九穴). The character 穴(혈) also means "hole."

Between 구규(九竅) and 구혈(九穴), I like 구혈(九穴) better because 穴(혈) is much easier to write than 竅(규), and it is also more useful since it is one of the 214 radicals. The reason I bring up the topic of "the nine holes," is because I became interested in 穴(혈) after seeing it in the story about the tiger and the bear who wanted to become human. According to the story, the tiger and bear lived in the "same hole" (同穴). Here is the relevant passage from the story:

時有一熊一虎 同穴而居
시유일웅일호 동혈이거
At the time, a bear and a tiger lived together in the same cave.

• 時(시) = time; then
• 有(유) = exist; have
• 一(일) = one
• 熊(웅) = bear
• 虎(호) = tiger
• 同(동) = together; same
• 穴(혈) = hole; cave
• 而(이) = maybe "together"
• 居(거) = live

In the above Chinese, I am not sure of the meaning of 而(이), but together with 居(거), it seems to mean "live together"(而居). By the way, the character 而(이) is often seen in Chinese writings because it has several other meanings, including "and," "therefore," "but," "although," "just," and "you." As for the character 穴(혈), notice how it changes shape when it is used as part of other characters:

• 空(공) empty
• 究(구) research
• 窘(군) poor; destitute; needy
• 窟(굴) tunnel; dugout
• 窮(궁) exhausted; used up; poor
• 穹(궁) sky
• 窺(규) watch furtively; spy on; wait for a chance; guess
• 突(돌) suddenly; to collide with; to penetrate
• 窈(요) secluded; deep; dark
• 窯(요) a kiln (for pottery or bricks)
• 竊(절) to steal; thief; stealthily
• 穽(정) a pit; trap
• 窒(질) to close; to block up
• 窄(착) narrow; tight; small
• 窓(창) window
• 穿(천) to dig through; to penetrate

By the way, a while back I posted "here" about the character 肛(항), which means "anus." I said that the character should be redesigned because combining 月(육), which means "meat," and 工(공), which means "craftsman," did not make sense. A "meaty craftsman" means "anus"? Anyway, I felt the authority in charge of Chinese characters should combine 月(육) with a character that means "hole." I made a couple of suggestions, but now I think the best combination would be to combine 月(육) with 穴(혈), which would look great above 月(육). In fact, I cannot imagine a better looking "asshole."

How many spirit foods are there?

In an earlier post, here, I talked about 영지(靈芝), the "spirit mushroom." Then a couple of days ago I noticed there was another "spirit" food mentioned in the story below. The food is 영애(靈艾), which literally means "spirit mugwort." 영(靈) means "spirit," and 애(艾) means "mugwort," which in pure Korean is 쑥.

In the story, a bear and tiger go to 신웅(神雄) and tell him they want to become human beings. One day 신웅 gives them a bunch of 영애(靈艾), "spiritual mugwort," and 20 cloves of garlic and tells them that if they stay out of the sunlight for 100 days and eat only the mugwort and garlic, they will become human beings. The bear and tiger take the mugwort and garlic and go into their cave.

After thirty-seven days in the cave, eating only the mugwort and garlic, the tiger gives up and leaves the cave, but the bear stays and eventually changes into a woman. The woman is called 웅녀(熊女), which means "bear woman." Apparently, there are no men around who want to marry a "bear woman," so 웅녀 frequently goes and prays under the sacred tree (神檀樹) that marks the spot where 환웅(桓雄) first came down from heaven. She prays that she will become pregnant. Hearing her prayers, 환웅 changes into human form and marries her. She gets pregnant and gives birth to a son called King Tangun (단군왕검: 檀君王儉).

I copied the Korean and Chinese below from another site. I made a few changes by trying to match up the Chinese with the different parts of the Korean translation. While doing that, I noticed that the Chinese said that the tiger left the cave after 37 days, but the translation said that it was 21 days. I just left the translation as it was in case there is some calculation I do not know about.

By the way, I wonder why the character for bear (熊) has fire (灬) under it? I have also noticed that there is fire (灬) under the character for fish (魚). Anyway, here is the story in Korean and Chinese:

Korean Translation

이때 곰 한 마리와 호랑이 한 마리가(時有一熊一虎) 같은 굴속에 살고 있었는데 (同穴而居), 항상 신웅에게 사람이 되기를 원하였다(常祈于神雄 願化爲人) . 이때 신웅이 신령스런 쑥 한 다발과 마늘 20개를 주면서 말하기를(時神遺靈艾一炷 蒜二十校曰) "너희는 이것을 먹되 햇빛을 100일 동안 보지 않으면 사람의 형상이 되리라" 하였다 (爾輩食之 不見日光百日 便得人形). 곰과 호랑이는 그걸 얻어먹으면서 21일 동안 금기하였는데, 금기를 잘 지킨 곰은 여자의 몸으로 변하고, 호랑이는 금기를 지키지 못하여 사람이 되지 못했다 (熊虎得以食之 忌三七日 熊得女身 虎不能忌 而不得人身). 웅녀가 혼인할 상대가 없었기 때문에 매양 신단수아래에서 잉태하기를 빌자 (熊女者無與爲婚 故每於檀樹下呪願有孕), 환웅은 이에 잠깐 사람으로 변신해 그녀와 혼인하여 아들을 낳으니, 단군왕검이라 불렀다 (雄乃假化而婚之 孕生子 號曰壇君王儉).

Original Chinese

時有一熊一虎 同穴而居 常祈于神雄 願化爲人 時神遺靈艾一炷 蒜二十校曰 爾輩食之 不見日光百日 便得人形 熊虎得以食之 忌三七日 熊得女身 虎不能忌 而不得人身 熊女者無與爲婚 故每於檀樹下呪願有孕 雄乃假化而婚之 孕生子 號曰壇君王儉

Was 환웅(桓雄) illegitiment?

환인(桓因) was the father of 환웅(桓雄), who was the father to 단군(檀君), who was the founding father of the Korean nation. According to the 삼국유사(三國遺事), 환웅 was the "son of a concubine," which in Korean is 서자(庶子).

I do not mean to imply anything by this post. I just found it interesting for some reason. By the way, the literal meaning of 단군(檀君) is "The Birch Tree King." I also find it interesting that the 환(桓) in 환인 and 환웅 also has the tree character (木) in it.

Here is a link to a page on Buddhist art. I go to the page just to listen to the background music. It is very relaxing.

In regard to 서자(庶子), here is where it appears in the 삼국유사:

고조선(古朝鮮)

魏書에는 지금부터 2,000년 전에 단군왕검이란 분이 있어 아사달(阿斯達:經에는 無葉山이라 하고 혹은 白岳이라고도 하였는데, 白州 땅에 있다고 하였다. 혹은 개성 동쪽에 있다 하였으니 지금의 白岳宮이 이것이라 한다)에 도읍을 정하고 나라를 열어 조선이라고 부르니, 요(堯) 임금과 같은 때라고 하였다. 고기에는 이렇게 적혀 있다. 옛날 환인(桓因:帝釋을 말한다)이 있었는데, 그 서자(庶子) 환웅(桓雄)이 자주 천하에 뜻을 두고 인간 세상을 욕심 내었다. 아버지가 아들의 뜻을 알고는 삼위(三危) 태백(太白)을 내려다보니 모두 가히 인간을 이롭게 할 만한지라, 이에 천부인(天符印) 3개를 주어 가서 다스리게 하였다. 환웅이 무리 3,000명을 거느리고 태백산 꼭대기(태백산은 지금의 묘향산이다) 신단수(神檀樹) 아래에 내려와 이곳을 신시(神市)라 일컬으니 이분이 환웅천왕이다. 풍백(風佰), 우사(雨師), 운사(雲師)를 거느리고 곡식, 명, 질병, 형벌, 선악 등 인간 세상의 360여 가지 일을 주관하게 하여 세상을 다스리도록 하였다. 이때 곰 한 마리와 호랑이 한 마리가 같은 굴속에 살고 있었는데, 항상 신웅(神雄)에게 사람이 되기를 원하였다. 이때 신웅이 신령스런 쑥 한 다발과 마늘 20개를 주면서 말하기를 "너희는 이것을 먹되 햇빛을 100일 동안 보지 않으면 사람의 형상이 되리라" 하였다. 곰과 호랑이는 그걸 얻어먹으면서 21일 동안 금기하였는데, 금기를 잘 지킨 곰은 여자의 몸으로 변하고, 호랑이는 금기를 지키지 못하여 사람이 되지 못했다. 웅녀(熊女)가 혼인할 상대가 없었기 때문에 매양 신단수(神檀樹) 아래에서 잉태하기를 빌자, 환웅은 이에 잠깐 사람으로 변신해 그녀와 혼인하여 아들을 낳으니, 단군왕검(檀君王儉)이라 불렀다. 단군왕검이 당요(唐堯)가 즉위한 지 50년이 되는 경인년(당요가 즉위한 원년이 무진년이니 50년은 경인년이 아니라 정사년이므로 아마 사실이 아닌 듯하다)에 평양성(지금의 서경이다)에 도읍하고 비로소 조선이라 불렀다. 다시 도읍을 아사달(阿斯達)로 옮겼는데, 그 곳을 궁골산(弓忽山:弓이 어떤 데서는 方으로 적혀 있다) 혹은 지금의 미달(彌達)이라고도 하니 나라를 다스린 지 1,500년이었다. 주(周) 무왕(武王) 즉위 기묘년에 기자(箕子)를 조선에 봉하니, 단군(檀君)이 장당경(藏唐京)으로 옮겼고, 그 후 아사달로 돌아와 은거해 산신(山神)이 되었는데 나이 1,908세였다. 당나라 배구전에는 "고구려는 본래 고죽국(孤竹國:지금의 해주이다)이었는데, 주나라에서 기자를 봉해 조선이 되었고, 한나라가 3군으로 나누어 다스렸으니 현도(玄菟), 나라(樂浪), 대방(帶方:北帶方이다)이다."하였고, 통전(通典)에도 역시 이런 말이 있다.(漢書에는 진번, 임둔, 나라, 현도 4군으로 적혀 있는데, 여기서는 3군이라 하였고 이름도 같지 않는 것은 무엇 때문일까?)

魏書云 乃往二千載有壇君王儉 立都阿斯達(經云無葉山 亦云白岳 在白州地 或云在開城東 今白岳宮是) 開國號朝鮮 與高同時 古記云 昔有桓國(謂帝釋也) 庶子桓雄 數意天下 貪求人世 父知子意 下視三危太白可以弘益人間 乃受天三印三箇 遣往理之 雄率徒三千 降於太白山頂(卽太白今妙香山)神檀樹下 謂之神市 是謂桓雄天王也 將風伯雨師雲師 而主穀主命主病主刑主善惡 凡主人間三百六十餘事 在世理化 時有一熊一虎 同穴而居 常祈于神雄 願化爲人 時神遺靈艾一炷 蒜二十校曰 爾輩食之 不見日光百日 便得人形 熊虎得以食之 忌三七日 熊得女身 虎不能忌 而不得人身 熊女者無與爲婚 故每於檀樹下呪願有孕 雄乃假化而婚之 孕生子 號曰壇君王儉 以唐高卽位五十年庚寅(唐高卽位元年戊辰 則五十年丁巳 非庚寅也 疑其未實) 都平壤城(今西京) 始稱朝鮮 又移都於白岳山阿斯達 又名弓(一作方)忽山 又今彌達山 御國一千五百年 周虎王卽位己卯封箕子於朝鮮 壇君乃移於藏唐經 後還隱於阿斯達 爲山神 壽一千九百八歲 唐裵矩傳云 高麗本高竹國(今海州) 周以封箕子爲朝鮮 漢分治三郡 謂玄菟樂浪大方(北大方) 通傳亦同此說(漢書則眞臨樂玄四郡 今云三郡何耶)

Here is the link to the above text.