In Korean, nouns have no gender category, but they can be changed in number and case. The formation of plurals is very simple – just add the ending -들 (tɯɭ/dɯɭ) to the dictionary form of the word. For example: 사람 /ˈsʰaram/ ‘person’ – 사람들 /sʰaramdɯɭ/ ‘people’; 개 /kɛ/ ‘dog’ – 개들 (kɛdɯɭ) ‘dogs’.

The case ending always follows the particle -들 (tɯɭ/dɯɭ), for example, 사람들을 (sʰaramdɯrɯɭ).

When it is stated that there is more than one object or an exact number of objects, the particle -들 (tɯɭ/dɯɭ) is usually not used.

Exercises (All the exercises in the following 15 lessons involve memorising words and conversational phrases. There is no complicated grammar or writing. However, you must say everything out loud!

The transcription is indicated for words with no audio files.

2. Expressions like ‘I am a student’ 저는 학생입니다. /t͡ɕʌ̹nɯn haksɛŋ imnida/

Korean has a strict word order. The subject comes first (it can be preceded by an adverbial modifier of time such as ‘today’ or ‘last year’), and the predicate always comes at the end of the sentence. If we parse the above sentence, we get the following:

저 /t͡ɕʌ̹/ – I. Besides this, there is another first person singular pronoun 나, but it is less polite and is used in informal communication with peers or inferiors.

-는 /nɯn/ is a nominative case ending. It has this form after a word ending in a vowel. It has the form –은 /ɯn/ after a consonant, for example, 학생 /haksɛŋ/ – 학생은 /haksɛŋɯn/.

학생 /haksɛŋ/ – student, school pupil, scholar. This word can refer to either a pupil or a student. If you want to emphasise that it is a student, you can use the word 대학생 /ˈtɛhaksɛŋ/.

입니다 /imnida/ means ‘am/is/are’ in a formal and polite style of speech. In this self-study course, all verb forms will be given in this style, as it is the most polite, and foreigners who are not familiar with the subtleties of Korean speech etiquette are advised to use it. Note that there is no case ending between the noun and this linking verb. 입니다 is attached directly to the noun.

Exercises

Additional vocabulary

기자		journalist
우리		we
형제		brothers
그분		he, she (politely)
선생님		1. teacher; 2. sir, mister, Ms (polite term of address for an elder male or female)
의사		doctor
화가		artist, painter
사업가		businessman, entrepreneur

3. Expressions like ‘I am not a student’ - 저는 학생이 아닙니다. /t͡ɕʌ̹nɯn haksɛŋi animnida/

Отрицательный глагол-связка имеет форму 아닙니다 /animnida/. Note that the noun and the negative linking verb (to be) are separated by the case ending -이 /i/. This is also a nominative case ending. After a vowel it has the form -가 /ga/, e.g. 개 /kɛ/ – 개가 /kɛga/.

What is the difference between the endings -은/는 (ɯn/nɯn) and -이/가 (i/ga)? In short, we use -은/는 (ɯn/nɯn) when we are talking about something already known to the interlocutors (like the definite article in English), while -이/가 (i/ga) is used with a word that has just been introduced into the conversation (like the indefinite article).

Exercises

Additional vocabulary

교수님		professor
목사		pastor
노동자		worker
작가		here: writer; full definition: an artist or artists, including singers, painters, writers, etc.
기사		engineer

Expressions like ‘Are you a student?’ 학생입니까? /haksɛŋ imnikka?/

The interrogative form of 입니다 /imnida/ is 입니까 /imnikka/. It is also attached directly to the noun.

A characteristic feature of the Korean language is the absence of the polite pronoun ‘you’ in colloquial speech. It is either simply omitted (because the interlocutor understands that he or she is being addressed), or it is replaced by the third person, e.g. 김 선생님은 /Kim sʰʌ̹nsʰɛŋnimɯn/ when addressing Mr Kim, or simply 선생님 /sʰʌ̹nsʰɛŋnim/ when addressing a stranger. For people of low social status (drivers, security guards, salesmen, etc.) and middle-aged people, 아줌마 /ad͡ʑumma/ ‘aunt’ for women and 아저씨 /ad͡ʑʌ̹ssi/ ‘uncle’ for men are used.

Exercises

Additional vocabulary

판매원		salesperson
남자		man
여자		woman
노인		old person