Basic Words - Transportations

You've finished the basic principle of Korean language. You probably know how Korean components combine and how you should sound. In this time, I will give some words relevant to transportations.

In Korea, there are lots of transportations available.


1. Bus = 버스 [ber su]
There are many kinds of bus in Seoul. Blue, green, red buses are available.
Blue bus goes long distance only in Seoul and its number is usually three-digits. Green one goes short distance like in limited area. Red buses go from Seoul to suburb, Gyunggi Province. The red bus number is usually four-digits.

2. Taxi or yellow cab = 택시[tak si]
Basically, there are two types of taxes. One is just normal and the other one is offering a special service. The normal taxi is in white or silver and there is a blue cap on the top of the taxies. The special taxi, called "Mobum Taxi", is painted in black and has a yellow sing on the top. Compared to normal one, the Mobum taxi is much more expensive but it offers very nice service. The basic fare of the normal taxi is 1,900 won. (If you use it at over 12:00am, it requires additional charge.)

3. Subway = 지하철[ji ha choel]
I've already explained. The Seoul subway is neatly well-made.

4. Express bus = 고속버스 [go sok bu su]
the express bus is availave at Nambu terminal, the express bus terminal and Sangbong terminal. Your destination should decide which terminal you should use. It depends on your destination. The representative terminal in Seoul is the express bus terminal, located on southern Seoul, subway line No. 3 at the express bus terminal station.

5. Trains = 기차[gi cha] called "KTX"

A few years ago, the Korean adopted TGV from France to renew the Korean railroad. Now, the Korean-style TGV, called "KTX", is running over Korean penisula. You can take it at the Seoul station located on the center of Seoul around the Seoul city hall.

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• 버스 [bu su] = a bus
• 택시 [tak si] = a taxi
• 지하철 [ji ha choel] = subway
• 기차 [gi cha] = a train
• 고속버스[go sok bu su] = an express bus
• 비행기[bi haeng gi] = an airplane

The Principle of Korean Characters (2)

Wow! It's the second time about the principle of Korean characters! How much did you understand? I think there are only few people reading my blogs. haha.


In this time, you will realize how korean components sound. Did you remember how many components in Korean? Exactly, there are 24 components! U SO SMART!

I will put all of components distinguished vowels and consonants. As I wrote before, there are 10 vowels and 14 consonants. First, you will get sounds from 10 vowels.

(1) Vowels

• ㅏ [a]
• ㅑ [ya]
• ㅓ [eo]
• ㅕ [yeo] -
• ㅗ [o] - Not [ou] sound. Not [au] sound.
• ㅛ [yo]
• ㅜ [wu]
• ㅠ [yu]
• ㅡ [eu] - Not easy for Western people.
• ㅣ [i] or [yi]

(2) Consonants

• ㄱ [g] or [K]
• ㄴ [n]
• ㄷ [d]
• ㄹ [l] or [r]
• ㅁ [m]
• ㅂ [b]
• ㅅ [s]
• ㅇ [ng] - soundlessness
• ㅈ [j]
• ㅊ [ch] - stronger than ㅈ sound, not a double [J] sound like Chinese or Spanish
• ㅌ [t] - stronger than ㄷ sound
• ㅋ [c] or [k] - stronger than ㄱ sound
• ㅍ [p] - stronger than ㅂ sound
• ㅎ [h] - not a German 'ch' sound. not a Chinese 'he'. Should houl your voices.

Components can be combined. The order of combination is basically

(1) one consonant + one vowel

ex> 비 = ㅂ + ㅣ

비 sounds [bi] and stands for rain. You may know a famous Korean singer whose name is 'Rain.' His name in Korean is '비'[bi].

(2) one consonant + one vowel + another consoant

ex> 공 = ㄱ + ㅗ + ㅇ

공 sounds [gong] and means 'a ball.'

(3) one consonant + one vowel + another vowel

ex> 과 and 와

과 sounds [gwa] and 와 sounds [wa]. They are conjunction to be located between two nouns.

While it is kind of 'AND' of conjunctions, the usage is a littel different. '과' and '와' should be only in nouns.

When 'ㅇ' is put on the first consonant place, it doesn't have sound. It's silent. So you can say [wa].

(4) one consonant + one vowel + another two consonants

ex> 닭

it means 'a chicken' and sounds [dak]. Originally, you may have to say [dark], but [r] sound is omitted when you speak it fast. Thus, 'ㄹ' sound on below is soundless. In some internationaly languages, perhaps, don't have the 'r' sound when 'r' comes to the first place on a word. It's kinda similar principle.

(4) Two consonants + one vowel (+ another consonant)

ex> 또한 and 오빠

또한 is sounded [ddo han] and 오빠 is sounded [obba] or [oppa]. '또한' stands for 'AND' or 'ALSO' as conjunction or adverb. It depends on where it put.

오빠 is used in the situation when young girls call their own older brother or older male acquintances. It's like "BROTHER" for women.

Two of consonants can be put. But, it's limited. Only 'ㄱ', 'ㄷ', 'ㅂ', 'ㅅ', 'ㅈ' are able to be doubled with the same component. I mean if 'ㄱ' is put twice, it should be like 'ㄲ'. Doubled consonants are pronunced in similarity of Japanese, Spanish or Italian's [k], [t], [p], [c] and [j] sounds.

Thus,

• ㄱ+ㄱ = ㄲ [gg]
• ㄷ+ㄷ = ㄸ [dd]
• ㅂ+ㅂ = ㅃ [bb] or [pp]
• ㅅ+ㅅ = ㅆ [ss]
• ㅈ+ㅈ = ㅉ [jj]

(5) Two consonants + two vowels (+ another consonant)

Ex> 뛰다

뛰다 means 'run' as a verb. Its pronunciation is [ddui da]

Two vowels have a limited usage like in two consonants. There are 'ㅐ', 'ㅔ', 'ㅚ', 'ㅙ', 'ㅟ', 'ㅞ', and ''ㅢ'[ui]. 'ㅐ' and 'ㅔ', 'ㅚ' and 'ㅙ' and 'ㅙ' are similar to pronunciate.

I will give some words. You can practice yourself. I am sorry not to give you some sound files for you.

Fill in the blanks and guess how they are sounded and can should do below.

• 안녕? [ ]?
• 배고파 [ ]
• 밥 [ ]
• 돈 [ ]
• 졸려 [ ]

The Principle of Korean Characters (1)

Have you ever seen Korean characters? If so, how did you feel? What do you think about them?
You might have felt like that Korean language is so weird that anybody except the Korean can't learn. One friend from Brazil said Asian languages including Chinese, Japanese and Korean always sound all the same like "JJING JJANG JJONG."
So far as I know, some people aware that the Korean, the Chinese and the Japanese are using the same characters and sounds or there is similarity among the three languages.

Now that I'm Korean and the purpose of my blog is pertinent to the Korean things showing, I am not going to mention about the differences of the three languages, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.


Actually, Korean language is named "Hangeul" (or Hangul) and has been made by the Great King Sejong of the Joseon(or Chosun) Dynasty in 1443. Before that time, how did Korean communicate each other? I don't know because I'm not a person from the era. ^^ As I've learned, the old Korean people used the old Chinese characters with the usage of Korean style.
In the past time, there was two social levels. It's kind of hierachical. One was Yangban centralizing the society. The other one was Cheonmin worked for Yangban. Choenmin didn't write and read anything, but Yangban did. As the hierachical systems collaped, many people felt hard and uncomfortable to use it freely. The Great King Seojong realized that and instructed the Joeson linguists to creat the useful and practical language for the Korean own. It's the origin of the Korean language, Hangeul. Because of that, there are lots of words of meanings based on the old Korean-style Chinese characters.




In any case, Korean characters are being composed of vowels and consonants; there are 10 vowels and 14 consonants. Huh? Only 24 components are making lots of meanings? Yes!
You can see the below.

• Vowels : ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ ㅣ
• Consonants : ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅇ ㅈ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ

They can be combined to one word. I will give you some examples for your understanding.

• 한 = ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ
• 글 = ㄱ + ㅡ + ㄹ
• 닭 = ㄷ+ㅏ+ㄹ+ㄱ
• 가 = ㄱ + ㅏ
• 와 = ㅇ + ㅗ+ ㅏ

Keep in mind belows when you write in Korean characters.

1. Write top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
2. Each one consonant is able to have one or two vowels.
3. After a vowel, one or two consonants can be followed.

Basically, you can easily write if you memorize those clauses.

How about the principle of Korean characters? As you may know, for Korean people, they just use it without any gramartical thinking; they would not explain specifically and gramartically. And I may not, either. Even if I may, I will make the best effort to know you Korean languages becaause I'm a nice guy. haha XD

In the next post, I will write about how Korean components are sounded.