Ever felt stuck while answering or even asking questions in Korean? Ever felt scared to use any level of speech while talking to a native in Korean? Donāt worry now, as we have got you covered! Here are different introductory questions and answers in Korean with different versions.Ā
So letās get into it!
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What is your name?Ā
This question is fairly considered easier, but itās still better to learn the formal or honorific levels for this one.Ā
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ģ“ė¦ģ“ ėģģ?Ā
It is the true bookish way to ask somebodyās name. Wherein, ģ“ė¦ is the name, while ė is what? and lastly, the ģģ is the to be, is/am/are.Ā
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ģ“ė¦ģ“ ģ“ė»ź² ėģøģ?Ā
Now, this can be considered an honorific version to start a conversation as it is much politer than the upper one and perfect when talking or getting to know strangers.Ā
ģ“ė»ź² is how, while ėģøģ is to become.Ā
It states what about your name? Or how about your name?Ā
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ģ±ķØģ“ ģ“ė»ź² ėģøģ?Ā
This is a step upward than the above one. ģ±ķØ is the honorific version of ģ“ė¦ that is the name. So, you are asking the same thing, but just a bit more honorific version.Ā
Now letās look at the answers.Ā
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ģ ė 씓ģ“ģģ.Ā
This is a plain version of telling your name.Ā
ģ ė is I, 씓 is an English name here John. And ģ“ģģ/ģģ is to be, is/am/are.Ā
If the noun is ending with a consonant (known as ė°ģ¹Ø in Korean), add – ģ“ģģ & if ending with a vowel, add – ģģ.Ā So the format goes like ģ ė (ģ“ė¦)ģ“ģģ/ģģ.Ā
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ģ ė (ģ“ė¦)ģ ėė¤.Ā
It is the same as the above one, just a bit politer version.Ā
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ģ ģ“ė¦ģ“ (ģ“ė¦)ģ ėė¤.Ā Ā
It is just another way of answering as it means My name is (your name).Ā
Herein, ģ is My, thatās the only knowledge we didnāt have.Ā
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What do you do?Ā
In the Korean language, you can ask this particular question in 2 ways. Letās see both of them!Ā
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ģ§ģ ģ“ ėģģ?
ģ§ģ ģ“ ėģģ? Simply means What is your profession/occupation?
As ģ§ģ is a profession or occupation and ė is what? So you can directly ask somebody like this. Or as learned above, we can even say ģ§ģ ģ“ ģ“ė»ź² ėģøģ? This one will be much better considering the honorific level.Ā
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ė ķģøģ?Ā
ė ķģøģ? Is the honorific version of ė ķ“ģ? Which means What are you doing?Ā
Though this is one way of catching up with somebody, however, you cannot use this speech with your peers as it will sound really awkward. For that, stick to ė ķ“ģ.Ā
This is just another nicer and more politer way of asking What do you do? Or What is your profession? Ā
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ģ ė (ģ§ģ )ģ ėė¤.Ā
Now the format to answer is going to be simple as the above ones. At the place of ģ§ģ , just add your profession, and make a sentence.Ā
Example: I am a Korean language teacher.Ā
ģ ė ķźµģ“ ģ ģėģ ėė¤.Ā
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What is your age?Ā
In a lot of cultures, asking this question is considered extremely rude and disrespectful. However, in South Korea, itās completely the opposite. They will very freely ask your age. It’s not because they want to be disrespectful, but they want to know a certain age in order to decide which speech theyād use to talk to you.Ā
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ėŖ ģ“ģ“ģģ?Ā
ėŖ is What?/How many? And this will always be used with or for numbers, so this is what is different from ė we had seen earlier. ģ“ is the counter for age and since it ends with a consonant, it will be ģ“ģ“ģģ.
Hence, this question directly means What is your age?Ā
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ėŖ ģ“ģ“ģøģ?
This one means the same as the above one just a pinch of politeness is added by that ģ“ģøģ. We would advise using this one instead of the above one.Ā
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ėģ“ź° ģ“ė»ź² ėģøģ?
ėģ“ is age. ģ“ė»ź² ėģøģ as explained above is just how about or what about.Ā
Here as well, you are asking for somebodyās age, and that too in the honorific version.Ā
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ģ°ģøź° ģ“ė»ź² ėģøģ?Ā
Itās the same as the above one, but even more honorific as it has ģ°ģø which is the advanced version of ėģ“.Ā
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ģ ė (ėģ“)ģ“ģ“ģģ.Ā
Now to answer just add your age to the bracket and there you go.Ā
Example: I am 25 years old.Ā
ģ ė ģ¤ė¬¼ ė¤ģÆ ģ“ģ“ģģ.Ā
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Where are you from?
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ģ“ė ėė¼ ģ¬ėģ“ģģ?
ģ“ė is which, ėė¼ is a country, while ģ¬ė in person, and since it ends with a consonant, it has ģ“ģģ to it.Ā
It altogether becomes Which country person are you? This is a bit weird at first, however, once you get hang of it, it will start making sense.Ā
It indirectly means to ask you, Where are you from?Ā
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ģ“ėģģ ģģ“ģ?Ā
ģ“ė is where, ģģ here is from, ģģ“ģ? Is came. So it becomes Where did you come from?Ā
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ģ ė (ėė¼) ģ¬ėģ“ģģ.Ā
This one is really simple. Just add the name of your country.Ā
Example: I am from Canada.Ā
ģ ė ģŗėė¤ ģ¬ėģ“ģģ.Ā
The literal meaning will be I am a citizen of Canada.Ā
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ģ ė (ėė¼)ģģ ģģ“ģ.Ā
Here as well just add the name of your country.Ā
Example: I am from India.Ā
ģ ė ģøėģģ ģģ“ģ.Ā
It will literally mean that you are from India (in this case). You just have to add the name of the nation.Ā
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Do you speak Korean?Ā
It’s a valid question native Korean can ask you. So, be ready with it.Ā
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ķźµė§ ķ ģ¤ ģģøģ?
It literally means Do you know how to speak Korean? People can ask you that in order to communicate easily.Ā
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ė¤, ģģģ.Ā
You can simply reply with, ė¤ which is yes, ģģģ I know.Ā
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ķźµė§ģ ķ ģ ģģ“ģ?Ā
This means Can you speak Korean?Ā
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ė¤, ķ ģ ģģ“ģ.Ā
If you know, you can simply say, ė¤ yes, ķ ģ ģģ“ģ, I can do it. And here it will mean that you can speak Korean.Ā
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ģėģ, ėŖ» ķ“ģ.Ā
If you donāt know, learn the format by heart.Ā
ģėģ (Aniyo), ķźµģ“ (Hanguk-eo) ėŖ» ķ“ģ (mot haeyo). It simply means you canāt speak Korean.Ā
Bonus question: ģģ“넼 ķ ģ¤ ģģģ?Ā
Now, what if you want to ask somebody if they can speak English? Just add ģģ“(넼) to the ķ ģ¤ ģģģ pattern we have seen above. It will simply mean Do you know how to speak English? Or by the context it can also mean Can you speak English?Ā
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