"I just wanna let you know that you are loved."
Todaaay~ we are about to learn Honorific Language and we'll have some exercises to enhance your Korean!
Korean is an honorific language whereas it has grammatical elements that are used to indicate social meanings involved in the context such as the way how the speaker delivers or his attitudes (e.g., humility, respect, formality) towards the person he is talking to or talking about.
Koreans use hierarchial address-reference terms of titles as well as various speech levels to indicate politeness, familiarity, and formality level of discourse throughout the interaction.
저 /jeo/ - a humble person pronoun used for singular first person POV ( "I" - in a humble way )
저희 /jeo-hee/ - a humble person pronoun used for plural first person POV ( "I/We" - in a humble way )
-(으)시 -/(eu)shi/ - is also used as a honorific suffix and euphemistic words to indicate respect toward a subject or higher social status
example:
a.) 어제 우리 모임에 와 주어서 고마워.
/eoje uri moime wa ju-eoseo gomawo/
"(I) appreciated that you came to our meeting yesterday."
b.) 어제 저희 모임에 와 주시어서 고맙습니다.
/eoje jeohee moime wa jushieoseo gomapseumnida/
"(I) appreciated that you came to our meeting yesterday."
As you can see, the translated sentences are the same above. However, their social meanings are different.
For example, in [a], 우리 /uri/ (plain first person pronoun), absence of -시 -/shi/ (honorific suffix), -어 -/eo/ (intimate speech level) is more likely addressing the person either of equal (=power) or lower status (-power), and whom he/she knows well (-distance).
And since it lacks proper honorific elements, the example in [a] would be considered as rude in formal situation if used by a lower-status person (e.g., a high school student) addressing a higher-status person (e.g., a principal).
Welp, I hope you understood today's lesson!
Now, we're gonna have some exercises to test your knowledge. You can get a piece of paper to practice your writing, too!
EXERCISE 2.1
Write each component of the sentence in the SOV word order.
Example:
: 한국어를 (the Korean language) 공부해요 (studies) 곰미가 (Gommy)
[hangugeo-reul gongbuhaeyo Gommy-ga]
= 곰미가 한국어를 공부해요.
[Gommy-ga hangugeo-reul gongbuhaeyo]
1.) 먹어요(eats), 수지가 (Suzy), 레스토랑에서 (at a restaurant)
[meogeoyo], [Suzy-ga], [restorang-eseo]
2.) 텔레비전을 (television), 봐요 (watches), 마이클이 (Michael).
[telebijeoneul], [bwayo], [Michael-i]
3.) 토니가 (Tony), 쳐요 (plays), 피아노를 (piano).
[Tony-ga], [chyeoyo], [pianoreul]
4.) 마크가 (Mark), 잭슨한테 (to Jackson), 이야기해요 (talks).
[Makeu-ga], [Jackson-hante], [iyagihaeyo]
5.) 집에서 (at home), 미카가 (Mika), 자요 (sleeps).
[jibeseo], [Mika-ga], [jayo]
6.) 낸시가 (Nancy), 마셔요 (drinks), 물을 (water).
[Nancy-ga], [masyeoyo], [mureul]
7.) 학교에 (to school), 피터가 (Peter), 가요 (goes).
[Hakgyo-e], [Peter-ga], [gayo]
8.) 스파게티를 (spaghetti), 만들어요 (makes), 리사가 (Lisa-ga).
[spaghetti-reul], [mandeureoyo], [Lisa-ga]
9.) 앤드류가 (Andrew), 사과를 (the apple), 먹어요 (eats).
[Andrew-ga], [sagwa-reul], [meogeoyo]
10.) 왔어요 (arrives), 스트디오에서 (at the studio), 엑소가 (EXO).
[wasseoyo], [studio-eseo], [EXO-ga].
EXERCISE 2.2
Arrange the following elements according to the Korean convention.
Example:
December 5, 2000
= 2000, December 5.
1.) October 13, 1995
2.) Minseok Kim
3.) 712-17 Hanguk Street, Jung District, Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea
4.) Jeongguk Jeon
5.) September 1, 1997
6.) Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, Gangnam
District, 80-5 Daehan Street, Seoul
Class dismissed!
See yaa!
-🐻