Hanja 火 (화) - Fire, Anger
한자 (pronounced [한짜]) are the Chinese characters behind many Korean words used in modern Korean. Being aware of them helps with guessing word meanings and retention of new vocabulary.
火 (화) as a character has two main English meanings, fire and anger, and is used in many words related to these concepts. When 火 is used by itself as a word, it almost always means anger. 火 as a radical that appears in many other 한자, such as 炎 (염, flame) or 災 (재, disaster). Below are some common words including the character 火.
Differences between -던 and -았/었던 (retrospective modifiers)
The retrospective modifier V/Adj-던 (e.g., 하던) and its past version V/Adj-았/었던 (했던) are both used to describe processes, states, or situations that happened/took place in the past. In a lot of cases, V/Adj-던 and V/Adj-았/었던 are very similar. The subtle differences manifest if the speaker chooses intentionally between one or the other.
V/Adj-던 describes a situation that was not finished in the past and interrupted before completion; or an action that was repeated continuously in the past or was done just once but may happen again.
TOPIK II Reading - Vocabulary Questions
Each TOPIK II (한국어능력시험 중-고급) reading section has two questions (questions 3 and 4) that will ask you to replace the underlined text by a similar expression. While it may seem like a hard task, knowing the expressions that came out in previous tests will help a lot as they tend to come out regularly. Learning their equivalence should help you answer this question correctly.
Tip: Even if you know only two patterns out of the five in the question, don't panic! The sentences for questions 3 and 4 usually make sense, so if you can translate it to English and one of the answers seems to make them, pick that one. If not, eliminate the ones that you know cannot fit, and pick your best guess between the remaining options.
Buying Korean 라면 (Ramyeon, or Ramen noodles) on Amazon US
Amazon is a great place to buy Korean food, but finding Korean noodles, or ramyeon, on it can be a little daunting. This post lists some of the best Korean ramen (라면) products to buy on Amazon, such as Shin Ramyun (신라면) or Buldalk Bokkum Myeon (불닭볶음면).
Quick links- Ansung Tang Myun 농심안성탕면 - ramen with miso taste (Amazon)
- Buldak Bokkum Myeon 삼양 불닭볶음면 - fire chicken ramen (Amazon)
- Cheese Ramyeon 오뚜기 치즈라면 - ramen with dried cheese (Amazon)
- Chapagetti 농심 짜파게티 - ramen with black bean paste (짜장) taste (Amazon)
- Jin Ramen 오뚜기 진라면 (Unavailable)
- Kokomyun 팔도 꼬꼬면 - chicken ramen with clear broth (Amazon)
- Namja Ramyun 팔도 남자라면 - spicy ramen with red broth and strong garlic taste (Amazon)
- Neoguri 농심 너구리 - spicy seafood ramen (Amazon)
- Rabokki 팔도 라볶이 - ramen with tteokbokki taste (Amazon)
- Shin Ramen 농심 신라면 (Amazon) / Shin Black 농심 신라면 블랙 (Amazon)
- Volcano Chicken Noodle 팔도 블케이노 치킨볶음면 - spicy chicken ramen (Amazon)
라면 - Ramyeon (Ramen) Noodles
Ramyeon noodles are a must-have staple in any Korean pantry. Ramyeon noodles on Amazon tend to ship in large boxes of 10 to 20 bags or cups, so check the quantity twice before ordering. A rule of thumb: a 5-pack Korean ramen at Korean grocery stores usually retails between $6-$9; premium ramen such as Shin Black (신라면 블랙), or flavored Buldak Bokkum Myeon (불닭볶음면) usually command higher prices (from 1.5x to 2x for Shin Black). See the end of this post for more tips about ordering Korean ramen on Amazon.
TOPIK Expression List for Writing - Advanced (한국어능력시험 쓰기 - 고급)
The list below includes some of the key expressions to know when taking the written part of the TOPIK Exam and aiming for levels 5 and 6.
**This table is still under construction**
Grammar Patterns
| Causation | |
| 중급 | V-(으)니(까) |
| V-(아/어)서 | |
| V-기 때문에 | |
| 고급 | V-은/는 바람에 |
| V-은/는 김에 | |
| V-(으)므로 | |
| V-느라고 | |
| V-(으)ㄴ/는 이상(에[는]) | |
| V-기에 (spoken ≈ V-길래) | |
| V-아/어 | |
| V-더니 | |
| V-(으)ㄹ테니까 | |
| Connective xx | |
Expressions
순서 (order)
1. 우선/먼저/첫째로/첫번째로
2. 둘째로/그리고/두번째로... 셋째로/세번째로
end. 마지막으로
Connecting Ideas Together in Written Answers
These patterns are used in essays to connect several ideas together. These patterns are particularly useful to structure your answers to writing questions for TOPIK II. Especially for shorter answers (e.g., graph description), you can follow this procedure:
The Routledge Course in Business Korean
The Routledge Course in Business Korean (비즈니스 한국어) by Young-Key Kim-Renaud and Miok Pak introduces the reader to the necessary vocabulary, grammar, and cultural knowledge to navigate the complex world of doing business in South Korea. The book is structured in 15 units and 3 business cases. Each unit starts with a dialogue about a specific business situation, such as a job interview or a business trip. The dialogue is then followed by a convenient vocabulary list that includes the new words introduced by the dialogue, along with their hanja reading and their English translation (note: romanization is not provided). New grammar patterns used in the dialogue are also discussed; the grammar points in this book are rather advanced and I think most suitable for upper intermediate to advanced learners of Korean. Units end with a reading passage, its associated vocabulary, and exercises to practice the vocabulary and grammar introduced in the unit. The three business cases included consist of longer reading passages with the corresponding vocabulary.
Pattern V–아/어 보다: to try to V
The common pattern V-아/어 보다, meaning "to try to V," is used with a conjugated verb and is more frequent in conversations. See the sentences below for examples.
Formation
| Verb | Note | 아/어 form | V-아/어 보다 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 갚다 (to repay) | 갚아 | 갚아 보다 (갚아 봐요) | |
| 먹다 (to eat) | 먹어 | 먹어 보다 (먹어 봐요) | |
| 씻다 (to wash clean) | 씻어 | 씻어 보다 (씻어 봐요) | |
| 가다 (to go) | 가 | 가 보다 (가 봐요) | |
| 매다 (to tie) | 매 | 매 보다 (매 봐요) | |
| 오다 (to come) | 와 | 와 보다 (와 봐요) | |
| 주다 (to give) | 줘 | 줘 보다 (줘 봐요) | |
| 이기다 (to win) | 이겨 | 이겨 보다 (이겨 봐요) | |
| 듣다 (to listen) | ㄷ/ㄹ irregular | 들어 | 들어 보다 (들어 봐요) |
| 짓다 (to build) | ㅅ/ㅇ irregular | 지어 | 지어 보다 (지어 봐요) |
| 부르다 (to sing) | ㄹ doubling irregular | 불러 | 불러 보다 (불러 봐요) |
| 놀다 (to play) | ㄹ dropping irregular | 놀아 | 놀아 보다 (놀아 봐요) |
| 눕다 (to lie down) | ㅂ/ㅜ verb | 누워 | 누워 보다 (누워 봐요) |
Sentence Examples
Notes
- Make sure to use correct spacing when using this pattern. The verb V and 보다 need to be separated by a space; e.g., "가 보다" (O) vs. "가보다" (X). Many Koreans write this pattern all attached, but points will be taken off during TOPIK.
- To convey the idea of trying but failing, consider using the pattern V-려고 하다 which may be more appropriate in some cases.
- If using honorifics, put the honorific marker -시- with 보다, not with verb V as it is overkill (you may still hear it from Koreans nonetheless). However, if verb V has an honorific form, use that one instead. E.g., "드셔 보세요" and not "먹어 보세요". Read more about honorifics.
See Also
Buying Clothes (Dialogue and Vocabulary)
Have you ever wondered how to buy clothes in Korean? With the following dialogue and vocabulary, you will be able to do so naturally in any Korean clothing store.
Buying Clothes: Dialogue
| 직원: | 어서오세요. 에잇세컨즈입니다. 찾으시는 물건 있으세요? |
| 빅터: | 네, 이번에 새로 들어온 청바지를 찾고있어요. |
| 직원: | 아~ 광고에 나온 바지요? |
| 빅터: | 네, 맞아요. 혹시 그거 34사이즈 있어요? |
| 직원: | 혹시 재고가 있는지 확인해 보고 오겠습니다. |
| (3분 뒤에) | |
| 직원: | 고객님, 죄송합니다. 지금 저희가 가지고 있는 재고는 32사이즈랑 36사이즈 밖에 없는데... 혹시 이 중에 착용해 보고 싶은것이 있으신가요? |
| 빅텉: | 32사이즈 입어봐도 될까요? |
| 직원: | 탈의실 이쪽에 있습니다. |
The grammar pattern V–아/어 보다 (to try to V) is used a lot in this dialogue. Check out the grammar page for the pattern V–아/어 보다 for more examples as well the translation of some sentences from this dialogue.
Everyday Sentences to Use at Home
The sentences in this post can be used at home in everyday situations. Practice them every day with family members!
Meals
Pattern [거의/하마터면] ... V(으)ㄹ 뻔하다: To Come Close To
Meaning: to come close to, to be on the verge of doing V (but did not do it eventually).