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Korean Sentence/Word Structure

 Korean Sentence Structure


Take the English Sentence “Mary hit Jason.” In this Sentence, Mary is our

Subject - the main focus of the Sentence and the one who performs the action

of the verb, “to hit” is the verb, and Jason is our object - the person or thing that

the verb is acting on. In English, sentences are always constructed in this

Subject-Verb-Object order.


In Korean sentences, you also begin with the Subject, 맬리, but then the object

goes next, 재이슨, and the verb 때리다 goes at the end. This is the basic

structure that Korean sentences will follow, but just like in English, sometimes

you will hear natives messing up word order, forgetting details and tracking

them onto the end, and so on. There are a few grammatical principles that

clarify meaning when they do this and we will start talking about them in just a

few weeks.


For now, just start trying to think of sentences in the SOV order. Given the

sentence “Jordan drank Susie’s coffee,” what would be the subject? Who is

doing the drinking? Right, Jordan. So what is the object? The thing that is being

drank is Susie’s coffee, so that is the object. Clarifying that it is Susie’s coffee is

just adding a detail. This sentence would also be fine if it was “Jordan drank the

coffee.” So this Sentence in SOV is Jordan Susie’s coffee drank.”


INTRODUCTIONS AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE


Introductions


안녕하세요- Hello

안녕- Well being, peace

하세요 Comes from the verb 하다 and the ending -(으)세요, which is an honorific conjugation.


만나서 반갑습니다- It’s nice to meet you

만나다- To meet

~아/어서- Because/and

반갑다- To be glad/happy


감사합니다- Thank you

고마워요 or 고맙습니다 from 고맙다 has the same meaning.

감사 Thanks, appreciation

하다 To do


죄송합니다- I’m sorry

죄송- Sorrow; regret

하다- To do


INTRODUCTIONS AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE


미안합니다 - I’m sorry

미안- Sorrow; regret

하다- To do


잘 지내요?- Are you doing well?/How are you?

잘- Good/Well

지내다- To spend time doing something


잘 지내요.- I’m good/well.


괜찮아요- I’m fine.


요즘은 그저 그래요.- These days are alright/so-so.

요즘- These days

그저- Just; only

그래요- Yeah; yes; okay; alright


INTRODUCTIONS AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE


저도/저도요- Me too

저- I/Me

도- Also

~요- Adds element of politeness


이름이 뭐예요?- What is your name?


제 이름은 __________이에요/예요.- My name is ________.

Use 이에요 if your name ends in a consonant and 예요 if it ends in a vowel.

Attach 이에요/예요 directly to your name. Example: 저단이에요 not 저단 이에요.


저는 ___________이에요/예요.- I am _________.

So to clarify, you can respond with either 제 이름은 저단이에요 or

저는 저단이에요 and both are perfectly fine.

네- yes

아니요- no

진짜?- really?


INTRODUCTIONS AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE


대박- cool/awesome

제발- please


NOTE: I’ve included this word in this lesson so I can tell you not to use it. This is

not the type of please you would use if you want to ask someone to “please

pass me the potatoes” or “please help me with my suitcase.” 제발 has an air

of begging or desperation to it, so please don’t use it in place of the word

“please” in English sentences. Often times direct translations like this don’t

work.


알겠어요.- I understand.

몰라요.- I don’t know.

어디에서 왔어요?- Where are you from?

어디 - where

에서 - location particle

오다 - to come (past tense)


저는 _____________에서 왔어요.- I am from ______________.


INTRODUCTIONS AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE


미국- USA

캐나다 - Canada

오스트리아 - Austria

뉴 질란드 - New Zealand


이집트 - Egypt

스웨덴- Sweden

영국- England

오스트레일리아- Australia


Again, this is another instance where you want to make sure you attach the location directly to 에서. 미국에서 not 미국 에서.


저는 _____________ 좋아해요.- I like ____________.

좋아하다 - to like


잠시만요- Just a minute/Excuse me

NOTE: This is used when you’re passing by someone, similar to “sorry, excuse me,

passing by” in English.


저기요- Excuse Me!

NOTE: This is used when you want to get someone’s attention, especially in a

restaurant. You’ll use this phrase to call your waiter/waitress over.


한국어 잘 못해요.- I can’t speak Korean very well.

도와주세요- Help me please.


INTRODUCTIONS AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE


다시 말해주세요?- Can you say that again?


천천히 말해주세요.- Please speak slowly.

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