Learning Korean Language and the Cultures of Korea

Basics

Hello everyone. If you read the description, you might know that my friend wrote a book teaching Korean words so I also decided to write one too. In this volume, I will state some very basic words just in case you do not know them yet. I will also write when you should use them and for those who want to go a step farther, I might write the word in Korean. Please keep in mind that romanized versions can be spelled differently and if you have a different way of spelling a word, tell me in the comments section. If you have any questions or have any suggestions of what I should do in my next volume, please leave a comment. Thankyou~

   Hi: an-nyeong (안녕)
This is the informal way of saying hi and should only be used to those younger or close in age. (Adults usually use formal the way anyway unless they are close.)

Hello: an-nyeong-ha-sae-yo (안녕하세요)
This is the formal way of saying hi and should be used to adults and those older than you. (Adults use this way between themselves even if they are close in age to be polite.)

Yes: ne (네)
Most of you probably already know this word because I see it a lot in Kpop fan fictions but I have to say, I've seen way too many mistakes with this one. You might be thinking "Why is this person taking up so much space for this easy word?" but just remember this: Ne is not just yes, but its the formal way of saying yes which means it should be used for people older then you or between adults to be polite. It not a word just to throw around everywhere. Also, it should not be used between two people who are close. I saw one person use it between siblings and I was judging them so hard. Sorry one person. I didn't name anyone though.

Yes: eung (응)
For those of you who made the ne mistake, here's the word for you! Eung is the informal/casual way of saying yes. Eung can be used to people younger than you, and those you are very familiar with. Another way is "uh" but you could technically call it slang I guess because people use it a lot but its not like an actual word. Its closer to "uh huh" kind of. Just start with eung because its more traditional.

Note: I see a lot of mistakes with the usage of the word "yes" a lot and it really bothers me so if you have the time, please go fix your mistakes!

Older brother: o-ppa/hyung (오빠/형)
Oppa is a term girls use and hyung is used for boys. When I say older brother, I don't mean that they have to be blood related. When I say older brother, I mean just a guy that is older than you but we don't have a term for that in English so a lot of people relate it to an older brother.

Older sister: un-nie/noo-na (언니/누나)
Unnie (I, personally, usually spell it as unni but it's the same thing) is used for girls when addressing an older girl and noona is used for boys when addressing an older girl. Like oppa and hyung, they do not have to be blood related.

   Younger person: dong-saeng (동생)
Dongsaeng is a term used for people younger than someone regardless of their gender. It is not often used when calling someone like older brother and older sister are, but it just means someone younger. (Sehun is a dongsaeng to Chanyeol) When calling someone younger than themselves, people tend to just use names or "you" terms.

Hey: ya (야)
I just wanted to mention this word because I saw it in a lot of weird places. It wasn't technically wrong but it was kind of awkward. It does mean hey but a younger person should not use it to an older person. It is extremely impolite. I've seen it being used in fanfics to someone that it should not be used to. For example, I've seen it being used to older people and to strangers. In America, hey is just hey but in Korea, it is very rude to just say 'ya' like that.

     Extra~
•Mak-nae: Youngest person (Sehun is the maknae of EXO)

Although these words are very basic, I hope you guys learned something about when to use them. Please comment on what I should do next and if you have questions or want to correct any mistakes, thats always welcome too!