How Memory Works: 10 Things Most People Get Wrong

"If we remembered everything we should on most occasions be as ill off as if we remembered nothing." ~William James

It's often said that a person is the sum of their memories. Your experience is what makes you who you are.
Despite this, memory is generally poorly understood, which is why many people say they have 'bad memories'. That's partly because the analogies we have to hand—like that of computer memory—are not helpful. Human memory is vastly more complicated and quirky than the memory residing in our laptops, tablets or phones.
Here is my 10-point guide to the psychology of memory (it is based on an excellent review chapter by the distinguished UCLA memory expert, Professor Robert A. Bjork)

1. Memory does not decay

Everyone has experienced the frustration of not being able to recall a fact from memory. It could be someone's name, the French for 'town hall' or where the car is parked.
So it seems obvious that memories decay, like fruit going off. But the research tends not to support this view. Instead many researchers think that in fact memory has a limitless capacity. Everything is stored in there but, without rehearsal, memories become harder to access. This means it's not the memory that's 'going off' it's the ability to retrieve it.
But what on earth is the point of a brain that remembers everything but can't recall most of it? Here's what:

2. Forgetting helps you learn

The idea that forgetting helps you learn seems counter-intuitive, but think of it this way: imagine if you created a brain that could remember and recall everything. When this amazing brain was trying to remember where it parked the car, it would immediately bring to mind all the car parks it had ever seen, then it would have to sort through the lot.
Obviously the only one that's of interest is the most recent. And this is generally true of most of our memories. Recent events are usually much more important than ones that happened a long time ago.
To make your super-brain quicker and more useful in the real world you'd have to build in some system for discounting old, useless info. In fact, of course, we all have one of these super-brains with a discounting system: we call it 'forgetting'.
That's why forgetting helps you learn: as less relevant information becomes inaccessible, we are naturally left with the information that is most important to our daily survival.

3. 'Lost' memories can live again

There's another side to the fact that memories do not decay. That's the idea that although memories may become less accessible, they can be revived.
Even things that you have long been unable to recall are still there, waiting to be woken. Experiments have shown that even information that has long become inaccessible can still be revived. Indeed it is then re-learned more quickly than new information.
This is like the fact that you never forget how to ride a bike, but it doesn't just apply to motor skills, it also applies to memories.

4. Recalling memories alters them

Although it's a fundamental of memory, the idea that recall alters memories seems intuitively wrong. How can recalling a memory change it?
Well, just by recalling a memory, it becomes stronger in comparison to other memories. Let's run this through an example. Say you think back to one particular birthday from childhood and you recall getting a Lego spaceship. Each time you recall that fact, the other things you got for your birthday that day become weaker in comparison.
The process of recall, then, is actually actively constructing the past, or at least the parts of your past that you can remember.
This is only the beginning though. False memories can potentially be created by this process of falsely recalling the past. Indeed, psychologists have experimentally implanted false memories.
This raises the fascinating idea that effectively we create ourselves by choosing which memories to recall.

5. Memory is unstable

The fact that the simple act of recall changes memory means that it is relatively unstable. But people tend to think that memory is relatively stable: we forget that we forgot and so we think we won't forget in the future what we now know.
What this means is that students, in particular, vastly underestimate how much effort will be required to commit material to memory. And they're not the only ones. This leads to...

6. The foresight bias

Everyone must have experienced this. You have an idea that is so great you think it's impossible you'll ever forget it. So you don't bother writing it down. Within ten minutes you've forgotten it and it never comes back.
We see the same thing in the lab. In one study by Koriat and Bjork (2005) people learned pairs of words like 'light-lamp', then are asked to estimate how likely it is they'll be able to answer 'lamp' when later given the prompt 'light'. They are massively over-confident and the reason is this foresight bias. When they get the word 'light' later all kinds of other things come to mind like 'bulb' or 'shade' and the correct answer isn't nearly as easy to recall as they predicted.

7. When recall is easy, learning is low

We feel clever when we recall something instantly and stupid when it takes ages. But in terms of learning, we should feel the exact reverse. When something comes to mind quickly, i.e. we do no work to recall it, no learning occurs. When we have to work hard to bring it to consciousness, something cool happens: we learn.
When people's memories are tested, the more work they have done to construct, or re-construct, the target memory, the stronger the memory eventually becomes. This is why proper learning techniques always involve testing, because just staring at the information isn't good enough: learning needs effortful recall.

8. Learning depends heavily on context

Have you ever noticed that when you learn something in one context, like the classroom, it becomes difficult to recall when that context changes?
This is because learning depends heavily on how and where you do it: it depends on who is there, what is around you and how you learn.
It turns out that in the long-term people learn information best when they are exposed to it in different ways or different contexts. When learning is highly context-dependent, it doesn't transfer well or stick as well over the years.
I had a friend at University who swore that standing on a chair or up against a wall helped him to revise. I used to laugh at him but there was method in his madness.

9. Memory, reloaded

If you want to learn to play tennis, is it better to spend one week learning to serve, the next week the forehand, the week after the backhand, and so on? Or should you mix it all up with serves, forehands and backhands every day?
It turns out that for long-term retention, memories are more easily recalled if learning is mixed up. This is just as true for both motor learning, like tennis, as it is for declarative memory, like what's the capital of Venezuela (to save you googling: it's Caracas).
The trouble is that learning like this is worse to start off with. If you practice your serve then quickly switch to the forehand, you 'forget' how to serve. So you feel things are going worse than if you just practice your serve over-and-over again. But, in the long-run this kind of mix-and-match learning works best.
One explanation for why this works is called the 'reloading hypothesis'. Each time we switch tasks we have to 'reload' the memory. This process of reloading strengthens the learning.

10. Learning is under your control

The practical upshot of these facts about memory is that we often underestimate how much control we have over our own memory.
For example, people tend to think that some things are, by their nature, harder to learn, and so they give up. However, techniques like using different contexts, switching between tasks and strenuous reconstruction of memories can all help boost retention.
People also tend to think that the past is fixed and gone; it can't be changed. But how we recall the past and think about it can be changed. Recalling memories in different ways can help us re-interpret the past and set us off on a different path in the future. For example, studies have shown that people can crowd out painful negative memories by focusing on more positive ones (Levy & Anderson, 2008).
All in all, our memory isn't as poor as we might imagine. It may not work like a computer, but that's what makes it all the more fascinating to understand and experience.

눈치를 채요~~!!!! 그리고 空気を読もう～！！！

“It is cold here” is, according to the dictionary, a simple sentence about the temperature of a given place; but if the sentence is uttered in given circumstances, it can also convey the actual intentions, the intended meaning, of its uttterer, for instance, “Please, let us go elsewhere”.

눈치를 채요~~!!!! 그리고 空気を読もう～！！！

Korean Vocabularly Learning

But I know it's maybe too little to only rely on context-based learning.
I'm currently trying a new method I thought of.
I have Korean classes every Monday and I always write down new words but I never actually sat down to study them (as I said, not a vocab cramming fan...). Some of the words I write down are not so "important" or handy for me. So now I decided to choose 14 words every week out of all the words I wrote down (normally I write down more), then I roughly list them in order of difficulty. I also include phrases if they're proverbs or help me understand sentence structure or grammar.

I assign the two most difficult words for Monday, the 2nd most difficult words for Tuesday and so on until Sunday.
On Monday I learn only those two words. On Tuesday I repeat Monday's words and add the two from Tuesday and so on until on Sunday I repeat all 14 words.
I go through the words whenever I have a few minutes of spare time (say waiting for the bus).
I try not to look at the paper to know which words I have to repeat, I have to recall them by heart (this also trains my memory in general). Having to recall the words like this will hopefully help me knowing the words actively not only passively.

I only have two words per day which are 14/week. I thought when assinging too many I might end up not learning any and 14/week is better than not learning them at all.
I might try to use three/day (21/week).

I guess it's a good way when you have little time to constantly learn at least a bit.
2 words a day are over 700 words a year,

Dunno whether this helps.

How I learn Korean vocabulary

19 Thursday Aug 2010

Posted by hangukdrama in korean studying tools, my korean learning journey (:

≈ 12 Comments

Tags
learning korean

Alot of people have asked me how I learn and remember new vocabulary and whether I have any ‘special method’ or ‘tips’. I’ve never given much thought to this topic, but since there were a few people who asked me that recently, I shall devote a post to it ^^
Please note that the following is my personal opinion and there is NO best way of learning vocabulary. You have to find the method that best suit your OWN learning style.

1. No flashcards / vocabulary lists

I’m not a believer of flashcards. I don’t believe in memorizing new vocabulary. The number of words in a new language is so large, how can you expect to memorize them? And definitely not vocabulary lists (especially those in books). I’ve seen some books with titles like ‘500 must know words in Korean’ or something along that line. Or books that claim to contain all the words that you have to know in order to take TOPIK etc.
It’s a total waste of money.
Apologies if I sound too biased, but I simply don’t believe in preparing for language tests that way. It may help you pass TOPIK if you have an excellent memory, but such memory are often short term and you will probably forget all of them 2 weeks later.
However, I quite like using interactive online resources that are similar to vocabulary lists. Eg, videos that introduces basic vocabulary while showing the picture or those sites that pronounces the word when you move the mouse over it (you get the idea). They are an excellent way of remembering some basic vocabulary when you are still a beginner. The interactive nature of such sites make it easy for beginners to learn new words in an interesting way.

2. Read widely

By reading widely, you come across words that you already know and also new vocabulary. Seeing familiar words strengthens your memory of them and you get to see how they are used in different contexts. New vocabulary placed in context (sentences) make it easier for you to guess their meaning without checking the dictionaries, and also make it easier for you to remember them after you checked out their meaning.
Below are the steps I usually follow when reading a new chunk of text. (I don’t follow through all the time though xD )
1. read the text and underline words that I don’t know
2. check the Naver dictionary for each word
3. write down the meaning and a sample sentence from the dictionary in my notebook (repeat)
4. re-read and look through my notebook (Do not memorize by heart)
5. practice writing the new words a few times on a piece of rough paper (hahaha i don’t do that always)
6. re-read the text and make sure you can understand everything, preferably without checking the notebook ^^
I can’t stress more on how each individual has their own unique learning style that best fit them. So, just take the above as one possible method! ^^ The best thing to do is to experiment with a few different methods and fine something that suits your character! Learning a new language is a long journey and you will only go far if you enjoy it~~

Study Tip – How to Practice Listening!

by Melanie on August 21, 2010

(Photo by javierdebe)

You have been studying English for a long time. You have a good knowledge of English grammar and you know lots of words. You can read things in English and you can communicate well in writing. You have trouble understanding what people are saying, however, and it’s impossible for you to watch English movies or TV shows without subtitles. Does that describe you?
You are not alone. Listening is usually the slowest skill to improve. For most language learners, listening is their weakest skill. There are two reasons for this:

• You may be pronouncing a word incorrectly, and therefore you can’t understand the word when it’s pronounced correctly.
• You are listening for the wrong words and sounds. Natural spoken English is a mixture of stressed & unstressed words, linked words, contracted words, and reduced words. Many words are not fully pronounced.

Here’s an activity that you can do to improve your listening skills and get used to the sounds of natural spoken English. I learned this activity fromCarl Kwan, and I’ve expanded on his method.

Choose a short audio clip at your level.

If you are a beginner or low intermediate, choose something that is about 1-2 minutes; more advanced learners should choose longer clips that are about 3-5 minutes. Make sure you also have the words to the audio clip. You need to be able to check your work!
Here are some suggestions:
Beginners
Read Theory
Super Easy Reading
(These are reading websites, but there are listening clips for each passage.)
Intermediate & Advanced
The English Teacher Melanie Podcast (American accent)
BBC 6-Minute English (British accent)
BBC Words in the News (British accent)
ESLPod (American accent)

Activity

1. Listen to the whole audio clip once without looking at the words. Relax. Take a deep breath. Don’t panic.
2. Listen to the entire clip again. It’s easier to hear and understand what you’re listening to when you’re relaxed and not panicking.
3. Listen to the clip, but pause the clip every 5 seconds.

• After you pause the audio, write down a word, phrase or anything you can remember from the clip.
• When you have finished and listened to the entire clip, read through your notes completely.
• It’s OK if you don’t understand every word, but can you understand the general theme of what the speaker is saying?

4. Repeat step 4. Check your work. Correct your work. Add any new words you heard.
5. Read through your notes completely again. Try to finish the sentences. If you wrote down one or two words, can you figure out the sentence from those words? Use your knowledge of grammar to try to complete the sentences.
6. Hide your notes. Listen to the clip again, but this time stop after 10 seconds. Again, write down the main words you hear. Check your work compared to what you wrote down in step 5.
7. Listen to the clip completely one last time while reading your notes.
8. Compare your notes to the actual words.

• What words did you get right?
• Did you have trouble hearing certain words?
• Are there any words that you should have heard [words that you already know] but did not? Why? Is your pronunciation wrong? Was the word unstressed in the sentence? Was it linked to a word before or after it?
• Look up any new words that you don’t know.

9. Listen to the clip while reading the words. Check your pronunciation of words you know but didn’t hear or understand when you were listening.
10. Hide all your notes and the words. Listen one final time to the clip. It should be easier now to understand what the speaker is saying.
11. After about a week, come back and listen to the clip again to refresh your memory.
NOTE: Your listening skills will not improve overnight. Like anything in life, it takes a lot of practice! If you practice consistently 3-4 times a week, soon you will start to see an improvement in your listening skills.

Good luck and happy studying!

Study Tip – Core Vocabulary: The English Words You Need to Know

by Melanie on October 29, 2012

Why is it taking so long to learn English?

Do you remember when you started learning English? It was so easy & fun! You learned so many new words and it was easy to learn the words for ‘dog’ and ‘house’ and ‘cheese.’ Before you knew it, you could put together a sentence. One day you realized you could have a basic conversation with someone in English. That was awesome!
Then, something happened, and you’re not quite sure what. It’s taking more and more time now just to make the smallest improvements. When you read something, you still have to look up many words in the dictionary. You learn lots of new words but you can’t remember them all and when you want to explain your opinion, you can’t find the right words to use. You can’t express yourself as clearly as you would like to, or as clearly as you can in your mother tongue/native language.
It seems to be taking a long time to learn English.
Here’s why:

(Source: Oxford Dictionaries)

The Oxford English Corpus (OEC) is a collection of texts (books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, emails, speeches etc.) that shows how the English language is used in real situations. It keeps track of all the words native English speakers use in speaking & writing. It tells us the number of words that English speakers currently use.

A ‘lemma’ is the base form of a word; for example the lemma ‘climb’ includes the different word forms climbs, climbing, and climbed

According to this chart, you only need to know 10 words to understand 25% of what native speakers say and write. You need to know 100 words to understand 50% of what native speakers say & write, and 1000 words to understand 75% of all the words used in common, every day English. That’s why it was so easy to get to the intermediate level.
Congratulations! You already know at least 75% of what native speakers say and write!
Now look at the 90% level. This is the most important part of the chart. Native speakers use just 7000 words for 90% of what they say and write. [Click to tweet this!]
To move from the intermediate level to the advanced/fluent level, you need to learn 6000 more words. That’s why it seems to be taking so long!
Of course, there are more than 7000 words used in English. However, it’s impossible to count all the words in the entire language, and new words are added all the time. Here’s how the Oxford English Dictionary explains English:

English consists of a small number of very common words, a larger number of intermediate ones, and then an indefinitely long ‘tail’ of very rare terms.

Not all English words are equal. Learn the right words.

Those 7000 words are the key to speaking English well. Those 7000 words are the core vocabulary of English. They are the most frequently used words in English. You need to know AND be able to use those words.
The less common words are important, but they are mostly for reference. You need to know them to understand what you’re reading or listening to, but you probably don’t need to use them in your everyday conversations.
You need to spend more time learning the 7000 core vocabulary words, and less time worrying about more advanced, rare words. [Click to tweet this!]

How do I learn the core vocabulary of 7000 words?

1. Learn the right words.

Have you noticed that many words in this article are in red?
The Macmillan Dictionary has a great system called red words. The 7000 words (actually, Macmillan includes 7500 words) that make up the core vocabulary are in red. When you hear or see a new word, look it up in the Macmillan dictionary. If the word is in red, then it is part of the core vocabulary and you need to know this word!

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/opinion

You can see that there are 3 red stars *** after the word ‘opinion.’ This means that ‘opinion’ is one of the 2500 most frequently used words in English. You need to know these words, you need to understand these words, and you need to be able to use them in conversation.
The Macmillan dictionary has very comprehensive entries for red words. For example, in the definition for ‘opinion,’ you can also see collocations, phrases with ‘opinion’, ways of giving your opinion, and metaphors. You can also listen to someone pronounce the word, check different forms of the words, and find related words.

NOTE: The Macmillan dictionary has both British or American definitions. At the bottom of the entry, you can change to the British or American definition:

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/opinion

Here are some red 3-star words that I used in this article. You should learn & be able to use these words:
realize
improve/improvement
quite
express
seem
reference
consist
rare
waste
entry
system
relate
opportunity
clearly
entire
appear
fail
If you are a low-intermediate student, focus on the 3*** words. Make an effort to learn these words. When you feel comfortable with these words, focus on the next 2500 most common words.

Two red stars ** means that the word is one of the next 2500 most common words. Two-star words are part of the core vocabulary, but they are not as frequently used as the 3-star words.
2-star words used in this article:
panic
confident
comprehensive
multiple

One red star * means that the word is one of the next 2500 most common words.
1-star words:
rating
discourage
pace

Words in black in the Macmillan dictionary are not part of the core vocabulary.
In the chart above, the word the calyx appears at the 95% level. This is a black word in the Macmillan dictionary, so it’s not part of the core vocabulary. Also, it says ‘biology’, so I know that this is a word use in science, not in everyday conversations.

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/calyx

2.Pace Yourself

Remember, not only do you need to know a word, you need to be able to use a word. If you try to learn too many words in a day, you’ll forget more than you’ll remember. One to five words a day is a good pace to improve your vocabulary. There is no time limit for learning English! You don’t have to learn every word as fast as possible.
Some words may have multiple definitions. Learn the definition in the context of where you heard/saw the word. Don’t try to memorize every single meaning of the word all at the same time.
Learning English is not a race.

3. Don’t panic. Don’t get discouraged. Be excited!

Seeing or hearing a new word does not mean there is a problem with your English. It does not mean that your English is worse than you thought it was. It’s just another opportunity to improve your English.
Some of my students get angry at themselves when they don’t know a word or can’t remember a word. They think that seeing or hearing a new word means they have failed & they have not yet ‘mastered’ English.
You’ll will be learning new English words for the rest of your life. Read that sentence again. Even native speakers are always learning new words, so don’t get angry with yourself because you don’t know every word in the English language. You will never know every word in the English language. I don’t know every word in the English language!
Be excited when you see a new word!

~

What do you think? Are you ready to focus on core vocabulary? How can you add core vocabulary to your daily studies?

Meaning, then, comes from understanding what a thing IS NOT rather than from knowing in any kind of ontological sense what a thing IS.

English speakers construct meaning by distinguishing between tree and treat and trek as well as between tree and bush and flower.

Meaning, then, comes from understanding what a thing IS NOT rather than from knowing in any kind of ontological sense what a thing IS.

Meaning, then, comes from understanding what a thing IS NOT rather than from knowing in any kind of ontological sense what a thing IS. Meaning is constructed through difference, particularly through binary pairs (man/woman, good/evil). There is no absolute Platonic ideal "out there" to anchor meaning. There is no truth that is not constructed. There is nothing outside language. Language speaks (through) us. Language is thus a system of signs or a semiotic system, but merely one of many, all of which construct meaning, which does not exist outside the semiotic system.


---

He argued that the relationship between the spoken word (signifier) and object (signified) is arbitrary and that meaning comes through the relationship between signs, which are for Saussure the union of signified and signifier. So the word "tree" means  by custom only and not through any intrinsic relationship between the sound and the thing. That's why both "arbol" and "tree" can both signify the same signified. 

Learn Sounds not Symbols: (Learn how to have conversation, not grammar rules).

Learn Sounds not Symbols: (Learn how to have conversation, not grammar rules).
The symbol is the not the sound, just as a church or a lake on the map is not actually a church or a lake! The aim of this approach is to experience sounds and sequences of sound in a personal, physical, muscular way, and to use the phonemic symbol as a visual hook for that physical and auditory experience. It is sounds that are being studied, not symbols.

I would tend to value those directly respond to learner needs (eg. I think this will be useful for them) over those that are only (or primarily) following a pre-set list

There are many valid reason for choosing what to teach.

I would tend to value those directly respond to learner needs (eg. I think this will be useful for them) over those that are only (or primarily) following a pre-set list (eg. It's the language featured in the next coursebook unit).

TTMIK Level 2 Lesson 7 “to” someone, “from” someone / 한테, 한테서

TTMIK Level 2 Lesson 7

“to” someone, “from” someone / 한테, 한테서

Lesson Description

안녕하세요! ^_^ In this lesson, we will introduce how to say "to" someone and "from" someone. To say “to someone” or “from someone”, you can use the words 한테 and 한테서. Listen in and learn how to use these words in the right context.

Lesson Notes

In this lesson, let us learn how to say ‘to’ someone, and ‘from’ someone. Before you learn these
expressions, please remember that when it comes to particles that link words together, there
aren’t always direct (and correct) translations between English and Korean. So it is important to
understand the characteristics and roles of these particles and words, rather than just memorizing the similar counterparts in English.

To say “to someone” or “from someone”, you can use the words 한테 and 한테서. There are words that have the same characteristics, which are 에게 and 에게서, but since 에게 and 에게서 are mainly used in written language, let us focus on 한테 and 한테서 in this lesson.

한테 = “to” someone, “from” someone한테서 = “from” someone

Notice the difference?
Yes, just like you are thinking now, 한테 and 한테서 have mixed meanings and functions. And
especially 한테 can mean ‘to’ and ‘from’. So the meaning can only be completely understood
through looking at the context.

Although 한테 and 한테서 have the meaning of “to” or “from”, you can only use them about
people. You can not use these words about objects or places.

- “to a friend” = friend + 한테 ( ㅇ )
- “to Seoul” = Seoul + 한테 ( X )

Examples

저한테 = to me, from me
친 구한테 = to a friend, from a friend
누구한테 = to whom, from whom

저 한테서 = from me
친구한테서 = from a friend
누구한테서 = from whom

** When used with a verb that already expresses a passive voice, 한테 can mean “by” as well.
For example, 맞다 means “to be correct” but in another meaning, it can be “to be
beaten” or “to be hit”. So A에게 맞다 can be translated as “to be beaten by A”.

Sample sentences by our friends

경미: 남자친구한테 차였어요.
= I was dumped by my boyfriend.
남자친구 = boyfriend
차이다 = to be dumped

규환: 너한테서 풍기는 암내가 진국이에요.
= Your armpit smell is terrible.
풍기다 = give off a smell
암내 = armpit smell
진국이다 = to be very strong, to be very hardcore, to be superb

규환: 저한테 암내 나요?
= Do I have a strong armpit smell?
나다 = to give off a smell

란: 그건 전 남자친구한테서 받은 거예요.
= That one? I received it from my ex-boyfriend.
전 남자친구 = ex-boyfriend
받다 = to receive

란: 그 남자한테 얻을 건 별로 없을 거예요.
= You won’t be getting much out of him.
얻다 = to obtain, to acquire, to get
별로 = not so much, not much

석진: 너한테 할 말이 있어.
= I have something to say to you.

TTMIK Level 3 Lesson 25 verb ending / -네요

TTMIK Level 3 Lesson 25

verb ending / -네요

Lesson Description

You've probably heard the sentence ending "-네요" a lot if you've been watching Korean TV shows, movies, or listening to Korean Songs. It's sometimes used in the exact same context as plain sentence endings and, therefore, it maybe hard to distinguish the nuance. Fear not! Listen to this lesson and it will no longer be difficult!

Lesson Notes

In this lesson, we are going to look at how to use the verb ending -네요. You might have heard this ending used a lot in everyday conversational Korean.
As you have seen so far, there are many different types of verb endings in Korean. They all have very specific rules and this one is no exception. If you change a plain sentence into this -네요 form, you indicate that you are expressing your impression, thought, or surprise.
For example
If you just say “맛있어요” about a dish, it just means that it is delicious. But if you say “맛있네요”, the sentence can show that you are impressed or surprised by the taste. While “맛있어요” can do the same thing when said with the right intonation, it cannot convey the same nuance when it is written.
Structure:
The conjugation is very simple. Just add -네요 after the verb stem.
Examples

1.
크다 = to be big (verb stem = 크)
- 크 + 어요 = 커요 = It’s big. (Plain fact)
- 크 + 네요 = 크네요 = (I see that) it is big. / (Oh, I didn’t know it was big but) it is big. (Showing surprise)

2.
잘 어울리다 = to suit someone well, to go well with someone
- 잘 어울리 + 어요 = 잘 어울려요. = It looks good on you. (Plain fact)
- 잘 어울리 + 네요 = 잘 어울리네요. = Oh! I find that it looks good on you. (Showing impression)

3.
맞다 = to be correct
- 맞 + 아요 = 맞아요 = It’s correct. (Plain fact)
- 맞 + 네요 = 맞네요 = I see that it’s correct! (Finding out a fact for the first time.)

Sample Sentences
1. 여기 있네요!
= Oh, here it is!
2. 이 드라마 재미있네요.
= I find this drama fun to watch.
** If you already know that this drama is fun and you are telling someone else the fact, you need to say 이 드라마 재미있어요.
3. 별로 안 춥네요.
= Well, it’s not that cold.
4. 아무도 안 왔네요.
= Oh, look. Nobody is here yet.
5. 벌써 11월이네요.
= Wow, it’s already November!

and, with / 하고, (이)랑

TTMIK Level 2 Lesson 4

and, with / 하고, (이)랑

Lesson Notes

In the previous lesson, one of the words that we introduced was 그리고, which
means “and” and is used to link both nouns and phrases. But 그리고 is not the only word in
Korean that means “and”. In fact there are many different ways to say “and” in Korean. We are
going to introduce two more in this lesson.
하고 = and
** 하고 is used like a particle and attached right after a noun without space.
Example
이거 = this, this thing
이거하고 이거 = this and this
이거하고 이거 주세요. = Give me this and this.
(이)랑 = and
** If a noun ends in a vowel, you use 랑 after it and if it ends with a final consonant, you use
이랑, to make it easier to pronounce.
** (이)랑 and 하고 are almost always interchangeable, but (이)랑 is more colloquial and
casual, so (이)랑 is not very commonly used in very formal settings.



Example
우유 = milk
빵 = bread
우유랑 빵 = milk and bread
우유랑 빵 샀어요. = I bought milk and bread.



Another meaning of 하고 and (이)랑
Both 하고 and (이)랑 are used to mean “and” and connect nouns, but depending on the context, it can also mean “with”. And it is usually very easy to tell which meaning it takes.
친구하고 영화 봤어요.
= I saw a movie with a friend.
** Note that it’s unlikely that this sentence means “I watched [a friend and a movie].”
누구랑 갔어요?
= Who did you go with?



If you want to make your meaning much more clear, you can add the word 같이 after
하고 or (이)랑. 같이 means “together” so 하고 같이 or (이)랑 같이 means “together with”.
So while 친구하고 영화 봤어요. makes perfect sense, if you say 친구하고 같이 영화 봤어
요, it’s even better. The same goes for 누구랑 갔어요? and 누구랑 같이 갔어요?



More sample sentences by our friends!

경미: 남자친구하고 데이트할 거예요.
= I’m going to go on a date with my boyfriend.

경미: 매운 거랑 단 거 좋아해요.
= I like spicy foods and sweet foods.

석진: 대통령하고 춤을 출 거예요.
= I’m going to dance with the President.

석진: 선생님하고 밥을 먹을 거예요.
= I’m going to eat with my teacher.

영주: 내일 선생님하고 경복궁에 갈 거예요.
= I’m going to go to 경복 Palace with my teacher tomorrow.

영주: 어제 홍대하고 신촌에 갔어요.
= I went to 홍대 and 신촌 yesterday.
** 홍대 and 신촌 are both popular hang out spots for young people.

but, however / 그렇지만, 그런데

TTMIK Level 2 Lesson 6

but, however / 그렇지만, 그런데

In this lesson, we are introducing two more conjunctive words that you can use at the beginning of sentences. These two words both means “but” or “however”.
그렇지만 [geu-reo-chi-man] = but, however그런데 [geu-reon-de] = but, however
Example
1.
피곤해요. 그렇지만 영화 보고 싶어요.
= I’m tired. But I want to see a movie.
2.
피곤해요. 그런데 영화 보고 싶어요.
= I’m tired. But I want to see a movie.
** 그렇지만 and 그런데 both mean “but” or “however” but
there is some difference between the usages of these two words. Look at the following examples.
1.
어제 이거 샀어요. 그렇지만 정말 커요.
= I bought this yesterday. “그렇지만” it’s really big.
2.
어제 이거 샀어요. 그런데 정말 커요.
= I bought this yesterday. “그런데” it’s really big.
In sentence #1, 그렇지만 means “but” or “however” so the speaker is contrasting the two facts
- “having bought this yesterday” and “this being too big” - so it sounds like the speaker is disappointed that it’s very big.
In sentence #2, 그런데 means “but” but at the same time it can mean “and” as well. If what the
speaker is implying is the meaning of “and”, the entire sentence can mean “I bought this yesterday, and it’s really big.” or “I bought this yesterday, and as I found out, it’s really big.”
In summary,
그렇지만 = “but”
그런데 = “but” or “and”, depending on the context
If you want to contrast two sentences and say “A + but + B” you can choose to use either 그렇
지만 or 그런데.
If you want to introduce two actions or states that occurred one after another, and if the first
sentence works as background information for the second sentence, only use 그런데.
어제 학교에 갔어요. 그렇지만 일요일이었어요.
= I went to school yesterday. But it was Sunday.
어제 학교에 갔어요. 그런데 일요일이었어요.
= I went to school yesterday. But it was Sunday.
= I went to school yesterday. And by the way, it was Sunday.
= I went to school yesterday. And as I found out after I went, it was Sunday.
As you can see, 그런데 can be used for a wider variety of meanings, and in addition to that,
그렇지만 has a very formal nuance to it, so in actual everyday conversations, 그런데 is much
more commonly used than 그렇지만,  and 그렇지만 is more commonly used in written language.
Sample sentences of our friends

경미: 어제 과음했어요. 그런데 말짱해요.
과음하다 = to drink too much
말짱하다 = 멀쩡하다 = to be perfectly okay
= I drank way too much yesterday. But I’m okay now.

미경: 어제 밤 늦게 잤어요. 그런데 전혀 피곤하지 않아요.
늦게 = late, at a late hour
전혀 = not at all
피곤하다 = to be tired
= I went to bed late last night. But I’m not tired at all.

미경: 저는 매일 운동을 해요. 그런데 살이 빠지지 않아요.
매일 = everyday
살이 빠지다 = to lose weight
= I work out everyday. But I don’t lose any weight.

효성: 어제까지는 친구였어요. 그런데 오늘부터는 애인이에요.
애인 = lover, girlfriend or boyfriend
= Until yesterday, we were friends. But from today, we are dating each other.

효성: 저는 친구가 없어요. 그런데 왕따는 아니에요.
왕따 = outcast, loner, someone who is bullied by others
= I don’t have friends, but I’m not a loner.

Korean Phrases for Shopping (As a Salesperson)

Korean Phrases for Restaurants (For Waiters)

Korean Phrases for Shopping (As a Customer)

One Year! (with My Wife)

What Do I Call My Wife in Korean?

Korean Phrases for Resturants (for customers)

Do U Speak Text? Deciphering Korean Emoticons \(^0^)/

Written by Jessica Steele on March 22, 2013 in Lifestyle

Koreans are creative with their texting and netspeak and it’s no wonder – Korea has millions of smartphone and cell phone users and internet is readily available in even the remotest corners of the country! Emoticons and expressions are the fun part of text and netspeak; they convey a wide range of emotions and they even cover situations you probably haven’t thought of yet!

There honestly hundreds and hundreds of emoticons and variations thereof, so generally speaking something upturned or bubbly indicates positive or silly feelings; dashes, dots, semi-colons, and anything down-turned indicate negative emotions; asterisks represent blushing or cuteness, and anything repeated shows emphasis or frequency. Let’s explore the emotions: happiness, excitement, laughter, love, sadness, anger, and a couple of others just for fun!

Feelin’ Good

The most ubiquitous Korean emoticon is the smiley or happy face: ^^ . This little icon is designed to look like two eyes that are squinted shut from smiling so hard. You can also use punctuation or Korean letters to create the mouth and nose: ^_^ , ^.^ , ^o^ , ^ㅂ^, ㅇㅂㅇ, 'ㅂ' , ^u^ , h_h . An open mouth implies that you are laughing or shouting joyfully. You can also some parentheses to make a head for your smiley face, like so (^o^).

Add a friendly feel to your note couple of these ~ . These wavy tilde lines sweeten your words and make the final sound long and drawn out. For example, “Hi~~~” sounds super-friendly: “Hiiii”. Compare “Hello” and “Hello~”. Doesn’t that wavy line make you feel nice? I feel better already! These marks can also place emphasis, for instance, “Happy~~~” emphasizes your happiness.

Excitement!
If you’re feeling excited about something, you’ve just gotta throw your hands up in the air and sing: \(^0^)/. Or you can reply to your friend’s good news with a well-placed, 우와! (oo-wa!; meaning, Wow!), 아싸! (a-ssa!; meaning, Oh yeah! or Awesome!) or 짱! (jjang!; meaning Boss!, Super!, or Great!). Send a little encouragement their way with a 파이팅! or 화이팅!, which sounds like “Fighting!” and means, “You can do it! Let’s go!” or “Fighting spirit!” Or you could show them the stars in your eyes, ★.★.

Laughter
If you’re feeling extra giddy, imitate the sound of laughter with Korean characters: ㅋㅋ or 크크 (keke or keukeu, often written kk) and ㅎㅎ (hh) mean chuckles or laughing. Write giggles with ㅋㄷㅋㄷ (kede kede), short for      키득키득 (kideuk kideuk). Sound cute by saying 히히 (heehee) or try a Western-style 하하 (haha). ㅍㅎㅎ or
푸하하 (puhaha) means “bwahaha” or lol.

Flirting
A few giggles just won’t cut it when you’re feeling lovey-dovey. Try a wink, ^.~ , a kiss with puckered lips, ^3^ , or a loving stare, ♡.♡ . Show off your flirty face or indicate that you’re blushing from their compliment with one of these, *^.^* or pay a compliment to the man in your life by calling him Superman and pointing out his bulging muscles,  ~m^0^m~ . You can even send a hug with two embracing emoticons! (>^_^)> <(^_^<).

Sadness

Unfortunately our love lives aren’t always what we want them to be or sometimes we feel a little down. ㅠㅠ and ㅜㅜ show closed eyes with tears streaming down the face, also written as T-T or Y.Y and ;_; . If you are bawling your eyes out, it might sound like 뉴뉴 (“nyu nyu”) or look like this: ~~~~>_<~~~~  You may even crouch down on the ground in sobbing pain:  OTL    Can you see it? The O = head, T = torso and arm, and L = the bent leg! Disappointment can expressed ㅡ_ㅡ or ㅡ.ㅡ or you can retort a snarky comment by saying, “Hey, I have lots of friends!” (-(-(-.-)-)-) Finally, this face puts the “emo” back into emoticon – it literally means that you’re sad and you’re hiding behind your long hair,  -_ㅔ

Embarrassment, Shyness, Annoyance, and Anger
Of course, you may simply be embarrassed. Sweating is represented by semi-colons and the more you write, the more you are sweating. If you are upset write it like so, ㅡ_ㅡ;  . If you feel silly for being embarrassed, this will convey it better, ^^;;; or you can show a giant, silly, comic-style sweat drop, ^_^U or ^.^U. Awkward shyness can be conveyed with *–* .  Depending on the context, show embarrassment, awkwardness, frustration or speechlessness with ;;; which is similar to “whatever,” “errrrrrr” or “wtf?”  Use >_< and >.<  to convey anger or a Homer Simpson-esque “D’oh!” . Use -_- or -.- show that you’re annoyed or trying to hide annoyance.

If you’re really mad though,  toss that jerk a middle finger, ㅗ or even two like this, ㅗㅗ or this, ㅛ ! You can even punch them with a tiny fist moving through the air toward them, ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ !  Just don’t tell them that I taught you, okay? ^.~   Finally, ㅎㄷㄷ or 후덜덜 and ㄷㄷㄷ or 덜덜덜 can also indicate trembling, which could be from anger, fear, or just the cold.

Agreement

Perhaps after that argument, you’ll come to a peaceful conclusion.  Say okay with  ㅇㅋ  or 오케 or 오케이.  Express agreement, confirmation, or understanding with 응 (eung). You could also use the shortened ㅇㅇ, but be careful because depending on context it could sound more like a snippy “Yeah, yeah” or “Yeah, shut up”.

Drinking
Alas, maybe that argument didn’t work out so well. It’s time to have some fun (or drown your sorrows!) with some soju. Feeling too tipsy? Tell your friend that you’re drunk and dizzy, <<@_@>> Feeling hung-over or a little ill? 0ㅠ0 and ㅡㅠㅡ illustrate vomiting… Ew. Are you hugging the toilet and puking in a kneeling position?
Show it like this:  요TL   I hope you never have to use this one!;;;;

Shock, Surprise, and Amazement
Show shock or surprise, o_O or o.O or BIG surprise, O.O . Indicate confusion or amazement with big or starry eyes like this, @.@,  +_+ or *.* and scratch your head to indicate thinking, (^_^)a . Express surprise or disbelief with 헐~ (heol) which basically means, “Huh”.

Having Fun

Indicate dancing with repeated versions of these, <(^_^)>,(>^_^)> or these to show listening to music with headphones on: d(^_^)b,  o|^_^|o , o(^_^)o . Sleepiness is shown with (-.-)Zzz , ~_~ zZz , or =_=  and you can wake someone up with 긋모닝 or “Good morning”!  Get it? Make the go-to pose for taking pictures by making a “V” for “Victory” like this,  v(^-^)v or like this,  ^-^V . Give two thumbs up like this,  b(^_^)d  . Make a mischievous cat face, =^.^=  or a cute animal face, “ㅈ” , 'ㅅ', "ㅅ" . Tell someone “Call me” with Konglish, 콜미, and shorten “thanks” to “thx” with this, ㄳㄳ .

Saying Goodbye
And there you have it, your crash course in Korean text and netspeak! Have I missed anything? Which one is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!  Until next time, I’ll say goodbye. ㅂㅂ or 바이바이 orㅂ2ㅂ2.
Bye bye~~~!