Did you know that in Korea, the way people talk about marriage and proposals has so many interesting expressions?
For one, they use a lot of grammar points that make it sound more meaningful and connected to tradition. Let’s go over some!
Marriage holds significant cultural importance in Korea, blending traditional values with modern practices. In this post, you will learn how to use key Korean grammar points through the context of marriage traditions, helping you understand and apply these structures effectively. The customs surrounding marriage, from proposals to weddings, reflect a deep respect for heritage while adapting to contemporary life. Learning grammar through these traditions provides a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding and practice intermediate-level Korean in a meaningful cultural context. Let’s look into the grammar points that help express these rich cultural nuances.
Key Grammar Points for Describing Marriage Traditions
1. -게 되다 (To become/to end up)
This structure is useful when talking about changes in life, such as deciding to get married.
– Example: 서로 사랑하게 돼서 결혼하게 됐어요. (We fell in love and ended up getting married.)
2. -기 위해(서) (In order to/for the sake of)
This is perfect for expressing purpose, such as preparing for a wedding.
– Example: 결혼식을 준비하기 위해 가족들이 모였어요. (The family gathered in order to prepare for the wedding.)
3. -자마자 (As soon as)
Use this when describing immediate actions, like what happens right after a proposal.
– Example: 프로포즈를 받자마자 부모님께 알려드렸어요. (As soon as I got the proposal, I informed my parents.)
4. -던 (Used to)
This helps describe past traditions that may not be as common now.
– Example: 전통 결혼식에서 하던 의식들이 요즘에는 많이 사라졌어요. (The rituals that used to be done in traditional weddings have mostly disappeared nowadays.)
5. -고 나서 (After doing)
Perfect for sequencing events, such as what happens after the wedding ceremony.
– Example: 결혼식을 하고 나서 신혼여행을 갔어요. (We went on our honeymoon after having the wedding.)
6. -다 보니 (Realised after doing something repeatedly)
Great for expressing realisations that come with experience, such as how one’s perception changes during wedding preparations.
– Example: 준비를 계속하다 보니 가족의 중요성을 더 깨닫게 됐어요. (As I kept preparing, I realised even more the importance of family.)
Grammar activity
New Vocabulary
1. 이야기 (story) – story, tale
2. 결혼식 (wedding) – wedding ceremony
3. 의미 (meaning) – meaning, significance
4. 어렸을 때 (when I was young) – when I was young
5. 부드러운 (soft) – soft, gentle
6. 섬세한 (delicate) – delicate, intricate
7. 가득 차다 (to be filled) – to be filled, to be full
8. 전통 (tradition) – tradition, custom
9. 행사 (event) – event, ceremony
10. 준비하다 (to prepare) – to prepare
Reading and listening
Read the text and note the new grammar being used. Also, take a note of the new words.
제 이야기를 들려드릴게요. 제 이름은 지연이고, 한국에서 결혼이 어떻게 변화했는지, 그리고 여전히 우리에게 얼마나 깊은 의미를 갖는지 이야기하고 싶어요.어렸을 때, 할머니께서 결혼식 날 이야기를 들려주시곤 했어요. 한복의 부드러운 소리, 햇빛 아래 빛나는 섬세한 자수, 가족들이 마당에 모여 웃음과 이야기로 가득 찼던 그 순간들을요. 그 시절 결혼식은 단순하지만 전통으로 가득 찬 행사였어요. 신랑 신부가 어른들에게 깊이 절하고 충고와 축복을 받는 폐백 의식 같은 것이요.
제 차례가 되었을 때는 상황이 달랐어요. 저는 대학교 때 민호를 만났어요. 우리는 도서관에서 수없이 많은 저녁을 보내며 공부하다가 어느 날 서로를 바라보고 마음이 이미 알고 있는 것을 깨달았어요. 우리는 여러 번 데이트를 하다가 결혼하기로 결정하게 됐어요.
결혼 준비는 신났어요. 결혼식을 준비하기 위해 가족들이 함께 모였어요. 민호가 프로포즈를 하자마자 부모님께 빨리 말씀드리고 싶었어요. 프로포즈를 받자마자 부모님께 알려드렸어요.
준비하는 동안, 할머니가 이야기해주신 옛날 이야기가 떠올랐어요. 전통 결혼식에서 하던 의식들이 요즘에는 많이 사라졌어요. 하지만 몇 가지 전통은 남아 있었고, 우리가 추가한 현대적인 요소와 함께 잘 어우러졌어요.
결혼식을 하고 나서 우리는 손님들과 사진을 찍었어요. 준비와 흥분 속에서 저는 중요한 것을 깨닫게 되었어요. 준비를 계속하다 보니 가족의 중요성을 더 깨닫게 됐어요.
이제 결혼식을 되돌아볼 때마다, 우리의 결혼이 단순히 옛 것과 새 것의 결합이 아니라 사랑과 가족의 인연으로 가득 찬 이야기였다는 것을 느껴요.
You can listen to the text here
Films with weddings
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim has good wedding content. The proposal and wedding scenes are great and there’s talk about the details of wedding planning too. I love this show, it’s a 9/10.
Hometown Cha Cha Cha, My Holo Love, and Tale of the Nine Tailed all end with weddings. I really like all three of these shows, I listed them in order of preference. I gave them 10, 9.5, and 8.5 on MDL respectively. The wedding scene in My Holo Love is not between the ML and FL but it’s still a beautiful, poignant scene.
Reply 1988 – a really memorable and heartwarming wedding scene but not of the main couple. Classic series for a reason. Very bingeable if not for the ridiculously long episodes.
Because This is My First Life – this is about a contract marriage, and their wedding had significant air time. Very interesting treatment of these scenes. I highly recommend this series as this has a lot to say about love, marriage, friendships and the status of women in society.
