Buying clothes

Koreans love to shop. Korea’s post-war economic boom sparked a consumer culture second-to-none, especially in big cities like Seoul, where you’ll find grand department stores, cavernous shopping malls, high-end luxury shops, traditional outdoor markets, hole-in-the-wall shops and a myriad of other places eager to relieve you of your shopping dollars.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Seoul is the best place to shop offering Korea’s largest collection of department stores with the widest selection of goods. Busan earns a special mention since it’s home to the world’s largest department store, the gargantuan Shinsegae Centum City. Korean retail culture accommodates shoppers of all budgets.

Vocabulary

Grammar Points

Noun + 밖에, 만 only

These expressions are the only thing. It corresponds to “only ” or “nothing but” in English. The particles, 밖에 and 만 have similar meanings, but while 만 can be used in a positive sentence, 밖에 is used in a negative sentence.

Noun + 밖에 + negative form

Noun + 만 + positive form

Either 밖에 or 만, it’s up to you which expression you use, but ensure that you put a correct form afterward.

E.g. 사과밖에 없어요. I only have an apple = 사과만 있어요. I only have an apple

E.g. 교실에 재준 씨밖에 없어요. Only Jaejun is in the classroom = 사과만 있어요. Only Jaejun is in the classroom

B 보다 A 더 = more A than B

“보다” indicates that the word preceding it is the standard from which a comparison will be made. It corresponds to ” more… than” or”…er than” in English. While the adverb “더” are generally used together with 보다, they can be omitted.

E.g. 기차보다 비행기가 더 빨라요. Airplanes are faster than trains

– (으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다 can/can’t (long negative form)

This pattern expresses ability and impossibility. When something is possible, – 을 수 있다 is added, and when something is impossible, -을 수 없다 with a verb stem that ends in a consonant. When a verb stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ, “-ㄹ 수 있다/없다” is added.

E.g. 한국어 할 수 있어요. I can speak Korean.

E.g. 한자를 읽을 수 없어요. I can’t read Chinese characters.

You can watch the video which talks about the above grammar points.

https://vimeo.com/525104506