Family
Korean vocabulary can be a bit extensive when it comes to words related to family members. Depending on whether you are a boy or a girl, there will be a different word you will use. Be careful to learn how to reply to family members correctly, because using the wrong word will sound strange to a Korean.
Vocabulary
First, let’s take a look at the words “elder brother” and “elder sister.” If you are male, focus on learning 형 and 누나 first, before learning how a female would say them. If you are female, focus on learning 오빠 and 언니 first, before learning how a male would say them. The words for “younger brother” and “younger sister” are much simpler. It is the same word,
whether you are male or female. You could, therefore, say 남동생 to refer to a male younger sibling, or 여동생 to refer to a female younger sibling. Or, simply say 동생 to refer to a younger sibling without having to specify the
gender.
Grammar Points
Honorific suffix – (으)시-
The Korean language has a system of honorifics that recognizes and reflects the hierarchical social status of participants with respect to the subject and/or the object and/or the audience. Speakers use honorifics to indicate their social relationship with the addressee and/or subject of the conversation, concerning their age, social status, gender, degree of intimacy, and speech act situation.
You should add ‘~(으)시’ to verbs/adjectives in which the acting person deserves respect, regardless of who you are speaking to. You can add ‘~시’ to the word stems ending in a vowel and ‘~으시’ to stems ending in a consonant.
E.g. 어머니는 일하시다. My mother works.
E.g. 아버지는 옷을 입으시다. My father wears clothes.
Honorific counting classifier for people – 분 – (honorific form of 명 )
E.g. 이 분은 누구세요? Who is this person(he/she)?
E.g. 부모님과 동생이 한 명 있어요. I have parents and one younger sibling.
Formal level of speech -ㅂ니다/ 습니다
There are three main levels of speech. Let’s begin with the formal level, otherwise called the -ㅂ니다/ 습니다 level of speech. Not all verbs behave in the same way, so conjugation at this level varies depending on the type of verb:
** Verbs with a stems without batchim, add the suffix -ㅂ니다 ** Verbs with a stem ending with batchim, add the suffix -습니다 ** Verbs with stems that end in ㄹ (만들다, 물다, etc.) add the suffix -ㅂ니다
E.g. 재미있습니다. It’s entertaining. (verb 있다 -> 있 + 습니다)
E.g. 친구랑 놉니다. I play with my friends. (verb 놀다 -> 놀 -> 노 -> 놉니다)
E.g. 집에 갑니다. I go home. (verb 가다 -> 가 -> 갑니다)
Formal level of speech 입니다
입니다 is actually the “Be verb 이다” conjugated to the present tense. The verb 이다” (here, 입니다) attaches directly to the word before it, with no spaces.
E.g. 저는 한국 사람입니다. I am Korean.
Asking questions with formal speech level ㅂ니까? / 습니까? / 입니까?
We conjugate the present tense (ㅂ니다/습니다), making questions is done in
the same way. Take the verb stem and add ㅂ니까 if it ends in a vowel, or add 습니까 if it ends in a consonant. Add a question mark to the end just
like in English. 입니까? is the question of 입니다 statement.
E.g. 김치를 좋아합니까? Do you like Kimchi?
네, 좋아합니다. Yes, I like it.
E.g. 김치를 먹습니까? Do you eat Kimchi?
네, 먹습니다. Yes, I eat it.
E.g. 학생입니까? Are you a student?
네, 학생입니다. Yes, I am.
Let’s listen!
Please listen to the following sentences. Notice the words in green.
(1) 저는 김민수입니다. I’m Kim Minsoo.
(2) 이분은 우리 어머니입니다. This is my mother.
(3) 우리 가족은 다섯 명입니다. We are a family of five.
(4) 가족이 몇 명입니까? How many people are in your family?
(5) 학교에서 무엇을 합니까? What do you do at school?
(6) 가: 동생은 무엇을 합니까? What does your younger sister/brother do?
나: 책을 읽습니다. She/He reads books.
Let’s practise !
- Please complete the following sentences by looking at the pictures. The answers are provided under the activity.
(1) 이 분은 누구 _________________? Who is he?
우리 할아버지입니다. He is my grandfather.
(2) 이 사람은 누구입니까? Who is this person?
우리 형 _____________________? My brother.
(3) 동생은 무엇을 합니까? What does your younger sibling do?
____________________________?
(4) 보람이는 ____________________? Does Boram
밥을 먹습니다. She has a meal
(5) _____________________________?
우리 누나입니다. She is my older sister
Answers
The answer to No. 1 question can be used in written correspondence. What is the answer to the question of 입니다? It’s 입니까.
No. 2 question ends with 입니다.
You should use the action verb 달리다 or 뛰다 which is “to run” for No. 3 question. Hence the answer would be “동생은 달립니다.” & ” 동생은 뜁니다 “. Either way is fine.
No. 4 is 먹습니까?
No. 5 is you should ask Who is she? So it is 누구입니까? In Korean, we do not really indicate “he or she” in the sentence.
2. Fill in the gaps with the words provided in the box.
읽다 (to read)
바쁘다 (to be busy)
살다 (to live)
오다 (to come)
알다 (to know)
전화하다 (to call)
(1) 어머니는 방(room)에서 책(book)을 _____________________.
(2) 할아버지는 고향(hometown)에서 ______________________.
(3) 할머니가 요즘(recently) 자주(frequently) _______________________.
(4) 아버지는 컴퓨터(computer)를 잘(well) _____________________.
(5) 선생님이 지금(now) 교실(classroom)에 _____________________.
(6) 아버지는 요즘 회사(company) 일(work)이 __________________.
You should complete the sentences by using an honorific suffix with each verb and adjective. Do you remember the rules? Let’s apply them together. 읽다 -> 읽으시다 / 바쁘다 -> 바쁘시다 / 살다 -> 사시다 / 오다 -> 오시다 / 알다 -> 아시다 / 전화하다 -> 전화하시다.
(1) is 읽으시다;
(2) is 사시다;
(3) is 전화하시다;
(4) is 아시다;
(5) is 오신다;
(6) is 바쁘시다.
What you have to know with (5) is that “오시다” is a standard form and in this sentence, present progressive tense is applied. Instead of “오시다”, “오신다” is correct which is “someone is coming”.
