These Are the Most Confusing Words in Korean

[@m00hk00h]

I think the harder category are words that roughly mean the same thing but differ slightly in meaning and are depending on the context. I constantly get 이용하다 and 사용하다 mixed up, when something is a 가게 or a 점, and don't even get me started about onomatopoeic expressions like 홀쩍홀쩍 and 글썽글썽...

[@bes03c]

이용하다 사용하다 and 쓰다 are still confusing to me. I know buildings and rooms are usually 이용하다. On the bright side, Koreans can still understand even if I mix them up when speaking.

[@neptunians]

i am from Germany, when my German friend was in Korea, she said they use a word called 'arbeiten' which means 'to work' in German. however in Korea it meant something like 'part-time job', which was so funny to me!!

[@hotteoki4498]

Japanese also says arubaito for arbeiten. And actually I lived in Germany for a year but never learned that verb, so I always thought it meant "part-time job." Thanks!

[@neptunians]

that is very interesting!! especially that Korea and Japan took (out of all the words in German) arbeiten, which means to work!! I guess that is the main common thing between those cultures; to work! haha! thank you as well. @@hotteoki4498

[@eve-la-fee]

I knew Korean people usually switch from native Korean numbers to sino-korean numbers before 99, but I couldn't find at which point they switch, so now I have the answer! For another "false friend" between English and Korean, I think 셀프 is a good candidate. I saw a discussion on reddit about that, and the English natives seemed really confused by the idea of using only the "self" part to mean "self-service". But it's not only Koreans, French people do that too: in France "self" mainly refers to the school or workplace cafeterias :D And about confusing words for Korean themself, I've seen both "자기개발" and "자기계발" for "self development", those words should have a slight difference in meaning, but I don't think people really care about that nuance.

[@c64844]

Similar to 바라/바래, I've heard a couple of Koreans saying 댕겨 instead of 당겨 when they mean 'pull.' Seems like a bit of a thing to change 아 sounds to 애 sounds. I notice 같아 being pronounced as 같애 a lot too.

[@shookydeliciouscookie0309]

I heard "skinship" a lot before because of K-pop. Also, "some" has a different meaning than the usual English word "some." The words that I sometimes get confused with spelling and pronunciation are 도서관 and 대사관.

[@dededededededewedq]

Lol the "skinship" part is so true

[@jonsie733]

Thank you for covering “how” vs. “What do I do” I was seriously going nuts trying to figure out if there was any slight pronunciation difference as the two are spelled different but with the ㅎ sound change rules end up sounding the same 🤪

[@bes03c]

It took me years of studying Korean to get the difference between 가다 and 오다 and I still have to think about them from time to time.

[@diabolic42090]

맨투맨 is a good one. I brought it up to my korean tutor and he goes "i think this is an english word, right?" I was like no, not at all lol

[@evantesseract737]

Wait, like... Man-to-man? As in a forthright conversation or one-on-one conflict? My grandfather would have said that 🤣

[@diabolic42090]

@@evantesseract737 exactly... not sure how it became the word for sweater lol

[@saphna2095]

greeeaaat guests! I mean you also have great guests but they are the perfect mix of funny, sympathetic, knowledgable and getting it across very well

[@hotteoki4498]

Up until today I have only heard 아기 or 애기 spoken. So it threw me for a loop when she said 애기, but the subtitles said 아기. I thought, "Oh no. Is this another one of those pronunciation things like 의?" (Luckily my husband confirmed they are, in fact, two different words.)

[@gentleken7864]

For years, I got 깜짝이야 and 갑자기 mixed up as I'd only heard it and never seen it written down. I'd never thought it was a similar thing in English when you are surprised to say something long like 'Suddenly!'........so something like 깜짝이야 makes sense.

[@Evangelina098]

I’ve heard “skinship” used in dramas, but it’s not a word I have ever heard before or read before as a native English speaker.

[@xuser9980]

스킨십 = PDA (public displays of affection)

[@ryanyuk]

PDA is included in skinship but pda is not skinship. Same as how spooning and cuddling would be included in skinship but they don’t define skinship

[@dylanthekoreanteacher]

너무 재미있어요! Thanks for another great vid!

[@fransmith3255]

Oh! I thought skinship was Konglish!! It certainly looks like it is 'obviously' Konglish.🤣🤣

[@gentleken7864]

I haven't heard the word skinship for yonks. Around 2008 or so I heard it a bit, but nowadays, it's a word that's gone where I live.

[@rajanbhandari2496]

금방과 방금 도 그렇잖아요?

[@kevinrosenau7048]

When it comes to confusing words, and I cheat a little because its not really a word, but all I say is 은/는 VS 이/가. Case closed.

[@JazFP_Jona]

can you elaborate please?

[@kevinrosenau7048]

@@JazFP_Jona The first two particles are used to mark the topic, while the second two are used to mark the subject of a sentence. While it seems easy in theory, there are many nuances that make it hard to decide which one to use. You could watch ten different videos on that topic and get ten different explanations. My teacher and I joke about that I've been studying korean for 4 years no and she still finds new rules on why i used the wrong particle

[@AxionSmurf]

lol I thought skinship meant FWB

[@PeterLiuIsBeast]

Health club is an acceptable English word for the gym or fitness room but shorttening it to health would definitely not be understandable.

[@pfikurum]

I just noticed, every time South Koreans pronounce -"er", as in, "service", they pronounce as -"o", as in, "so-bi-su".

[@evantesseract737]

It's 어 😊 a specific Korean vowel used this way, you're right. They don't have our R.

[@pfikurum]

@@evantesseract737 Another one is, they can't do the "rolling" R sound like Mexicans do. I'm not a Mexican myself, but I am able to do it.

[@서엉이르음-e7m]

문법 너무 어려워용

[@anjawrobel5099]

Yes i heard about skinship from a KZbinr but He toll that in Korea it means when mans what are only friends, Holding hands or the waist of each other😂

[@SpringoFlamingo]

I had no idea skinship wasn't an english word...💀💀

[@chickpeapeace]

what is the difference between 잃다 and 잃어버리다?!?!?! 젖다 and 젖어버리다??? 왜!?

[@mondstadtvlogs]

adding 버리다 to the end of a verb gives it the meaning of the action being fully complete and is often used to emphasise a feeling of reflief or regret. while you can use 잃다 to decribe losing something, 잃어버리다 is much more commonly used since when you lose something, you usually never get it back thus the action is "complete" and in this case indicates a sense of regret

[@chickpeapeace]

감사해요!!!! when I've asked others this they've just said "it's complicated" lol finally i know