Hello! 안녕하세요

hkboy

changye,

I didn't know you knew Korean. Are you studying now or already know it?

changye

Hi hkboy

I've been an elementary (and very lazy) learner of Korean for many years, without much success, hehe. It seems that the Korean language is NOT for me..... That said, a little knowledge about Korean goes a long way when you look into the history of languages in East Asia, and this is the reason why I don't give up learning Korean completely.

hkboy

haha. After reading many of your posts over the years, I would never associate the word lazy with you. Many years ago, I was on a plane and heard some people speaking (at the time I had never heard Korean being spoken). The language sounded like Japanese but it turned out they were Korean. Good luck with Korean!

stevejustice

Thanks for the reply Changye!

Yeah, 한자 is used often in Korea, though they use the traditional characters when writing here rather than the simplified. Nonetheless, there are a lot of similarities as the majority of words in Korean come from Chinese. There have been quite a few Chinese words I've been able to remember because of their similarity to the Korean words I already know.

I actually hope to learn Japanese later too, so that's another reason I started learning Chinese. The influence on Chinese on both Korean and Japanese is so profound I thought it would be useful.

Also, considering the Korean you wrote above (which I can, thankfully, understand) I would definitely say you're not an elementary learner! I know many foreigners here who have been here for years and can't string a few sentences together.

sugusy

안 녕 하 십 니 까 ?

저 는 중 국 사 람 입 니 다 . 한 국 말 을 열 심 히 공부 합 니 다 .

sugusy

但愿这次我的头像没有吓到你的 chubby dog 。

我想它会喜欢我的.O(∩_∩)O~

modernnomad

Hi Stevejustice

I am currently based in South Korea and studying Chinese after work.

Chinese pod is one of the websites that I am currently using to improve my Chinese proficiency. Whereabouts in Korea are you based?

stevejustice

안녕하세요! 전 한국사람아니지만 한국어질문있으면 물어보세요 ^^

stevejustice

Heya. I live in Bucheon just outside Seoul - do you know it? I've been busy these days so haven't been keeping up with my Chinese studies online recently but I want to keep going with it.

Do you take classes after work? Or just study alone? I thought about taking a Chinese class sometime but might have to wait until the summer vacation because of other commitments while working.

modernnomad

Hi Stevejustice

Unfortunately I have never been to Bucheon and it appears that you live on the other side of Gyeonggi-do. Hanam-sil is close to Gangnam and Jamsil. I do online chinese lessons with a tutor based in Beijing. Send me a private message if you are interested and I can forward you her contact details.

How long have u been in Korea?

stevejustice

Heya,

I sometimes head over to that side of Seoul and I regularly pass through Jamsil on the weekends when meeting friends. It is a bit far from here...about an hour to an hour and a half on the subway.

I've been in Korea for almost four years now. Lived in Incheon for two years and now been in Bucheon for two years. I'm thinking maybe one more year in Korea then it might be time to move on...on to what, I'm not sure yet! How about you?

modernnomad

Hi stevejustice

I have mixed feelings about Korea...send me a private message if you are keen to meet somewhere in Seoul.

Cheers,

Modernnomad

modernnomad

Hi Stevejustice

An american guy who used to study in China for 9 months told me that you can study Chinese at YBM Seoul (Jongno Branch). Do you know anyone who might be doing the course?

Cheers,

Modernnomad

stevejustice

I don't know anyone who is doing that course, no, but I've heard of YBM, of course. Don't know if that would be taught in Korean or entirely in Chinese, though...

modernnomad

Hi stevejustice

I believe that the advanced classes will be taught entirely in Chinese. I am guessing that the lower level classes will be taught in Korean. I asked the teacher if she can speak English over the phone and she said that her English level is very basic.

Send me a message if you are still interested and i can give you YBM's contact details.

Cheers,

Modernnomad

stevejustice

Hi again,

Thanks for letting me know. I'm too busy with work now to attend any classes but maybe in the summer I will try and find something. My Korean might be good enough for the lower level classes - it would be fun to get some regular practice in!

Cheers! And oh yeah, mixed feelings about Korea? That doesn't surprise me...even Koreans have mixed feelings about Korea!

modernnomad

They also offer Korean classes in YBM. If you want I can forward you their details.....

changye

I think I understand why you have mixed feelings about south Korea, judging from my eight-year observation of south Korean society mainly through Korean newspapers. I imagine that so-called “foreigners” might feel, in a sense, more comfortable in China than in Korea (and perhaps in Japan). Incidentally, did you know that the official slogan for the national "promote Korea image" campaign is "Dynamic Korea"? Yeah, I think Korean people are really "dynamic" in some ways.

suansuanru

changye真的不简单。在语言方面，我要向你学习！