33. Invitation to Winter Ocean; Two Different “When” - 때 vs. 언제; 겨울 바다 (Winter Ocean) by 이해인
English, among other languagues, uses the same word “When” for two different purposes, namely, i) when you ask questions, and ii) when you say a…
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32. Contraction: 흰 = 하얀, 맘 = 마음; Korean Lyricism; 옛사랑 (Old Love) by 이영훈; 갯마을 차차차 (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, 2021)
I heard that it snowed in Seoul over the weekend. Here in the Iberian peninsula, snow is a rare commodity, enjoyed only in the inland,…
31. How Humble Is Your Mother Tongue? - "가을의 기도 (Fall Prayer)" by 김현승
가을에는 기도하게 하소서 낙엽들이 지는 때를 기다려 내게 주신 겸허한 모국어로 나를 채우소서 가을에는 사랑하게 하소서 오직 한 사람을 택하게 하소서 가장 아름다운 열매를 위하여…
27. 그저 Just, -뿐 Only; 그녀의 웃음소리뿐 (Only the Sound of Her Laughter) by 이영훈
Ludwig van Beethoven. Frédéric Chopin. Johann Sebastian Bach. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In classical music, everyone knows a few names of composers. Coming from another corner…
26. Spring in My Hometown 고향의 봄 from 오빠 생각 (A Melody to Remember, 2016) and D.P. (Deserter Pursuit, 2021)
A young Korean soldier chooses to become a deserter to protect his grandma suffering from dementia. Before getting arrested, he respectfully bows to her, who…
21. My Dear, Come Back to Me Again 그대 내게 다시 by 변진섭; Reply 1988 - Nostalgia of Innocent Times
Ah, nostalgia. 추억. 회상. 그리움. 향수. The bittersweetness of reminiscing and regretting all things past is one of the good things about human memory (기억). …
19. Korean Pride in Musical Talents; 세상이 그대를 속일지라도 (Even If the World Tricks You)
In East Asian history, it is well known that Koreans have enjoyed singing and dancing since the ancient times. Koreans’ musical talent has had international…
14. Two Korean Lullabies 엄마야 누나야 & 섬집 아기; 어버이날 Parents' Day
In today’s ever-growing multilingual world, how do you verify someone’s mother tongue? I can think of two simple ways: Here are two Korean lullabies typically…
10. Korean Word Order in a Legendary Rain Song: 비처럼 음악처럼 (Like Rain, Like Music) by 김현식
It rained all day here in Valencia. On a rainy day like this, Koreans remember “비처럼 음악처럼 (Like Rain, Like Music),” sung by 김현식, a…
Priority #2: 한글 - Basic Vowels
Once you learn 14 basic consonants as priority #1, you can move on to basic vowels. Today’s Korean has 10 BASIC vowels: ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ…
