It's Impossible to Study Korean with All That Noise!

Dialogue

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Vocabulary (Review)

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Lesson Notes

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Lesson Transcript

Lesson conversation
INTRODUCTION
Keith: It's Impossible to Study Korean with All That Noise! In this lesson, you will learn how to say you're not very good at something.
Misun: Like not good at, 잘 못해요.
Keith: This conversation takes place…
Misun: On the street
Keith: The conversation is between…
Misun: A foreigner and a Korean person.
KeithL: The speakers are strangers, so they’ll be speaking formal Korean.
Misun: 네. 존댓말이요.
Keith: All right. Let’s listen to the conversation.
예린 외국 사람이에요?
빌리 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못해요.
예린 외국 사람이네요!
빌리 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못해요.
English Host: One more time with the English.
예린 외국 사람이에요?
Keith: Are you a foreigner?
빌리 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못해요.
Keith: Sorry. I don't speak Korean well.
예린 외국 사람이네요!
Keith: You are a foreigner!
빌리 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못해요.
Keith: Sorry. I don't speak Korean well.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Misun: Keith, what's the perception of foreigners in Korea?
Keith: Well, if you look different than Koreans, you might be a spectacle to some kids.
Misun: Right, Korea is the most homogeneous country in the world, right?
Keith: So if you look different, you'll get some looks.
Misun: That’s right. But recently, there's been a lot more foreigners in Korea.
Keith: Yeah. There's the American military, and a lot of English teachers in Korea, too.
Misun: Absolutely. There's also a lot of Chinese and Japanese people that come to Korea. For example, like to tour and work or something like that.
Keith: Right. I mean, not just those countries, there’s a bunch of people. So in the past few years, there has been a larger influx of foreigners in Korea. So Misun, just a quick question, what was your perceptions of foreigners in Korea when you were a kid?
Misun: Oh. Well, when I was young, like, wherever I look, it’s just there’s military people, and then missionary personal nurse like Mormons, walking on the street. And then I was so fascinated by their look. It’s so exotic and very handsome.
Keith: Everyone’s so good-looking.
Misun: Right. They’re totally different from what I got, right? So it’s kind of like a strange feeling.
Keith: But I think recently, since there’s a lot more people, I think Korean people are getting used to foreigners being in Korea now.
Misun: 네. So no difference at all now.
Keith: Well, I think there is a difference but just a little less. All right, well, let’s take a look at the vocabulary.
VOCAB LIST
Misun: 외국 사람 [natural native speed]
Keith: Foreigner.
Misun: 외국 사람 [slowly - broken down by syllable]. 외국 사람 [natural native speed].
Keith: Next.
Misun: 죄송합니다 [natural native speed]
Keith: I'm sorry.
Misun: 죄송합니다 [slowly - broken down by syllable]. 죄송합니다 [natural native speed]
Keith: Next is…
Misun: 한국말 [natural native speed].
Keith: Korean (language)
Misun: 한국말 [slowly - broken down by syllable]. 한국말 [natural native speed].
Keith: And finally…
Misun: 잘 못해요 [natural native speed].
Keith: Not very good at.
Misun: 잘 못해요 [slowly - broken down by syllable]. 잘 못해요 [natural native speed].
KEY VOCABULARY AND PHRASES
Keith: All right. Well, let's take a look at some of the words and phrases from this lesson.
Misun: The first phrase we’ll look at is, 죄송합니다.
Keith: I'm sorry.
Misun: This is the most formal and most polite way to say sorry to someone.
Keith: Right, there are a couple of other forms. Like the informal.
Misun: Yea, You wouldn't use 죄송합니다 with a close friend. It's too polite. If you were talking to a good friend, you could say 미안해.
Keith: Yeah, it's informal, but still apologetic. So who would we use 죄송합니다 with?
Misun: We would use it with bosses, teachers, the elderly person, et cetera.
Keith: Right. Essentially the people you have to respect.
Misun: 네 맞아요.
Keith: All right. Our next word is “foreigner.”
Misun: 외국사람.
Keith: And many people may hear this word, but there's another word people might hear as well.
Misun: 네. 외국인.
Keith: Can we have that a little slowly?
Misun: 네, 외/국/인
Keith: And this essentially means the same thing, 외국사람 and 외국인.
Misun: 네. Both mean foreigner.
Keith: All right. Well, let’s move on to the focus of this lesson.
Lesson focus
Misun: The focus of this lesson is the phrase 잘 못 해요.
Keith: 잘 못 해요 (jal mot haeyo) is a phrase that is used to express one's lack of adequate ability, not very good at.
Misun: Yes, It's translated as "not very good at."
Keith: And just 잘 못 해요 is in the standard politeness level. It is polite and conversational. Well, Misun, let's take a look at the one example that came out in this lesson.
Misun: The foreigner said, 죄송합니다. 한국말 잘 못 해요.
Keith: "Sorry. I don't speak Korean well."
Misun: The first part is 한국말.
Keith: Korean.
Misun: And the second part is 잘 못 해요.
Keith: Which is literally “not good at.”
Misun: So literally it's “Korean, not good at.”
Keith: But when we translate it, it means “I'm not good at speaking Korean.”
Misun: But instead of this one example, how about we give some other useful example, Keith?
Keith: Sure! How about "I'm not good at sports." Some people might find this useful.
Misun: Yes. That would be 스포츠 잘 못 해요.
Keith: Right. Notice how the thing you're not good at, Korean or sports, it all comes in the front of the phrase, 잘 못해요.
Misun: Another example we can give is 운전 잘 못 해요.
Keith: "I'm not good at driving."
Misun: Again. Driving comes out in front.
Keith: The word for driving is 운전. This next example is specifically for me.
Misun: You mean, 공부 잘 못 해요?
Keith: "I'm not a very good student." But literally, that's I'm not good at studying.
Misun: This might be useful for some of our listeners, 술 잘 못 마셔요.
Keith: "I have low tolerance." Or literally, I'm not good at drinking. Why would that be useful Misun?
Misun: Korean culture tends to use alcohol quite often for social situations.
Keith: Right. So if you’re not that fun of drinking, you can kindly refuse drinks with that phrase.
Misun: Yes. Okay. So we went over 잘 못해요, which means “I'm not very good at.”
Keith: But you can use just 잘 on its own to say that you're good at something.
Misun: Yup. For example, 한국말 잘 해요.
Keith: I'm good at Korean.
Misun: Or, 태권도 잘 해요.
Keith: I'm good at taekwondo.
Misun: Notice how the phrase 잘 못 해요 becomes just 잘 해요.
Keith: Right. And that means “you’re good at something.”
Misun: We can also change the phrase 잘 못 해요 again.
Keith: Right. We can say just say 못 해요.
Misun: 네 맞아요. This means that you can’t do something.
Keith: For example?
Misun: 중국어 못 해요.
Keith: "I can't speak Chinese." And this one is stronger. Instead of “I'm not good at,” it's pretty clear – “I can't.”
Misun: 네 맞아요. Or if you don't have a license, 운전 못 해요.
Keith: That means, "I can't drive."
Outro
Keith: Well, that just about does it for today, bye-bye.
Misun: 안녕히 계세요 여러분. (Annyeonghaseyo yeoreobun).

Grammar

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Comments

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80 Comments

Please to leave a comment.

KoreanClass101.com

2010-03-15 18:30:00

Hello KC101여러분

여러분은 술을 잘 마시나요? 아니면 잘 못 마시나요?

KoreanClass101.com

2023-02-14 22:28:05

Hello Rima Roy,

Thanks for posting! It's a great sentence. 😄

Although it would be better if you change the sentence ending for the first sentence and the subject this way:

지금, 나는 한국어를 배우고 있다 -> 지금 저는 한국어를 배우고 있어요.

You did an amazing job. Keep up the good work!

Kind regards,

Hyeon Yeong Seo

Team KoreanClass101.com

Rima Roy

2023-02-12 02:36:37

Hi, can you please let me know whether the translation of this sentence is correct or not?

English - Currently, I am studying Korean that's why I don't know it that well.

Korean - 지금, 나는 한국어를 배우고 있다 그래서 한국말 잘 못해요.

Thanks,

Rima

KoreanClass101.com

2021-10-20 17:00:08

Hello Semi,

See below translations!

한국말 잘 못해요. I'm not good at Korean.

한국말 잘 해요. I'm good at Korean.

한국말 못 해요. I don't speak Korean.

한국어 할 수 있어요. I speak Korean,

한국어 할 수 없어요. I don't speak Korean.

Kind regards,

Hyeon Yeong Seo

Team KoreanClass101.com

Semi

2021-10-18 05:03:46

I have a question this phrases means the same to Say not good at and be good at?

한국말 잘 못해요.

한국말 잘 해요.

한국말 못 해요

한국어 잘 못해요

한국어 잘 해요

한국어 못 해요.

한국어 할 수 있어요

한국어 할 수 없어요

Thanks

KoreanClass101.com

2021-08-16 16:26:47

Hello Palak,

Thanks for posting!

Informal way to say 못해요 is 못해.

Kind regards,

Hyeon Yeong Seo

Team KoreanClass101.com

Palak

2021-08-11 18:16:03

How to use 못해요 informally?

KoreanClass101.com

2021-04-10 05:18:30

Hello 던,

Thank you for posting. Great job, keep up the good work!

Cheers,

Lyn

Team KoreanClass101.com

던

2021-04-06 15:48:12

저는 스포츠 잘 못해요.

영어 잘 해요.

태권도 못해요.

KoreanClass101.com

2020-10-30 00:18:36

Hi Ula,

Thanks for posting. As it is a polite sentence you would use 저는/전:

전 커피 못 마셔요.

Cheers,

Lyn

Team KoreanClass101.com

Ula

2020-10-27 08:44:48

Hello, can i ask, would this be correct for 'I can't drink coffee' ?

난 커피 못 마셔요.

KoreanClass101.com

2020-08-05 15:32:06

Hi Maria,

Thank you for posting. There are other big cities in Korea that are also fun to live in (Busan is also a popular spot for both local and foreigners). Living expenses are not too bad, but housing may be a problem--but you could always find a roommate.

Cheers,

Lyn

Team KoreanClass101.com

Maria E Constantine

2020-08-03 04:34:13

Dear Keith and Misun:

I am an American of later age. I'd like to go and live in South Korea. Would it be possible, and if it is expensive, can it be done somewhere other than Seoul?

KoreanClass101.com

2019-04-18 07:57:49

Hi James,

운전 못해요.

못 운전해요.

both mean you cannot drive.

On another note, 운전 안 해요=I can drive but I won't drive.

Sincerely,

Lyn

Team KoreanClass101.com

James

2019-04-17 10:50:09

What is the difference between:

운전 못해요.

and

못운전해요.

Do they both translate to '(I/they) cannot drive'?

to drive = 운전하다

I/he/she/they drive = 운전해요

If so, WHY do we sometimes separate the 운전 and 해요 and place the 잘 or 잘못 in between?

This happens with many verbs that end in 해요, they are split apart to place a word inbetween. Why?

KoreanClass101.com

2019-02-13 09:12:46

Hello Kaldea,

Thanks for posting. The difference is that one is Sino Korean for 'language', and the other native Korean.

어=Sino Korean 말=native Korean.

Cheers,

Lyn

Team KoreanClass101.com

Kaldea

2019-02-12 02:07:35

What is the difference between 한국말 and 한국어?

KoreanClass101.com

2019-01-15 05:51:27

Hi Ram,

Thanks for posting. The batchim ㅅ takes on the ㄷ sound, unless it is followed by the nasal consonants ㅇ, ㄴ, ㅁ.

못이-->모시

못난-->몬난

못만-->몬만

In other cases it will take on the 't' sound.

Cheers,

Lyn

Team KoreanClass101.com

Ram

2019-01-06 16:28:59

i have question on spelling, 못 is mot not mos on what conditions ㅅ is "s" sound and what condition is it "t" sound.

KoreanClass101.com

2018-08-04 18:27:22

Hi Teresa,

Thank you for your message!

In case of any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,

Cristiane

Team KoreanClass101.com

Teresa

2018-07-30 18:34:24

Thanks for this lesson.

Top

It's Impossible to Study Korean with All That Noise!

Want to Understand & Master the Korean Dialogue 100%?

Learn New Words FAST with this Lesson’s Vocab Review List

Unlock In-Depth Explanations & Exclusive Takeaways with Printable Lesson Notes

Lesson conversation

Lesson focus

Outro

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