Learn the superstitions about the number 4 and pig dreams
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| INTRODUCTION |
| Becky: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Korean Superstitions and Beliefs. Lesson 1 The Number 4 and Pig Dreams. I'm Becky and I'm joined by Jaehwi. |
| Jaehwi: 안녕하세요. (annyeonghaseyo) Hi, I'm Jaehwi. |
| THE TWO SUPERSTITIONS |
| Becky: In this lesson we will talk about two common superstitions in South Korea. The first superstition is about bad luck. What's it called in Korean? |
| Jaehwi: 숫자 사, (sutja sa). |
| Becky: Which literally means "The number 4." Jaehwi, can you repeat the Korean phrase again? |
| Jaehwi: [slow] 숫자 사 [normal] 숫자 사 |
| Becky: In Korea, it's believed that the number 4 is a symbol of bad luck. |
| Jaehwi: This is because the Sino-Korean words for "four" and "death" sound the same. We use the word 사 to mean both “four” and “death.” |
| Becky: So people tend to associate the number 4 with death or bad luck. In some ways, it’s similar to the American superstition that 13 is unlucky. |
| Jaehwi: Right. For example, hospitals and hotels in Korea don’t have a fourth floor. |
| Becky: I heard about this. Instead, the floor is marked F. Or, when numbering the floors, they skip four and go straight from the 3rd floor to 5th. |
| Jaehwi: I guess you can’t be too careful. |
| Becky: The second superstition is about good luck. What's it called in Korean? |
| Jaehwi: 돼지꿈, (doejikkum). |
| Becky: Which literally means "pig dream." Let’s hear it in Korean again. |
| Jaehwi: [slow] 돼지꿈 [normal] 돼지꿈 |
| Becky: In Korea, if a pig appears in your dream, it means you’re going to have good luck. |
| Jaehwi: Right. In Korean culture, pigs symbolize wealth and luck. |
| Becky: This is because in the past, only rich people could eat pork. So let’s say I have a dream about a pig. What should I do next? |
| Jaehwi: Buy a lottery ticket right away! |
| Becky: Is that what most Koreans do after having a pig dream? |
| Jaehwi: Yes, it’s not uncommon. I did once, although I didn’t win at the time. |
Outro |
|---|
| Becky: There you have it - two Korean superstitions! Are they similar to any of your country’s superstitions? Let us know in the comments! |
| Jaehwi: 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo) |
Comments
Hide