basic question: pronouns

jiback7
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basic question: pronouns

Postby jiback7 » 2012-11-22, 1:59

I know I can use 저 for I, 그 for he/she, and 우리 for we...

How would I convey "you" "you (pl)" and "they" in korean?

(There's so much about this online, I don't know which to believe! Please, someone who has a lot of korean experience, just tell me what you use in this situation. Thanks!)

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linguoboy
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Re: basic question: pronouns

Postby linguoboy » 2012-11-22, 3:52

jiback7 wrote:I know I can use 저 for I, 그 for he/she, and 우리 for we...

저 is specifically a humble form. When talking to equals or subordinates, I would use 나.

jiback7 wrote:How would I convey "you" "you (pl)" and "they" in korean?

There's no simple answer. "You" is famously difficult to translate into Korean, since Koreans are generally more like to use a kinship term or a title rather than a pronoun when the identity of the addressee needs to be expressed. Actually, the third person pronouns are similar. I see 그 mostly in written Korean. In speaking, you'd generally leave it out (if it could be understood from context) or prefer a name or title. This means that Koreans will often repeat a name in contexts where an English-speaker would substitute a pronoun.

In any case, the most general-use second-person pronoun is 너, but it's too informal to use with a stranger or someone older than you. Textbooks for foreigners teach 당신 for formal situations, which is odd because it's often used by married couples. To a stranger, it can sound sarcastic or insulting.

In short, if you know someone's name or title, use it. 선생님 means "honoured teacher" and is the preferred form of address for an instructor, but it can be used for people in other professions as well. Have you learned family terminology yet? It's quite common to use kinship terms even with non-relatives. For instance, in a restaurant, I'll use 아가씨 if the waitress is younger than me and 아주머니 if she's older; if she's considerably older, 할머님.

For groups, there's a collective suffix -희 which can be added to some singular pronouns, e.g. 저희 "we (humble)", 너희 "you all". This isn't used with 그; that you would pluralise with the usual particle for nouns, 들. Another collective suffix whose use is more general is -네, e.g. 선생님네 "all you [respected] teachers", 그 사람네 "those people; they".

One of the most common mistakes English-speakers make when trying to speak Korean is overusing pronouns. We use them a lot because the grammar of our language requires it, but it you use them as often in Korean, it will sound awful.
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

jiback7
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Re: basic question: pronouns

Postby jiback7 » 2012-11-24, 16:26

Thanks

jiback7
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Re: basic question: pronouns

Postby jiback7 » 2012-11-24, 16:26

Thanks


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