SACE Stage 2 Korean flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

해요체

Informal polite Korean speech level made with -아/어요; used in everyday polite conversation with strangers, acquaintances, and service staff.

합니다체

Formal polite Korean speech level using -ㅂ니다/습니다; common in presentations, announcements, news, and formal service encounters.

-(으)시-

Subject honorific suffix attached to a verb or adjective stem to show respect for the subject, often with 께서; it does not honor the listener.

드리다

Humble verb meaning 'to give' used when the recipient is respected; replaces 주다 in phrases such as 선생님께 책을 드렸어요.

Backchannel signals

Short listener responses such as 네, 아, 그렇군요, and 정말요 that show attention and encourage the speaker without taking a full turn.

Request softening

-아/어 주시겠어요? is more polite than -아/어 주세요; -ㄹ/을 수 있을까요? is an indirect request form that leaves refusal space.

Register shift decision

Choose speech level by age, status, setting, purpose, and the interlocutor's previous turn; mirror formality but avoid over-honorifying yourself.

Clarification request

Phrases such as 다시 말씀해 주시겠어요? or 무슨 뜻이에요? ask the speaker to repeat or explain and are safer than guessing.

Topic particle 은/는

Marks the topic or contrast in a sentence, often translating as 'as for'; it can replace 이/가 to foreground old or contrasted information.

Subject particle 이/가

Marks the grammatical subject or new/focused information; unlike 은/는, it often introduces information the listener does not already know.

Reported speech -다고 하다

Indirect quotation pattern for statements; verb stems take -ㄴ/는다고 하다, adjectives take -다고 하다, and nouns take -(이)라고 하다.

Connector 그러나

Formal written contrast connector meaning 'however'; it signals that the next clause opposes or qualifies the previous claim, similar to 하지만.

-(으)ㄴ/는 반면에

Contrast pattern meaning 'whereas' or 'on the other hand'; attach -(으)ㄴ 반면에 to adjectives and -는 반면에 to verbs.

Progressive -고 있다

Expresses an action in progress, equivalent to 'am/is/are doing'; it contrasts with -아/어 있다, which often describes a resulting state.

Inferring relationship

Honorific -시- and 께서 suggest a respected subject, while 반말 endings suggest closeness or a superior-to-lower relationship; use these cues to infer speaker roles.

Paraphrasing a text

Restate the main claim in your own Korean words, then add one supporting detail and a clear agreement or disagreement; do not simply copy the original sentence.

서론-본론-결론

Three-part essay structure: 서론 introduces the topic and thesis, 본론 develops evidence, and 결론 restates the claim and implications.

합니다체 in reports

Formal polite ending -ㅂ니다/습니다 is standard for reports, presentations, and formal letters; keep it consistent instead of mixing it with 반말.

Spacing rule

Korean particles attach to the preceding word, while independent words and auxiliary verb forms are generally spaced, as in 도와 주세요 and 학교에 갑니다.

Humble 드리다/뵙다

Use 드리다 for 'give' to a superior and 뵙다 for 'meet' a superior; these humble verbs lower the speaker rather than raising the subject.

Passive -이/히/리/기

A set of passive suffixes added to verb stems, as in 보이다, 닫히다, 들리다, and 열리다; the subject receives the action rather than performs it.

Causative -게 하다

Causative pattern meaning 'make/let someone do'; attach -게 하다 to a verb stem, e.g., 학생이 책을 읽게 했어요.

Formal email closing

Close a formal Korean email with 감사합니다 or 이상입니다 followed by 드림; use the recipient's title and name, not 반말.

Editing checklist

Check speech-level consistency, subject honorific agreement, tense, connector logic, spelling and spacing, and whether each paragraph has a clear topic sentence.

Researchable question

A narrow question naming a population, artifact or text, time period, and a clear language or culture claim; broad topics such as 'Korean food' are not researchable.

Triangulation

Using at least two independent source types, such as interviews and news articles, to check whether a claim about Korean language or culture is supported.

Informed consent

Participants must receive clear information about purpose, procedures, data use, anonymity, and the right to withdraw; consent should be given voluntarily and documented.

눈치

Korean cultural concept of reading a situation and others' feelings indirectly; it often involves noticing unspoken cues and adjusting one's behavior accordingly.

정 (jeong)

Korean concept of emotional attachment and warm solidarity that develops through shared time and experience; it is not identical to romantic love.

Emic vs etic

Emic analysis describes a culture from insiders' categories; etic analysis applies outsiders' comparative categories; strong investigations distinguish the two and justify the perspective used.

Hangul 1446

Hangul was promulgated in 1446 under King Sejong; its consonant and vowel letters are combined into syllable blocks rather than written in a linear alphabet.

Avoiding overgeneralization

Use qualifiers such as 많은, 일부, and 경향이 있다, and separate prescriptive norms from observed usage; do not present one example as all Korean behavior.