WACE Korean Second Language key terms

The polite speech style used toward elders, strangers, teachers, or customers. It uses special verb endings such as -습니다 or -요 and shows respect through both grammar and word choice.

The casual speech style used with close friends, younger people, or family members of similar age. It drops polite endings and is only appropriate when both speakers agree the relationship allows it.

Special vocabulary that raises the person being discussed, such as 드시다 for eating or 연세 for age. These words replace ordinary verbs and nouns whenever the subject deserves respect.

The tone or manner of speaking, including politeness level, intonation, and choice of endings. A speaker can change 말투 to sound warmer, more formal, or more distant in the same conversation.

A respectful word for an elderly person, used instead of the plain word 노인 in everyday polite speech. It signals courtesy and is common when talking about grandparents or older strangers.

A person's age, which strongly shapes Korean speech style and terms of address. Koreans often ask someone's age early in a relationship to decide whether to use 반말 or 존댓말.

A friend. In Korean the word usually implies someone of the same age, while same-age friends typically drop polite endings and call each other by first name without honorific titles.

An older student or colleague in the same school, workplace, or group. The term carries expectations of respect and often guidance, and it is paired with 후배 for the junior person.

A younger student or colleague in the same school, workplace, or group. Seniors are expected to look after 후배, and juniors usually address them with polite language.

Politeness or good manners shown through behaviour and speech. In Korean culture it includes greeting elders first, using two hands when giving or receiving, and choosing honorific language.

The ability to read a situation and sense what others are thinking or feeling without being told. Having good 눈치 means noticing mood and adjusting your words or actions accordingly.

The atmosphere or mood of a place, group, or situation. Koreans often describe a room as having a warm or awkward 분위기, and speakers adjust their tone to suit it.

An opinion or view about a topic. In discussion tasks you state your 의견, give a reason, and support it with an example or personal experience.

A claim or assertion that a speaker argues for. A strong 주장 is clear, focused, and backed by evidence rather than emotion alone.

The reason or evidence used to support an opinion. When expressing a view in Korean, you typically follow it with 왜냐하면 or -기 때문에 to introduce the 근거.

Agreement or support for a proposal. In a debate or writing task, stating 찬성 requires explaining benefits and answering likely objections from the opposite side.

Opposition to an idea or proposal. Expressing 반대 politely often uses softened forms such as -는 것 같지 않아요 rather than a blunt refusal.

A structured discussion in which people exchange differing views on a topic. Good 토론 skills include listening, taking turns, and responding directly to the previous speaker's point.

Something a person has lived through or done. Personal 경험 is a common support in speaking and writing tasks, often introduced with -아/어 본 적이 있다.

An impression left by a person, place, or event. Questions like 인상 깊었던 경험 ask you to describe something memorable and explain why it mattered.

A feeling such as joy, sadness, anger, or worry. Naming 감정 precisely, for example 억울하다 or 서운하다, makes your personal responses more vivid and accurate.

A temporary mood or state of mind. Unlike deeper 감정, 기분 changes easily and is often described with words like 상쾌하다, 우울하다, or 들뜨다.

To feel hurt or disappointed because someone close did not meet your expectations. It describes a mild, personal sadness rather than open anger and is common in relationship stories.

To feel upset or distressed about a situation. It expresses inner frustration or worry, often when something goes wrong and you cannot easily fix it.

A short statement of the main points of a text or conversation. A good 요약 leaves out examples and details and keeps only the central message.

The main topic or theme that a text is about. Identifying the 주제 means asking what the whole passage is really discussing, not just what one sentence says.

The central content or key message of a passage. It is usually stated in the opening or closing sentence and is supported by the remaining details.

The writer's purpose or intention behind a text. Readers infer it by considering the audience, tone, and what the writer wants the reader to think or do.

The tone of a piece of writing, such as humorous, critical, or sympathetic. Recognising 어조 helps you judge the writer's attitude toward the subject.

Drawing a conclusion that is not stated directly in the text. 추론 questions require combining clues in the passage with general knowledge to reach a reasonable answer.

The surrounding context that gives words or events their meaning. Understanding 맥락 helps you choose the right sense of a word and follow the flow of a conversation.

A traditional Korean proverb that expresses folk wisdom in a fixed phrase. Examples describe common situations, and understanding them shows cultural knowledge beyond literal vocabulary.

An idiomatic expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from the individual words. Learning these phrases, such as 발이 넓다, is essential for natural comprehension and use.

The shared customs, values, and practices of a society. Korean 문화 topics in this exam include food, holidays, school life, and respect for elders.

A major traditional holiday, especially 설날 and 추석. These occasions involve family gatherings, special food, and bowing to elders, so they often appear in cultural reading texts.

The Korean lunar New Year, one of the two biggest holidays. Families gather, eat 떡국, wear 한복, and perform 세배 to older relatives.

The Korean harvest festival, celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Families visit ancestral graves, share songpyeon, and give thanks for the harvest.

Traditional Korean clothing worn on holidays and formal occasions. Its colourful jacket and skirt or trousers reflect Korean identity and are often described in cultural texts.

The traditional New Year bow performed by younger people to elders. It expresses respect and is usually rewarded with words of blessing and sometimes money.

The grammar system of honorifics, including verb endings and special vocabulary. Choosing the wrong 경어법 can sound rude, so it is tested in both speaking and writing tasks.