NCEA Level 3 Korean cheat sheet

Formal polite speech (합쇼체) is marked by -습니다/ㅂ니다 endings; casual speech (해체) uses -아/어. Identify the register from verb endings to infer the relationship between speakers.

Korean is a topic-prominent language: 은/는 marks the topic (known information), 이/가 marks the subject (new or focused information). Listening for these particles reveals what the speaker treats as given versus new.

Consonant assimilation rules affect perception: final consonants shift before certain initials (e.g., 국물 → [궁물], 신라 → [실라]). Expect these sound changes rather than hearing each letter distinctly.

Numbers: native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋...) are used for counting items and hours; Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼...) for dates, money, minutes, and phone numbers. Context determines which set is used.

Common discourse markers signal structure: 그래서 (therefore), 하지만 (however), 그러니까 (so/then), 우선 (first), 결국 (eventually). These indicate logical relationships between clauses.

Honorific infix -시- appears when the subject is respected (e.g., 가시다, 하시다). Its presence or absence signals who deserves deference in the conversation.

Indirect speech endings (-다고, -냐고, -자고, -라고) report what someone said. Distinguish the quoted content from the speaker's own stance.

Passive/causative suffixes (-이-, -히-, -리-, -기-, -우-, -리우-) change verb meaning; listen for them to identify who performs versus receives the action.

Time expressions: -ㄴ/은 지 (since), -ㄹ/을 때 (when), -기 전에 (before), -ㄴ/은 후에 (after). Note the tense of the verb before these markers to place events correctly.

Honorific system: use -시- for respected subjects; use humble verbs like 드리다 (give), 뵙다 (meet), 여쭙다 (ask) when the speaker is lower in status. Mixing levels within one turn is marked as inappropriate.

Address terms depend on relationship: 선배님 (senior), 후배 (junior), 교수님 (professor), 사장님 (company president). Using the wrong term can offend; choose based on relative age and status.

Sentence-ending intonation distinguishes statements from questions in casual speech: rising intonation on -아/어 turns a statement into a question (e.g., 밥 먹어? vs 밥 먹어.).

Fillers and hesitation markers: 저기... (um), 뭐랄까 (how should I say), 그니까 (you know). Overuse signals low fluency; strategic use buys planning time.

Topic-comment structure: start with the topic marked by 은/는, then comment. This is more natural in spoken Korean than subject-first English-style ordering.

Reported speech in conversation: -대요 (they say), -다면서요 (I heard that...), -잖아요 (you know). These soften assertions and manage shared knowledge.

Politeness strategies: indirect requests using -아/어 주시겠어요? or -ㄹ/을 수 있을까요? are more polite than direct imperatives. Use them with strangers and superiors.

Pronunciation: distinguish plain, tense, and aspirated consonants (가/까/카, 다/따/타, 바/빠/파, 자/짜/차). Tense consonants are produced with glottal tension; aspirated with a puff of air.

Connective endings signal clause relations: -지만 (but), -아/어서 (because/so), -니까 (because), -는데 (but/and), -면 (if), -려고 (in order to). Identify the relation to predict content.

Relative clauses precede the noun they modify: [verb + -ㄴ/은/는/ㄹ/을] + noun (e.g., 어제 읽은 책 = the book I read yesterday). Parse from the noun backward.

The particle -의 marks possession (나의 = my), but is often omitted in speech. In formal writing it appears more frequently.

Passive constructions: 되다 (become), -아/어지다 (become), and suffixes -이-, -히-, -리-, -기- form passives. Identify the patient as subject when these appear.

Formal written register uses -다 endings (한다, 이다) for declarative statements, distinct from spoken -어요/습니다. News and academic texts use this style.

Cohesion devices: 그 (that), 이 (this), 저 (that over there) as demonstratives; 또한 (also), 따라서 (therefore), 그러나 (however). Track referents across sentences.

Hanja-derived vocabulary: words like 경제 (economy), 사회 (society), 문화 (culture) are Sino-Korean. Recognizing common hanja roots aids guessing meaning.

Inference questions require combining textual clues with background knowledge; the answer is not stated verbatim. Look for cause-effect or contrast relationships implied by connectives.

Paragraph structure: Korean academic writing often follows 기승전결 (introduction-development-turn-conclusion) or 서론-본론-결론 (introduction-body-conclusion). State the topic sentence first.

Formal written style uses -다 endings (한다, 이다, 아니다) for statements; -까? for questions; -자 for suggestions; -라 for imperatives. Avoid spoken -어요/습니다 in formal essays.

Cohesive devices for writing: 첫째 (first), 둘째 (second), 또한 (also), 따라서 (therefore), 그러나 (however), 예를 들어 (for example). Use them to link paragraphs.

Honorifics in writing: use -시- for respected subjects; use humble verbs when referring to oneself in formal contexts (e.g., 말씀드리다, 여쭙다).

Spacing (띄어쓰기) rules: particles attach to the preceding word; auxiliary verbs and nouns are spaced according to standard rules. Incorrect spacing affects readability and marks.

Quotation: direct quotation uses '...' or "..." with 라고/하고; indirect quotation uses -다고/-냐고/-자고. Choose based on whether you preserve the exact words.

Tense consistency: maintain past tense (-았/었-) for completed actions, present (-ㄴ/는-) for general truths, and future (-겠- or -ㄹ/을 것이다) for plans. Shifting tense without reason is an error.

Punctuation: Korean uses full stops (.), commas (,), and question marks (?) similarly to English, but quotation marks are often 「 」 or 『 』 in print. Use standard punctuation consistently.