NCEA Level 3 Korean flashcards

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

합쇼체

Formal polite speech style ending in -습니다/ㅂ니다 for statements and -습니까/ㅂ니까 for questions. Used in public speaking, news, and formal situations with strangers or superiors.

해체

Casual speech style ending in -아/어 for statements and questions. Used among close friends, family, and children. Intonation distinguishes statement from question.

은/는 vs 이/가

은/는 marks the topic (known or contrasted information); 이/가 marks the subject (new or focused information). Listening for these particles reveals information structure.

Consonant assimilation

Final consonants change before certain initials: 국물 → [궁물] (nasalization), 신라 → [실라] (lateralization). Expect these sound changes in connected speech.

Native Korean numbers

Numbers 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷... used for counting items, people, and hours. Combine with counters like 개 (items), 명 (people), 시 (hours).

Sino-Korean numbers

Numbers 일, 이, 삼, 사... used for dates, money, minutes, phone numbers, and addresses. Combine with counters like 원 (won), 분 (minutes), 월 (month).

Honorific infix -시-

Inserted before verb endings when the subject is respected: 가다 → 가시다, 하다 → 하시다. Its presence signals deference toward the subject.

Humble verbs

Verbs lowering the speaker: 드리다 (give), 뵙다 (meet), 여쭙다 (ask), 말씀드리다 (tell). Used when speaking to or about superiors.

Address terms

Terms like 선배님 (senior), 후배 (junior), 교수님 (professor), 사장님 (president). Choice depends on relative age and status; misuse can offend.

Indirect request strategies

Polite requests use -아/어 주시겠어요? or -ㄹ/을 수 있을까요? rather than direct imperatives. Used with strangers and superiors to show respect.

Plain vs tense vs aspirated

Korean consonants distinguish plain (가), tense (까), and aspirated (카). Tense consonants involve glottal tension; aspirated ones involve a puff of air.

Reported speech -대요

Contracted form of -다고 해요, meaning 'they say' or 'I heard'. Used to report someone else's statement indirectly in conversation.

Connective -지만

Means 'but' or 'although'. Connects two clauses with contrast: 비싸지만 좋아요 = It's expensive but good.

Connective -아/어서

Means 'because' or 'so'. Shows cause-effect or sequential relationship: 비가 와서 집에 있었어요 = It rained so I stayed home.

Relative clause -ㄴ/은

Past attributive ending modifying a noun: 어제 읽은 책 = the book I read yesterday. The clause precedes the noun it modifies.

Passive suffix -이-

Forms passive verbs: 보다 (see) → 보이다 (be seen); 쓰다 (write) → 쓰이다 (be written). The patient becomes the subject.

Formal written -다 style

Declarative ending -다 (한다, 이다) used in news, academic writing, and formal essays. Distinct from spoken -어요/습니다 styles.

Cohesion devices

Words like 또한 (also), 따라서 (therefore), 그러나 (however), 예를 들어 (for example) link sentences and paragraphs in written texts.

Hanja roots

Sino-Korean vocabulary like 경제 (economy), 사회 (society), 문화 (culture) shares hanja roots. Recognizing common roots aids guessing meaning.

Inference questions

Reading questions where the answer is not stated verbatim. Require combining textual clues with background knowledge, often via cause-effect or contrast.

기승전결

Four-part structure: introduction (기), development (승), turn (전), conclusion (결). Common in Korean narrative and academic writing.

서론-본론-결론

Introduction-body-conclusion structure for essays. State the topic in 서론, develop arguments in 본론, and summarize in 결론.

Written -다 endings

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

Spacing (띄어쓰기)

Korean word spacing rules: particles attach to the preceding word; auxiliary verbs and nouns are spaced per standard rules. Incorrect spacing affects marks.

Direct quotation

Uses quotation marks with 라고/하고: '간다'라고 말했어요 = He said, 'I'm going.' Preserves the exact words spoken.

Indirect quotation

Uses -다고/-냐고/-자고 without quotation marks: 간다고 말했어요 = He said he was going. Does not preserve exact words.

Tense consistency

Maintain past (-았/었-), present (-ㄴ/는-), or future (-겠-/-ㄹ 것이다) tense within a paragraph unless a time shift is intended.

Punctuation in Korean

Uses full stops, commas, and question marks similarly to English; quotation marks may appear as 「 」 or 『 』 in print. Use consistently.

Humble verb 드리다

Humble form of 주다 (give): 선생님께 선물을 드렸어요 = I gave a gift to the teacher. Used when the receiver is respected.

Honorific verb 뵙다

Humble form of 만나다 (meet): 내일 교수님을 뵙겠습니다 = I will meet the professor tomorrow. Used when the person met is respected.

Particle -의

Marks possession: 나의 책 = my book. Often omitted in speech but more frequent in formal writing.

Demonstratives 이/그/저

이 (this near speaker), 그 (that near listener), 저 (that over there). Used to track referents and create cohesion in texts.