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In this month’s newsletter:

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Welcome to the KoreanClass101.com newsletter. Spring is coming and we are ready to welcome in the new season with fun and exciting lessons! These periodic newsletters will deliver exciting developments that are going on at KoreanClass101.com. With each issue, you will receive the latest announcements, promotional offers, blog news, and forum news, while getting a rare glimpse of the behind-the-scenes life at the KoreanClass101.com office!

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In today’s lesson we’ll go over how to ask someone a few simple questions.

Vocabulary

• 네 ( yes )
• 아니오 (no)
• 도 (too, also)
• 회사원 (office worker)

Grammar Focus

• The Formal Interrogative - -ㅂ/습니까?
  • This construction is used to ask a question in a formal level of politeness. It attaches to verbs as a final sentence ending. -ㅂ/습니까 (-m/seumnikka) can be attached to any verb to form a present tense question with that verb. This conjugation is in the formal politeness level and is used for very formal situations.

Formulating Yes-or-No Questions

• The formal interrogative sentence ending is -ㅂ/습니까? (m/seumnikka?) and attaches to the end of verbs.
  • “Noun 1는(은) Noun 2입니다.” This sentence structure is using the formal present conjugation of the copula.
  • “Noun 1는(은) Noun 2입니까?” Replacing “다” (da) of “입니다” (imnida) with “까” (kka), changes the statement into a question:

The Augmentative Particle -도 

• -도 (-do) is a particle used to indicate that something that has previously been stated also holds true for the item currently under discussion. It corresponds with the English words “also” or “too.”
  • Noun + 도 = Noun, too.
    • 저는 학생입니다. (jeo-neun hakseng-imnida) (I am a student.)
    • 저 도 학생입니다. (jeo-do hakseng-imnida) (I am also a student.)

This Lesson adds more vocabulary and grammar to help you introduce yourselves.

Vocabulary

• 씨 - (Mr., Ms., Mrs.)

• 연 주 씨. 안녕하세요. - Honam is a student.

• 선생님 - teacher

• 유라 씨는 선생님입니다. - Yura is a teacher

• 이 다 - To be

• 우와! 한국이다! - Wow! It`s Korea

The Honorific Suffix - 씨

• In Korean 씨 (ssi) is the honorific suffix. Just as the title suggests, it gestures respect to the name it is suffixed to.

• It can be used to respect anybody. It is unisex and can be used regardless of age.

• It is used more frequently than the English titles, Mister, Misses, and Miss. If two people are not on casual terms, they will typically suffix 씨 (ssi) to the other person’s name.

• It is only used when referring to someone else. One cannot use 씨 (ssi) for their own name.

• When it is suffixed to a name, it must be suffixed to a person’s given name. If the honorific suffix is attached to only the person’s family name, it can sometimes be seen as demeaning.

The Affirmative Copula - 이다

• The affirmative copula in Korean is 이다 (ida). This verb generally translate as “to be.” This means it can be used to express equation, definition, identification, and description. But it is not existential. Korean has a separate verb to express existence.
  

Formal Politeness Level Conjugation (-ㅂ/습니다) 

• 입니다 (imnida) is the copula conjugated into the present tense, and in the formal politeness level. To conjugate 이다 (ida) we take the dictionary form of the copula 이다 (ida) and remove 다 (da) to get the verb stem, 이 (i). From there we add -ㅂ 니다 (-mnida). 이 + ㅂ 니다 = 입니다 (i + mnida = imnida).

Every month, we are giving away great KoreanClass101.com prizes to 4 lucky listeners. Sign up to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or KoreanClass101.com to be eligible to win. Increase your chances of winning by following us on all four sites!

Here are February’s winners:

Facebook: Ronnie Gorman Battersby
Youtube: CinemaAny
Twitter: kayeOmma
KoreanClass101: vanelectro

See your name here? Email us at contactus@KoreanClass101.com to claim your prize. Check back next month for March`s winners!