[Learning Korean]Emotion Pub? gamseongjujeom?

Gamseongjujeom(감성주점) is one of the hottest words in South Korea now, because of COVID19. As many young people go to there and do close-contact each other, that behavior causes COVID19 spread.

And then what is Gamseongjujeom?

Gamseong literally means emotion and Jujeom is where alcoholic drinks are sold like a pub. But the meaning from the words is twisted and changed with other meaning.

GamseongJujeom can be defined like below

In the form of a pub where young people, such as mainly early 20s, go , it is similar to a regular pub, but with music and stage that can be danced, dance between tables if there is no space to dance. This is a pub that can be used as an intermediate form between a club and a general pub and they usually go there to find a new partner.

GamseongJujeom, what is the difference from a general pub?

According to Korean Law(ENFORCEMENT DECREE OF THE FOOD SANITATION ACT), the food service business can be divided into six categories.

Food service business:
(a) Rest restaurant business: Business of cooking and selling mainly tea, ice cream, etc., or cooking and selling foods in fast food stores or snack bars, where drinking is not allowed: Provided, That the same shall not apply where water is poured into instant cup noodle, instant tea or other foods in the places which sell foods such as convenience stores, supermarkets and rest areas
(b) General restaurant business: Business of cooking and selling foods, where drinking accompanied with meals is allowed;
(c) Karaoke bar business: Business of cooking and selling mainly alcoholic beverages, where customers are allowed to sing;
(d) Entertainment bar business: Business of cooking and selling mainly alcoholic beverages, where workers engaged in entertainment may be employed or entertainment facilities may be established, and customers may sing or dance;
(e) Catering service business: Business of cooking and providing foods in facilities providing meals, in accordance with a contract concluded with persons who establish and operate facilities providing meals;
(f) Bakery business: Business of manufacturing and selling mainly bread, rice cake, snacks, etc., where drinking is not allowed.

In South Korea, a pub is usually a General restaurant business but in a nutshell, a pub with dance is a Entertainment bar business. And the businesses are subjected to different tax rate.

[Learn Korean] Mini Signs that you can see at KTX

KTX(Korea Train eXpress) is the fastest train system in South Korea. And its railways are connected everywhere in South Korea from Seoul.

So if you arrive at the Incheon airport and you plan to travel Korean local city, it is one of the best choices to take the KTX train. As it takes two and half hours from Seoul to Busan.

In KTX train, you can find mini signs that has long and meaningful Korean words but also has just short English translation.

Let's see some of them and learn Korean.

1. The first mini sign is here. You will probably find it on the window frame or on window.
Luckily there is a simple pictogram with it but no translation in English. And the pictogram cannot express what the words mean.

창문의 블라인드 손잡이를 아래로 끌어내리면 햇빛을 가릴 수 있습니다.

Although the pictogram just says that there is a window blind being able to go down, Korean words say it in some different way.

You can block the sunlight by dragging the window blind's handle down.

I have no idea why they write it like that. Too long and too kind. It feels like a window blind is not usual thing here.

2. Second, about KTX Mini Library. If you have a first class ticket of KTX, you can see the KTX Mini Library near the entrance of the first class cabin. And below the simple mini sign, there is some words that say something.

[부탁합니다] 책을 보신 후 다음 승객을 위해 KTX 미니도서관에 놓아주시기 바랍니다.

There is only Korean language books, so maybe someone does not think that foreign people do not use the library, that's why the sentence is not translated.

After reading the book, please return it at the KTX Mini Library for the next passenger.

 3. There is a hidden useful button that even some Koreans don't know about it. The button is above the cabin door and the function of the button is 'open the door for 3 minutes'. When you get on the train, you can push the button for the people behind you like a 'I -well-know-the KTX' person.

3분열림버튼(Open the door for 3 minutes)

4. Last. You can see the sign above. And it is just like the international standard sign of no smoking. But there is more.

화장실에서 흡연 시 화재감지 장치가 작동하여 열차가 비상정차 됩니다.

In English,

When smoking in the bathroom, the fire detection device operates, and the train stops.

I don't know why the Korean sentence below the sign is not translated. Anyway I'm sure that even smokers do not want to stop the train accidentally.

Learn Real Korean Slang

Learn Real Korean Slang for 인싸, 아싸, 존맛탱, 뇌피셜, 현타

As English has lots of slang, Korean also has lots and as a language, the slang are appeared and disappeared.

So I introduce recent Korean slangs.

1. 인싸(inssa), 아싸(assa)

인싸(in-ssa) is short for 'insider'. The insider means a person who is fashionable, extrovert, friendly. Simply it isn't the person like an outsider.
아싸(a-ssa) is the abbreviation of an outsider. As English dictionary says an outsider is a person who does not belong to a particular group.

And you can see or hear 핵인싸(hack in-ssa). 핵인싸(hack in-ssa) is 핵(hack) + 인싸(in-ssa). 핵(hack) means nuclear. It intends to give a word behind very strong feeling. And the feeling can be positive and negative. It's like 'as fuck'.
So 핵인싸(hack in-ssa) means very great 인싸(in-ssa).

And other use of 핵(hack) is 핵노잼(hack no-jam). 노잼(no-jam) means 'no funny', so 핵노잼(hack no-jam) means 'no funny as fuck'.

2. 존맛탱(jonmastaeng, jon-mat-taeng) or JMT

존맛탱 is kind of a shortened words but I'm not sure where it is from. Anyway, it means 'this is really taste as fuck'.

3. 뇌피셜(noepisyeol)

뇌피셜(neo-pi-syeol) has the meaning of official fact by someone-self. What it means that someone says something that he/she thinks the something is true and logical, but the thought is only from his/her brain. 뇌(neo) from 뇌피셜(noepisyeol) is a brain and 피셜(pi-syeol) means 'official'.

4. 현타(hyeonta), 현자 타임(hyeonja time)

현타(hyeonta) is an abbreviation of 현자 타임(hyeonja time). 현자(Hyeonja) means a wise man(sage), so if someone says 'I have 현자 타임(hyeonja time) or 현타(hyeonta).', it means like I'm like a wise man for now. And this expression comes from kind of sexual activities such as masturbation and being after sexual intercourse. When right after having sex, people usually have feeling or mood of calm or relaxed. So with that mood people may make a good decision like a wise man who is always calm and relaxed.
So when you have the urge of buying something that you cannot afford, and then you realize your situation and give up buying. That moment of the realization is called 현자타임.

[How to Konglish]Office / Job Expressions

English is also the international language in the business world. Thus we, Koreans use many English words FLUENTLY when we work in the office.

In Korea, if you are going to work at the convenience store like 7/11 and best-one as a part-time cashier, you need to have a TOEIC score like above 700. That reflects our English abilities..👍

Anyway, let's see how Konglish at Office / Job goes.

1. Name Card(네임카드, 명함)

=> Business Card

As we are human beings, we consider that it's important to call someone's name not hey! or anonymous.
In this way, the business card is for the name not only business stuff so we changed!
Focus on a human..!

2. Office-tel(오피스텔)

=> Studio flat / studio apartment
I don't know if it is English or not.
Officetel is the result of the fusion of 'office' and 'hotel'.
As we love to work hard and infinitely, we invented the place where we can work and live together. What a great idea!(Just kidding)
Officetel is kind of multi-purposed building that has commercial and residential areas.
For example, maybe bottom, first or more floors is/are the commercial area such as convenience stores, cafes, pub, karaoke, company office or etc. and above the floors, there are residential areas that is usually small one room style units. Recommended for single persons..

3. Interphone(인터폰)

=> Intercom
I'm stunned.. because I believed 'Interphone' was actual English.
Interphone, we use the interphone in the office like they use the intercom in the office.
Anyway, intercom is an abbreviation of intercommunication or internal communication.

4. Meeting(미팅)

=> Blind date or meeting

For instance, if you are single and your friendly-Korean-coworker make a meeting with someone for you outside of the company and then it can be likely 'blind date' to develop a romantic relationship.
Or if your manager organizes the meeting, it is the meeting.
And we make words just using '-ting' from 'meeting' that are meant to gather for some purposes such as 커피팅(coffee-ting) which is the meeting of people who love coffee and to have coffee together.

5. Alba(알바)

=> Part-time job or temporary job
I thought Alba was from English language and abbreviated in Korean way.
BUT no!
Alba is from Arbeit which is German. And first it was called 'A-r-bai-t'- 4 sounds and we shortened in two sounds: 'Al-ba'. As I mentioned previous posting, it's not easy for us to recognize between L and R sound and also pronounce. So 'A-r-' sounds changed into 'Al' and 'i-t' sounds was removed from 'Bai-t' sounds that made it 'Ba'. In this manner, 'Alba' is 'part-time job' and usually students do 'Alba'.

[How to Konglish]Restaurant / Food Expressions

 

We Koreans use a lot of English words in everyday life.
When you get the street, it's even not easy to look up the sign board that does not have English words or alphabets.

So it is very important to learn English before you travel or stay in South Korea and also vital to learn Konglish.

Today, I will talk about 'Restaurant / Food Expressions of Konglish'.

1. Self or self servise(셀프)

=> self serve / help yourself

If you do not know this, you cannot get water in a restaurant.
In South Korea, a glass of water and sometimes a bottle of water is usually FREE. But many Korean restaurant owners think it's old-fashioned to bring/serve the water for customers, so you will bring it for yourself and we express it as 'Water is Self' in Korean.
Anyway, actually self-serving is to reduce cost but nowadays it's kind of trend.
So get used it.

2. Service(서비스)

=> FREE
When the owner says 'this is service', it means 'it's free'. Basically 'service' has a maening of 'provide', so it's like 'provide for free'.
If you get 'Service', just say thank you and be humble.🙂

3. Menu(메뉴)

=> a dish or menu
We do not like to limit things and meanings. That's why some people think Korean language is difficult. And yes. 'Menu' is used as 'a dish' and 'a list of dishes(menu)' in Korea.

For example, we say 'the menu is delicious.' and 'there, the menu is great'.
First one means 'the dish is delicious' and second one means 'the dishes at the restaurant are great'.

4. Set(세트)

=> combo, meal, set menu
'Set' is probably from 'set menu'. And as I mentioned, we Koreans love to abbreviate.

5. One shot(원샷)

=> chug, bottoms up, drink up
I have no idea about who use 'One Shot' first and why and how and when..
Maybe.. the 'shot' can be strong expression for us and shot means firing a gun.. so it's like the projectile of alcohol going into a throat. Make sense?

6. Cider(Cidar, 사이다)

=> Sprite, soda, soft drink
One of the Korean well-known soft drinks is 'ChilSung Cider' and its launch in 1950 and still selling well. And people usually call it 'Cider'. Although now we have many kind of soft drinks in market, when we are heard 'Cider' or cabonated drinks, 'ChilSung Cider' just comes to mind like 'Sprite'.

7. Cola(콜라)

=> Coke, Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola
Coca Cola and Pepsi Coal, they have 'Cola' and we make it simple then call it 'Cola' generally.
cola

8. Hot dog(핫도그)

=> Corn dog
'Hot dog' as a street food in Korea is corn dog and 'Hot dog' at hot dog store is also hot dog in Korea. I do not know why it is like this but it is.

9. Dutch pay(더치페이)

=> Go Dutch, Dutch treat, Dutch date
'Dutch pay'!
I recently googled about origin of 'Dutch PAY', some says Britain people brought 'PAY' instead of 'treat' as its meaning is 'paying' and some says definition of 'pay' is more like suitable than 'treat' so someone invented. I don't know which is right or wrong but the world of Internet we have a lot of information that trolling people. So it doesn't matter and just remember what 'Dutch pay' means.