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12 Fun & Easy Korean Expressions & Sounds

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12 Fun & Easy Korean Expressions & Sounds

Want to sound like a native Korean? Or just plain desire to understand more of your favorite Korean dramas? Watch KWOW #110 to learn some popular Korean expressions and sounds (below).

There are tons, tons, tons of Korean expressions and sounds. Some are classics while others are passing trends. Here's the list of the ones featured in the episode:

  1. Aish/아이씨: darnit, ah crap, oh man
  2. Nyam nyam nyam/냠냠냠: munching sounds, the Korean way of saying America's "nom nom nom"
  3. Ae/에이: roughly translates to "Aw~ Come on," can sound highly aegyo depending on how you say it, use when someone rejects your request
  4. Uh/어: heard often when Koreans are on the phone, the Korean way of saying "yeah" and "uhuh."
  5. The airy huh: very common sound in Korean dramas, used when expressing disbelief with an "omg, what did you just say to me?" face
  6. Ooh-ah/우아: a Korean way of saying "wow"
  7. Ayah!/아야!: the Korean "ouch," the shorter way to say it is "Ah! 아!" Use this when you have sharp and sudden pain, i.e. papercut. Make a longer "Ah/아" if you're sick in bed, have a stomachache or are experiencing brain freeze.
  8. Ah-HH-hh/아~ (see KWOW #110 at 3:08): a long AH with a raised middle then back down is equivalent to "oh-HH-hh." Like when someone says in America, "OhhHHhhhh, I see."
  9. The suck-in-the-air-through-your-teeth sound effect (watch KWOW #110 at 3:33 for demo): use when in pain or when someone is about to do something after you told them not to, i.e. your little brother reaching for the cookie jar, your cat jumping on the dinner table.
  10. Ya/야: means "hey" in most situations. There are multiple ways of using YA. Yell it out loud when frustrated (like when you're fighting and you're at a loss for words) and if someone wronged you (i.e. a pickpocket snatched your purse).
  11. Ya, ya, ya/야, 야, 야: meaning "hey, hey, hey," this expression is often seen in Korean dramas with policemen and gangsters. Remember to include hand and arm motions as shown in the video (4:45)!
  12. The long Ya/야 with a genuine smile: sounds more like "wow" than "hey," use when impressed with something or someone, i.e. your friend can drink a ridiculous amount of soju and is still alive, you saw the Grand Canyon for the first time and are blown away by its awesome-ness.


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North Korea's "Godzilla"

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North Korea's "Godzilla"

As discussed in KWOW episode 106 (above), former leader Kim Jong-Il once kidnapped the famous director Shin Sang-Ok. When Shin was told to direct a propaganda film, he said no and tried to escape North Korea. He was put in jail for the following five years and was fed grass and cornmeal. When released, director Shin was given some creative freedom and ended up making North Korea's cult classic monster film "Pulgasari" (불가사리). Which was similar to the original "Godzilla," a favorite flick of Kim Jong-Il's.

Watch "Pulgasari" below!

Still shots from "Pulgasari":

pulgasari 1
pulgasari 4
pulgasari 2
pulgasari 5
pulgasari 3
pulgasari 6

Before his kidnapping, director Shin made "A Flower from Hell" (1958) and other lesser censored films. Considering how uncensored media today is, Shin's classics may not be considered highly erotic through the eyes of the modern individual.



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Exotic Korean Drum Dances

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Exotic Korean Drum Dances

This week on KWOW, Professor Oh explains the drum dancing featured in 2NE1's "I'm the Best" and "Gu Family Book."

Feel the beat of the vibrant 5-drum dance (ogomu/오고무). The female players spin, jump, kneel and bend backwards as they hit the drums. Time to break out in some colorful sweat!

A shiny, abstract version of the 3-drum dance (samgomu/삼고무) appears in 2NE1's "I'm the Best" at 2:47.

Many, many, many drummers! Up, down and all around!

Stay tuned for our special 100th episode of KWOW next Wednesday! Granny Kim is cooking up something spicy.



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