Essential Korean Podcast

Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. Ready to elevate your Korean skills and join a vibrant community of learners? Join the EK Community at my.essentialkorean.com for engaging courses, comprehensive resources, exclusive content, and great conversations on diverse Korea-related topics with other members. Visit our membership page to choose a plan that gives you access to episode transcripts and an enhanced learning experience with weekly classes and study sessions alongside like-minded people. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey together!- - -In this first episode of the Korea Unscripted series, I begin with a story from my teenage years in New York—an eye-opening moment when I realized how words I "knew" in English meant little without real-world context. That lesson shaped how I teach Korean today: language exists in context. From that truth, Korea Unscripted was born—a new series that captures real-life conversations and small but powerful Korean phrases heard in everyday moments.In this episode, I also take you to a dinner table in a Korean restaurant where a casual exchange between a married couple turns into a rich language moment. You'll learn how the simple phrase “딱 맞아” (‘It’s exactly right’) captures more than just proportion—it reflects real-life rhythm, tone, and connection. Along the way, we’ll explore how “딱” functions in everyday speech and see language as it’s lived—unscripted, natural, and full of small “aha” moments.---Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. We’ve created the Essential Korean membership to help provide a complete set of tools to elevate your Korean to the next level. Check that out on our website, along with my weekly newsletter, at essentialkorean.com!Support the show Home page: www.essentialkorean.com Community: my.essentialkorean.com https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean

📍 To learn more about or register for the upcoming new beginner class, visit my.essentialkorean.com and check the latest post under Kay샘’s Desk for the link and full details.Join us and start your Korean journey the right way! ☘️Support the show Home page: www.essentialkorean.com Community: my.essentialkorean.com https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean

Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. Ready to elevate your Korean skills and join a vibrant community of learners? Join the EK Community at my.essentialkorean.com for engaging courses, comprehensive resources, exclusive content, and great conversations on diverse Korea-related topics with other members. Visit our membership page to choose a plan that gives you access to episode transcripts and an enhanced learning experience with weekly classes and study sessions alongside like-minded people. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey together!- - -In this special episode, we explore the -지요 verb ending in Korean—a versatile and engaging speech pattern often used for confirmation, connection, and inclusivity in conversation.Through real-life examples, Kay샘 will guide you in understanding how -지요 functions in different contexts, alongside key grammar points like the -고 conjunctive and honorific verbs in Korean.But today’s episode is also deeply personal. As Kay샘 teaches these language concepts, she'll share a letter to her late father, reflecting on words, unspoken actions, love, and cherished memories. Through this, you’ll hear authentic Korean in action—woven into a tribute that is both linguistic and personal.Let's learn, reflect, and celebrate both the power of language and the love that connects us across time and memory.Key Takeaways from This Episode:✅ The meaning and function of -지요 in Korean conversations✅ How -고 is used to connect ideas in natural speech✅ The role of honorific verbs in storytelling and respect✅ A personal letter, shared in both Korean and EnglishTo happy learning and memories... 💕Support the show Home page: www.essentialkorean.com Community: my.essentialkorean.com https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean

Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. Ready to elevate your Korean skills and join a vibrant community of learners? Join the EK Community at my.essentialkorean.com for engaging courses, comprehensive resources, exclusive content, and great conversations on diverse Korea-related topics with other members. Visit our membership page to choose a plan that gives you access to episode transcripts and an enhanced learning experience with weekly classes and study sessions alongside like-minded people. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey together!- - -The Korean writer Han Kang (한강) has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature this year, marking the first-ever Nobel Prize win in literature in Korean history. To pay tribute to this remarkable writer, we have a lesson in this episode built around "The Vegetarian," for which she received the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, using a few elements from the book to have a Korean lesson.Today, we’ll learn:One way to form words that mean ideology and a person who believes in that ideology (semantics).A pattern to express one’s attempt or intention (syntax).Comparison between the original Korean titles of some of her books and their translated titles.All this is in tribute to Han Kang, for being the first Korean writer ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature!Are we ready for our lesson then? Let’s get started!#HanKang #한강 #TheVegetarian #채식주의자 #KoreanLiterature #KoreanBooks #KoreanAuthors #LearnKorean #KoreanLanguage #KoreanLessons #KoreanGrammar #KoreanCulture #LanguageLearning #LiteratureLovers #WorldLiterature #ManBookerPrize #KoreanNovels #BookDiscussion #LanguagePodcast #LiteraryPodcast---Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. We’ve created the Essential Korean membership to help provide a complete set of tools to elevate your Korean to the next level. Check that out on our website, along with my weekly newsletter, at essentialkorean.com!Support the show Home page: www.essentialkorean.com Community: my.essentialkorean.com https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean

Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. Ready to elevate your Korean skills and join a vibrant community of learners? Join the EK Community at my.essentialkorean.com for engaging courses, comprehensive resources, exclusive content, and great conversations on diverse Korea-related topics with other members. Visit our membership page to choose a plan that gives you access to episode transcripts and an enhanced learning experience with weekly classes and study sessions alongside like-minded people. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey together!- - -In this episode, we’ll explore how to talk about the Olympics in Korean, with a focus on key phrases, expressions, and vocabulary related to this global event. Along the way, you'll study/review Sino-Korean numbers and native Korean numbers, as well as learn to pronounce tricky phrases naturally, more like a native speaker :)Stay tuned until the end, where we’ll uncover how the term 효자—which means a pious, caring son—relates to the Olympics. Let's dive in to the lesson right away!#Sino-KoreanNumbers, #NativeKoreanNumbers #KoreanPronunciation #FromAndToInKorean #SportsInKorean #KoreanArchery #2024Olympics #88SeoulOlympicsSupport the show Home page: www.essentialkorean.com Community: my.essentialkorean.com https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean