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any new updates will be done there.

It was after the lunch break as I stood outside of the 4 story classroom, letting time pass till class commence. Overlooking the other side was a primary (junior) school and there were some kids playing badminton at the playground though there were neither a net nor proper court lines. In the midst of the game, one boy swung his racquet too hard and the racket flew high and got stuck in between the branches of a tree. Racquets are expensive, and considering the prospect of getting a fat scolding from your parents for losing it is just a nightmare. Well, one of the boy saw the despair look on the friend’s face and tried to help. He took off one side of his shoes and start throwing it in the direction of the branch, hoping that it would rattle and let the racquet go from its grip. Others used small stones, and broken branches to try to get to the racquet. Finally like David’s tale, the smooth stone hit the racquet, and it moved and fell to the ground. The boy who offered what mattered to him with all the good intention threw one last time, unaware that the stone had already got to the racquet. It was his turn to have his shoes caught between the branches. The bell rang, and everyone rush back to class, leaving him alone to face the situation. Even the boy whom he intended to help fetch the racquet left. He tried to get his shoes back, but it was too late. Class was about to start. Disappointed, he limped back with his one sided shoe.

Many of us are like that little boy. I believe that everyone borned are generous, kind and love one another like God commanded. We gave what is important to us to help others like the boy who offered his shoes. We sympathize and stood forth to bring the change in issues that burns in our hearts. We fought for good. But, somewhere along the way, we came to learn that the world ain’t a good giver. We were abandoned by those that we love or helped. In the effort to protect ourselves, we decided to scrap all the generousity crap and focus on not being “cheated”.  We do only when it’ll do good back to us.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with that, its understandable for a human to react this way. But as time past, this rule is established concretely in our hearts. “If you be kind, it doesn’t mean the other party will be kind to you. They may take opportunity and rat on you”.

Referring to the game theory concept by the famous matematician, John Nash, human functions this way as well 

Say there are two people, Blue and Green. If we look along the Blue’s decision to “be kind” or “rat on kidness shown” by Green, Blue will consider his returns. If he ‘be kind’ to Green, Green will have great temptation to ‘rat’ on his kindness because Green gets $200 by ratting on Blue’s kindness then to share $100 if they both be kind to each other. If Blue ‘be nasty’ by ratting, he knows that Green with be tempted to ‘rat’ too cause Green would want $80 return than to settle for $50 if he return’s Blue’s “nastiness” with kindness. Blue believing that Green will choose money over humanity due to precedents set by the rule of the world (“If you be kind, it doesn’t mean the other party will be kind to you. They may take opportunity and rat on you”) he decided that ‘be nasty by ratting’ will be a better choice because a $80 by ratting back will be better than a $50 to be rat at. He thus decide to rat on Green’s kindness. Green symetrically assume the same. In the end, both will rat on each other and end up with much lower return of $80. If they would have believe that the other party would return the kindness and not take opportunity on them, they would not choose to be nasty and both will settle for $100.

Is the figure given reasonable. On the whole, yes, because if you get an extreme high profit from ratting, the other will suffer great loss. That’s why we humans take precautions to avoid us being the ‘loser’.

But you might say, if the person is kind to me, I may be kind to him back. True, however, that person who also fears being cheated on will consider whether you will return the kindness or thinks that he’s a fool and rat on him. Both of you will end up facing this dilema and take the best measure on what you seem will happen.

As this continues on from generations to generations, it gets worse, thus the world fill with individualism and materialism appears. We are now afraid to lend out a helping hand. We are hessitant in the kindness shown by others. We refuse to voice out on the falling morals of the teenagers, fearing that our kindness to get things right will be targeted upon. The vicious cycle continues until one day the world will be populated by darkness.

But why aren’t we entirely in the dark? Why are we still surviving and why some of us can still seek joy from what is around us despite all this is going on?

This is because one person, just need one person, whom first gave. He stood up to give even though he knew the possible consequences. He gave out of – love. The first to give us that is God. God gave the world that you live in, made it and shape it to suit all your needs. God gave you choice and freedom even though He is aware by that, you may decide to turn your face against Him. When that happened, God still love the world that He decided to send Jesus to provide salvation to all. Many of us, felt this love of God, which is odd, that human still can be touched by the good that’s been shown to us and let us in turn give to others. One give to another, the other got touched or may rat on the kindness. But at least, the possibility of the person ratting on your kindness is lowered as the person know you come with ‘clean hearts’. One to another, the other to another, the another to another …..

William Wilberforce, took the initiative to fight with his passion and kindness in his heart to stop slave trading. In the Amazing Grace movie (based on the true story), he was transformed by God’s calling to set the example of God’s love for the people and that God made all men equal. Did he get rat on? Yes he did, for 20 years his Bill proposal was rejected over and over and his patrioticism critised for bringing this change. For another 25 years later he fought to get slave trading totally abolish and recognised this in the law. He died 3 days after slave trading was officially abolished in Britain. But his one moment of kindness turned an impact on this world and gave freedom to those once was enslaved.

John Newton, a former slave trader himself, wrote Amazing Grace song after he repented of his sins and gave his life to Jesus. In the lyrics of the song, he said “amazing grace… that saved a wretch like me“. Imagine, it was your own hands who put those bodies in little compartments, chain them and let them die because of rough journey, diseases caused by bad food and stinking air polluted with human waste because they can’t move being chained in the compartment. How could a person who was so cruel be forgiven? It was Grace from God that got him saved, because he repented. He accepted the gift of salvation that Jesus has put in front of him. That’s why the song is named “Amazing Grace” because there is no greater love and grace that could be given to a person like him.

How about you? Have you lost the courage to put forth the first move to love and be kind to others. Let God touch you and be the first to love you so that you can love others. Let Jesus show to you that greatest grace and transform you like he did with William Wilberforce. Believe in this grace and love and carry it to everything you do. Let you be the first to show another this grace, and both will benefit from it. Let you start and stone this precedent that no longer your kindness will be “rat” on, that this is the new precedent that God’s love will reign between you and your relation with others. You may stumble along the way walking with Jesus, but continue to repent and He will lift you up and empower you to do mighty things. One grace and kindness William Wilberforce showed had touched millions of lives, how about you?

This song is “Amazing Grace” from the movie’s motion picture soundtrack:

“Amazing Grace” performed by Chris Tomlin

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      1)   Lesson 2  Cultural Tip

      2)   Lesson 2 Vocabulary

      3)   Numbers

      4)   Telling time

      5)   Subject markers  이/가

      6)   Object markers   을/를

      7)   There exist/ don’t exist   있다/없다

      8)    Place and Time Particle     에

      9)    Place particle 2      에서

     10)   ‘To go’ 가다 vs ‘To come’ 오다

     11)   Assignment: Integrated usage of 은/는, 에, 에서, 있어요, 이/가, 을/를

     12)   Assignment: Giving directions

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The picture below shows a map around the campus area. Mark is new in town and do not know the directions to the post office. He consults JinWook for direction. He is currently at the library.

Look at the map carefully and analyse how you are going to give directions to Mark.

Below are hints in english the sentences that it should show. You can take this as guidance in translating to korean.

Now, you are at the library. Walk straight. There is a school cafetaria on your right. Turn left.  Go straight. On your left there is a cinema. The cinema is beside a park. Opposite the park, there is a hospital.  Turn right. The post office is on the left side.

You can comment below with your answer for review

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Below is a table giving the details for each student of the Korean class. Construct sentences to describe each person based on the information given about them.

Hints: (highlight to see only when you can’t do)

1) use 이에요/예요 form of X is Y.

2) For family members section, make sure you differentiate when to use 있다 and when to use the honorific 계세요.

3) Use all your knowledge on the particles to complete the meal section.

You can comment below with your answers for review

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It may be quite confusing deciding when we should use “to come” 오다 and when should you use “to go” 가다.

Both of them are relatively similar in that they denote the action of moving towards a place.

This is more like a general grammar explaination than specifically referring to korean language itself. However, it is very important to distinguish between these two because the usage of words is quite different.

Let’s look at the first situation below.

This is a little picture that i drew up, pretty cool huh?

Say JinWook is at a party, his own birthday party and he invited Minji to his party.

If it was Minji who is speaking, Minji will say “I am going to the party” (ie. 저는 파티에 가요) because he is moving towards where JinWook is at.

If it was JinWook who is speaking of Minji, he will say “Minji is coming to the party”. (민지가 파티에 와요) because he is stationary at the place and Minji is moving towards him.

—————————————————————————————–

Now, it is really important because some words like “come in” and “go in” needs to be made clear.

take for instance this situation:

JinWook is standing in the room with Minji and JeongJin is standing outside of the door.

JinWook will ask Minji to “come in”.  (들어 와요)

Minji will say “going in” because he is moving to JinWook the reference point. (들어 가다)

Jeong Jin who is the “3rd party” will ask Minji to “go in” (들어 가다) because he wants Minji to move to JinWook’s place.

I’m sure you’ll get the idea.

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We have looked at the usage of particle 에 in denoting place and time.  Now we will look at how ~에서 differs from 에 in marking the place and time.

How it works:

 1) As a place particle

     (a) “from” a place

      For example:  Minji comes from Korea.

      Firstly like usual, we think of the ending : 와요. to come

      The place where Minji comes from is Korea (한국).

       Thus we attach the particle 에서 to Korea to mark the location.

       [한국에서 와요. comes from Korea]

       Putting Minji as the topic of our conversation,

       [민지는 한국에서 와요. Minji comes from Korea ]

    (b) Denote the place where an activity (verb) takes place

       For example: Minji studies at the library.

       In this situation, we have an activity/verb (studying) that is taking place

      at a location (library).

       Contrast this to the usage of 에 where its use for static location

       or a destination.

       Whenever the place mention is the place where activity takes place,

        use 에서 and not 에.

        Thus in this example, let’s start building the sentence from the ending.

        [공부해요. to study]

         Putting the location where the activity takes place and marking it,

         [도서관에서 공부해요. studies at the library]

        Who are we talking about?

        [민지는 도서관에서 공부해요.  Minji studies at the library] 

2) As time particle

     (a) “from” a time

        Its similar to the usage of 에서  as “from a place”.

        For example: Minji studies from 2 o’clock at the library.

         The ending for this sentence would be “to study”

          [......공부해요. to study]

         Where did Minji study? Note, the library is place where activity takes place

         Therefore we must use 에서 to mark this place instead of 에.

         [ ....... 도서관에서 공부해요. Studies at the library]

        Now for the time: Minji studies from 2′oclock.

         2o’clock = 두 시

         So adding the particle 에서  to denote the time from which Minji studies,

         [...두 시에서 도서관에서 공부해요. Studies from 2 o'clock at the library]

         Finally completing the topic of the sentence.

         [민지는 두 시에서 도서관에서 공부해요.]

        ^ Minji studies from 2 o’clock at the library.

Try it yourself:

1) Translate the following to korean:

• JinWook eats breakfast at the school cafetaria.
• I watched television since 5 o’clock. [use past tense form of "to watch" 보다+았어요 = 봤어요]

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A very simple particle to use.

 How it works:

 1.    As a place particle:        

     (a)  Indicates a static location and the place where an object exist.

            For example: Minji is at the library now.

            This sentence implied that Minji ”exist” at the library,

            thus we use the ”있다” as the ending.

            [......있어요.  Exist]

            The static location in this sentence (where Minji “exist”) is ‘the library’.

            Library = 도서관  

            Thus we add the particle 에 after the word 도서관 to denote the place.

           [....... 도서관에 있어요. (exist) at the library.]

            But who is at the library? It is Minji who is at the library.

            Minji is our subject/topic of conversation, we use the topic marker 은/는.

            [민지는 도서관에 있어요. Minji is at the library]

            We could stop there, but we want to add more info to this sentence.

            We want to specifically say “now” Minji is at the library.

           now = 지금   and is placed either before or after 민지는.

           [지금 민지는 도서관에 있어요 = 민지는 지금 도서관에 있어요]

          ^ Minji is at the library now.

*NOTE: pls don’t use 에 to mark the place where the activity takes place.

          eg.  Minji is studying at the library – cannot use particle 에.

          We will discuss the appropriate particle for this kind in “Place particle 2″

    (a)  Indicate destination or a goal.

            For example:  Minji is going to school.

            to go = 가다. So we contract it to the polite form [...가요. Going.]

            But where are we going?

            In this case the destination to where we’re going is ‘school’.

            Thus we add the particle 에 to denote the place where we’re heading.

            [..... 학교에 가요. Going to school]

            But who is going to school? Minji the one going to school.

           So we use topic marker on Minji( its ok to use subject marker 이/가 too)

            [민지는 학교에 가요 .

          ^ Minji is going to school.

           ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Another very common direction is 'to come' = 오다.

            For example: Today, Minji is coming to school.

            The ending will be [.....와요. Coming] (contraction occured)

           Where is Minji coming?

            The destination in this case is ‘school’ .

            Add particle 에 to denote this destination.

            [...... 학교에 와요. Coming to school]

            Who is coming to school? Its Minji.

            Say lets make a little twist, we are talking all about today (ie topic)

            and along the way, we are talking about Minji.

            So let’s make Minji the subject and not the topic of conversation.

            Thus we add the subject particle 이/가 to Minji.

            [............... 민지가 학교에 와요. Minji is coming to school].

             Putting in the topic of conversation: Today 오늘

            [오늘은 민지가 학교에 와요. Today, Minji is coming to school]

 2.    As a time particle:       

     This particle is used to mark the time in the sentence

     ( probably when something is going to take place.)

      With exception to 오늘 and 언제, no particle 에 is allowed.

          For example: Minji  is studying at 2 o’clock.

          Identify the ending of this sentence.

          The ending is ‘to study’ 공부하다, putting it in polite form:

           [.....공부해요.  Study]

          The time in this sentence is 2 o’clock thus we add 에 to mark it.

           [ ...... 두 시에 공부해요. Studying at 2 o'clock. ]

           Who is studying at 2 o’clock? Its ‘Minji’.

          Adding the topic marker (assuming the topic of conversation is ‘Minji’)

          [ 민지는 두 시에 공부해요.  I'm studying at 2 o'clock. ]

          ————————————————————————————-

           The particle 에 is not only used to mark specific time (… o’clock).

           This particle can be used to mark the general time reference.

           Eg.  on weekend: 주말에  

           For example:  I’m taking Korean (language) this semester.

           The korean verb for ”taking subjects” is 듣다.  (to hear).

           Its weird using ‘to hear’ to say ‘taking subjects’ but that’s how it goes.

           As usual, we start by slowly constructing the sentence ending.

         듣다 ends with ”ㄷ”, so in contracting for polite form, ㄷ will change to ㄹ.

            듣다 + 어요 = 들어요

           [......들어요. ]

           Now, the thing that we are taking is “korean language”.

           Remember, this is an object where the verb of ‘taking’ is acting upon it.

           Thus we use the particle object particle 을/를 on it.

           [ ....... 한국어를 들어요. Take (the subject) korean language. ]

           So when are we taking korean language as a subject? It’s this semester.

           semester = 학기 and this semester = 이번 학기

          Because its a time referred, we will add particle 에 to mark it.

          [이번 학기에 한국어를 들어요. This semester (I'm) taking korean language. ]

           Note: like we said before, in korean, they seldom use “you, I, ….”

                 The sentence already implied that you’re talking about yourself.

                 But if you want to emphasize that you’re talking about “I”

                 Then can go ahead with : 저는 이번 학기에 한국어를 들어요.

Try it on your own.

 1) Translate the following sentences into korean.

• The computer lab (컴퓨터 랩) is on the 3rd floor of the library. (hint: exist at 3rd floor)
• I am going to the department store.
• I am going to the department store tomorrow.
• I am going to the department store tomorrow morning
• Minji is coming to the party (파티) at 5 o’clock.

you can comment below with your answers

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In its literal meaning, 있다 means to exist and 없다 means doesn’t exist.

When added to polite ending ~아/어요:

• 있다 + 어요  = 있어요.  [the vowel in 있 is 'ㅣ' thus 어요 is added]
• 없다 + 어요  = 없어요.  [the vowel in 없 is "ㅓ" thus 어요 is added]

How it works:

If A ask you whether do you have a pen, and you  say, yes, I have a pen. You can use this form, in which, literally you’ll be saying “pen exist”. A will ask using this form, with a rising tone on the 요, and to answer that you have a pen you’ll use the same phrase but with a falling tone.  [Note: in korean, the reference of I, you, us, he, she is often ignored when the person that you are talking about is obvious]

             펜 = pen      polite form of 있다 = 있어요.

        Conversation would be:

                        A:   펜 있어요?  [rising tone] Do (you) have a pen?

                    you:   네, 펜 있어요.  Yes,  I have a pen.

Say if you don’t have a pen, you can use 없다 form in which literally, you’ll be saying “pen doesn’t exist”.

         polite form of 없다 = 없어요.

          Conversation would be:

                     A: 펜 있어요?   Do you have a pen?

                  you: 펜 없어요.  I don’t have a pen.

—————————————————————————————————————————

You were to knock on your friend’s apartment door and someone else answered the door. You want to ask him whether your friend, Minji 민지 is home.

Assuming that the person is a kid (this is the casual form of asking, please do not use this phrase when speaking about someone you have to give respect to):

        You’ll say:  민지 있어요?  Is Minji in?  [Lit: Minji exist (now)]

Same goes with conversation on the phone.

Now, some little things to note: the honorific of 있어요 when referring to persons is 계세요. So if you want to say it in honorific form (perhaps Minji is your senior).

       You’ll say: 민지 씨 계세요?  Is Minji at home (honorific)

————————————————————————————————————————-

If you would like to ask a person whether she has time (especially those for coffee date :-p) you can use this form.

            time = 시간   

Assuming that person is quite close to you:

         You’ll say: 시간(이)  있어요?  Do you have time?

However, if you want to put in more honorific form, the honorific form for 있다 for things (as oppose to person) is 있으세요. [remember the polite form in Lesson 1?  있다 ends with a consonant so 으세요 is added]

         You’ll say: 시간(이) 있으세요? Do you have time?

 Now now before you get caught in the answer, remember what i said in Lesson1. Never lift yourself. 

 She will give you the answer 시간 있어요  or 있어요 (the topic 시간 can be omitted if its obvious and that the topic has been clearly established). NEVER will she answer 있으세요 (because that way, she’s lifting herself which is wrong. she should humble herself).

—————————————————————————————————————————

More examples. Very useful phrase. How do you say ‘its tasty’ or ‘its not tasty’ ? In korean, this form is used, literally mean, “taste exist” and “taste don’t exist”.

           taste = 맛

    Tasty: 맛있어요.   (Lit: taste exist)

    Not tasty: 맛없어요 (Lit: taste don’t exist)

pretty cool right?

NOTE: Let’s contrast 있다/없다 with 이에요/예요/아니예요.

You may be confused a little then about the ending 이에요/예요/아니예요 (is X, is not X) and 있다/없다 (exist/doesn’t exist). Let’s do it with an example:

(a)  If I say 책이에요.  I’m saying (this) IS a book.

(b)  If I say 책 있어요.  I have a book / There is a book.    

In (a) I’m pointing to this particular thing and informing the person that ‘it is a book’. However in (b) I’m saying that the book exist meaning ‘I have a book’ not particularly referring to any book.

more examples :   민지예요.  I am Minji

                                민지 있어요.  Minji is in. [lit: Minji exist (here)]

Taking things a little further:

Try yourself:

1) Answer the following questions in korean by using 있다 and 없다.

• Do you have a book? 책 있어요?
• Do you have a korean dictionary? 한국어 사전이 있어요?
• Do you have a roomate? 롬메이트 있어요?
• Do you have exams? 시험이 있어요?

2) Make some sentences of what you have in your room and what you don’t.

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