straight from the zebra's mouth ( ㅈ! )

this one is tough, so here's a lesson

ㅈ is like ʤ. click for sample

ㅈ is like j.

ㅈ is never like z.

so zebra is never
jee bra   (지브라)
(not j and not ㅈ)

but z is like an electrical sound (전기 소리. click for sample)

so it's like this

zzzz + ee bra   (z|브라) 

or 

[electricity] + ee bra

so let's say it together

zzzz + ee bra

zebra

now switch back and forth

jee  zee  jee  zee

jo-na-dan shi

ko'ng-lishee ?

you know. it's english spoken with korean grammar and phonics, and somewhat curious lingo.

what's a booch?

simply put:


don't say,
booch   부츠 


say,
boots   "붓..."  plus  "ㅅㅅㅅ"


or
boot   "붓"
    

ㅅ.ㅅoh no!
jo na dan-shi, 

with a little help 

from my friends 

at tony lama

ko'ng-lishee ?

you know. it's english spoken with korean grammar and phonics, and somewhat curious lingo.

cabbie, take me to the bus terminal!

now this is suspicious!
every little town seems to have a "bus terminal".

but this can't be right, can it?

that's right junior, a real terminal.

this is another misnomer almost every expat falls into:

for the record, a "bus terminal" is a large complex where ALL the buses end up.  you know- an end point, like when we say terminus, terminal velocity, terminal illness, terminate, etc.

so the little thing in your town is not a terminal at all!

it is (yes, just what you would call it back home) a "bus station".

lastly, since the ko'nglishee word makes it unclear, let's put it like this:

a smaller 버스 터미널 = a bus station

a really large 버스 터미널 = a bus terminal

jo-na-dan-shi, 2011

ko'ng-lishee ?

you know. it's english spoken with korean grammar and phonics, and somewhat curious lingo.

eye what!?

frustrated at being followed around the shop as if suspected of shop-lifting, even seasoned expats will utter from their book of spells a horrible incantation of konglishee and silliness:

just... eye-shopping

but the more i used this black spell to make the clerk stop following me, the less i felt like i could live with myself.

so this one is for the expats- a reminder to catch yourself from using broken english. use this phrase instead:

구경만 할게요*

and the store clerks will leave you alone forever!  it pretty much means the same as you'd say in english: 

"just looking"

jo-na-dan-shi 2011

* if you don't know the writing system yet, it seriously can 

be learned in an afternoon. do it even if you only have a 

month left to go here. you won't be sorry. it will also 

allow you to read the phrase i provided above.

credit: luke martin's absolutely fantastic comics 

on his retired blog http://roketship.tumblr.com

ko'ng-lishee ?

you know. it's english spoken with korean grammar and phonics, and somewhat curious lingo.

nearby vs. near

"incheon is nearby seoul"

hmm...

well,

often,

nearby = "near here"

so...

if you are in seoul right now, you can say
incheon is nearby.   ("near here")
incheon is near seoul.





but...

busan

if you are busan right now, you can say
incheon is not nearby.   (not "near here")
incheon is not near busan.

so where are you right now? 

give it a try...

incheon is __________.

jo-na-dan-shi 2011

photo credits: busan, seoul

ko'ng-lishee ?

you know. it's english spoken with korean grammar and phonics, and somewhat curious lingo.

my leg is... sick?

geesh, cover your knee next time.

by the way...

"sick"  =  virus or bacteria in body

but

bloody or broken  =  "hurt" or "injured"

and

painful  =  "sore".

so, now you try...

my leg is "_______".

Jo-Na-Dan-shi, feat. Unbekannter Meister

ko'ng-lishee ?

you know. it's english spoken with korean grammar and phonics, and somewhat curious lingo.

mmm... hot copy!

ko'ng-lishee ?

you know. it's english spoken with korean grammar and phonics, and somewhat curious lingo.