Korean 「원인」「이유」「근거」 can all relate to “why,” but they serve different functions. 「원인」 focuses on what caused a result, 「이유」 explains why someone acted or why something happened, and 「근거」 provides the basis supporting a judgment or claim.
Category: LEARN KOREAN
Korean Convenience Store Korean: Checkout, Heating, 1+1, and Tmoney Phrases
A practical guide to Korean convenience store phrases for bags, receipts, payments, heating food, utensils, 1+1 promotions, and Tmoney top-ups, with romanization and sample dialogues.
Korean Taxi Phrases: How to Give an Address, Stop, Get Out, and Pay
A practical guide to Korean taxi phrases covering how to address the driver, give an address, ask travel time, request a stop, get out, pay by card, ask for a receipt, and distinguish between 「가 주세요」, 「데려다주세요」, 「세워 주세요」, and 「내려 주세요」.
Korean 「듯싶다」 Grammar: Meaning, Conjugation, Usage, and Similar Expressions
Korean 「듯싶다」 expresses a cautious inference or judgment based on the current situation. This guide explains its meaning, conjugation, present/past/future uses, and differences from 「것 같다」「듯하다」 and 「모양이다」.
Korean 「막」 Meaning and Usage: Just Now, Intensely, Recklessly, and Conversational Emphasis
Korean 「막」 can mean “just,” describe an intense or unrestrained action, or function as a conversational discourse marker. This guide explains its four major uses with Korean examples and compares 「막」 with 「마구」「방금」「그냥」「막상」, as well as similar Japanese expressions.
Korean Phrases for Asking Directions: Location, Subway, Bus & Travel Expressions
A practical guide to Korean phrases for asking directions in Korea, covering location, routes, directions, subway exits and transfers, buses, walking distance, and common travel situations.
사실 vs 실은 vs 진짜: What’s the Difference in Korean?
Korean 사실, 실은, and 진짜 can look similar in translation, but they serve very different functions in conversation. This guide compares their meanings, nuances, interchangeable uses, and common examples, along with the difference between 진짜 and 정말.
Korean Tax Refund Phrases for Shopping, Airports, and Customs
A practical guide to Korean tax refund phrases for shopping in Korea, covering immediate refunds, passports, receipts, airport kiosks, customs checks, refund methods, and common problems.
What’s the Difference Between Korean Nominalizers “-eum,” “-gi,” “-neun geot,” and “-daneun geot”? Uses, Nuances, and Example Sentences Compared
A complete comparison of the Korean nominalizers -음, -기, -는 것, and -다는 것, with conjugation rules, usage nuances, workplace contexts, and examples.
Essential Korean for Hotel Check-In: Practical Phrases for Check-In, Reservations, Breakfast, and Luggage Storage
A practical guide to Korean hotel check-in phrases for bookings, breakfast, check-out, luggage storage, room requests, and front desk problems.
How to Use Korean Haeche: A Complete Guide to the Nuances of the Banmal Endings “-아/어, -야, -지, -네”
A practical guide to Korean haeche and the different nuances of -아/어, -야, -지, and -네, with examples and polite-form conversions.
How to Use Korean -길래: Meaning, Conjugation, Subject Restrictions, and Cause Expressions
A complete guide to Korean -길래: how it links a perceived situation to a reaction, how to form it, and how it differs from similar cause patterns.
What Does Korean 「왠지」 Mean? Uses and Differences from 「어쩐지」 and 「아무래도」
A complete guide to Korean 「왠지」, its spelling and uses, and its nuances compared with similar Korean and Japanese expressions.
Korean 「-던 vs -었던」 Explained: Past Actions, Habits, Experiences, and 「-(으)ㄴ」
「-던」 commonly describes actions in progress, repeated past habits, or continuing past states, while 「-었던」 more clearly frames something as a past experience. The distinction can become subtle with habits, identities, and long-lasting states. This guide also compares them with 「-(으)ㄴ」, 「-더라고요」, and 「-더니」.
What’s the Difference Between Korean 「-기」 and 「-는 것」? Nominalization, Tense, and Spoken Forms 「거／게／걸」
Korean 「-기」 and 「-는 것」 can both nominalize actions, but they differ in structure, nuance, tense, and usage. This guide explains when 「-기」 works naturally for activities, skills, task names, and fixed expressions, and when 「-는 것」 is better for complete events, previously mentioned content, and specific things. It also compares 「-는 것」「-(으)ㄴ 것」「-(으)ㄹ 것」, explains the spoken forms 「거」「게」「걸」「건」, and shows how Korean nominalization corresponds to Japanese 「〜こと」「〜の」「もの」.