Lesson 36: To look like: 보이다 / ~아/어 보이다

Notes: 경찰서 is another word that uses “서” to denote some sort of public office.

Examples:
저는 소방서가 보여요 = I can see the fire station
소방서는 우체국 건너편에 있어요 = The fire station is across the street from the post office
새로운 소방차가 옛날 소방서에 못 들어가요 = The new fire truck can’t go in to (can’t fit into) the old fire station
소방관들은 아주 급하게 소방서에서 나왔어요 = The fire men came out of the fire station urgently

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “무릅”

Common Usages:
무릎이 아프다 = for one’s knee to be sore
무릎을 끓다 = to go on one’s knees
무릎을 굽히다 /구부리다 = to bend one’s knees
무릎 관절 = knee joint

Examples:
무릎이 아파 보여요 = Your knee looks sore
어떤 학생은 무릎에 깁스가 감겨 있어요 = Some student has a cast wrapped around his knee
무릎이 아플 때 자전거를 타지 마세요 = When your knee hurts, don’t ride a bike
운동을 무리하게 하면 무릎이 아파요 = If you exercise too much (too intensely), your knee can hurt

Common Usages:
얼음물 = ice water
얼음이 녹다 = for ice to melt

Examples:
얼음 때문에 길이 미끄러워요 = The road is slippery because of the ice
물을 얼리면 얼음이 돼요 = If you freeze water, it becomes ice
물에 얼음을 넣어 줄까요? = May I put some ice into your water?

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “흐변”

Notes: 흡연 is the opposite of “금연” which means “non-smoking.” 흡연 is usually used in combination with other words. When smoking a cigarette, it is more common to use “담배를 피우다.”

Common Usages:
흡연 구역 = smoking area
간접흡연 = second hand smoke
흡연실 = smoking room

Examples:
흡연 구역이 안 보여요 = I can’t see the smoking area
암에 걸린 이유는 간접흡연 때문인지 오염 때문인 지 알 길이 없어요 = There is no way of knowing if the reason you caught cancer was because of second hand smoke, or because of pollution

Notes: This word is not used to refer to a baby cow. That word is 송아지.

Examples:
그 남자 종아리가 아주 강해 보여요 = That man’s calves look very strong
종아리 스트레칭을 꾸준히 하는 것은 중요해요 = It is important to stretch your calves a lot

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “괄리비”

Notes: The most common way you will hear 관리비 used is to refer to the “management fees” of an apartment building that one lives in. In addition to the monthly rent, electricity, gas and water bills, tenants usually have to pay a fee to the management (or landlord) of their apartment. This usually covers expenses like garbage pickup, cleaning and maintenance.

Common Usages:
관리비를 내다 = to pay for the management fees
관리비가 오르다 = for management fees to raise
관리비가 내려가다  = for management fees to lower

Examples:
관리비는 매달 내야 하는 고정 비용이에요
= Management fees are a fixed expense that one has to pay every month

다음 달부터 우리 집주인이 관리비를 올릴 거예요
= The landlord will raise the management fee starting next month

Examples:
그 수술이 보험에 포함되어서 치료비를 안 내도 돼요
= That surgery is covered (included) on my insurance, so I don’t need to pay for it (the medical fees)

암에 관한 치료비는 이 보험에 포함되지 않아요
= Medical expenses related to cancer are not included in this insurance

치료비가 너무 비싸서 저는 치료를 못 받아요
= I can’t get the treatment because the (medical) fees are too expensive

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “보관뇨”

Examples:
기차역에서 짐을 보관하면 보관료를 내야 해요
= If you store your luggage in the train station, you need to pay a storage fee

보관료를 이미 한 번 내서 락커를 연다면 또 내야 돼요
= I already paid the storage fee once, so if I open the locker, I need to pay again

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “땅깝”

Common Usages:
땅값이 오르다 = for land prices to go up
땅값이 내려가다/떨어지다 = for land prices to go down

Examples:
한국에서 강남의 땅값이 제일 비싸요 = Land prices in Gangnam are the most expensive in Korea
큰 집이 많이 있는 길의 땅값은 비싸요 = The price of land on the street with a lot of big houses is expensive

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “입짱뇨”

Examples:
놀이동산 입장료는 단체로 지불하면 더 싸요
= The entrance fee to the amusement park is cheaper if you pay as a group

입장료가 너무 비쌀 거라서 저는 안 갈 거예요
= The price of admission will be so expensive, so I am not going to go

구명조끼 비용이 입장료에 포함되어 있어요
= The fee for life jackets is included in the price of admission

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “등녹끔”

Examples:
학기마다 대학교 등록금을 못 내는 학생들이 있어요
= Every semester there are students who can’t (afford to) pay their tuition

등록금 때문에 저는 그 대학교에 못 가요
= I won’t be able to go to university because of the admission/registration fees

Examples:
한국의 교통비는 매년 오르고 있어요
= Transportation fees (the fare for buses and subways) are going up every year in Korea

매월 직장에 출퇴근하는 데 교통비가 10만원이 들어요
= Every month the transportation cost to commute to work is 100,000 won

Notes: “one rooms” are a style of apartment in Korea that are very small and have everything (including kitchen, laundry area, living area and bedroom) put in one tiny space. It is also possible to say “투룸”(two room) or “쓰리룸” (three room). A “two room” apartment usually means “two bedrooms, plus a common area (kitchen, living area, etc),” and a “three room” apartment usually means “three bedrooms plus a common area.”

Examples:
보통 대학생들은 원룸에서 살아요 = Most university students live in one-rooms
이 방은 원룸이라서 너무 작아요 = This is a studio apartment, so it is too small

This word appears in my Korean Sign Explanation Video 4.

Common Usages:
화장품 = cosmetics
화장실 = bathroom/restroom
화장대 = makeup table (a place where people can keep all of their makeup and put it on (a “vanity”)

Examples:
그녀가 오늘 화장을 안 한 것 같이 보여요 = It looks like she didn’t do her makeup today
저는 화장을 하지 않아서 못생겨 보여요 = I look ugly because I didn’t do my makeup

그 여자가 오늘 화장을 하지 않아서 아주 달라 보여요
= That girl looks very different today because she didn’t do her makeup

대학교에 들어가면 많은 여학생들이 화장을 하기 시작해요
= Many female students start putting on makeup when they enter university

내일 날씨가 춥더라도 같이 처음 하는 식사일 거라서 여성스러운 원피스를 입어 야 한다. 내일은 화장도 예쁘게 해야겠다고 결심했다.
= Even if the weather is cold tomorrow, it will be the first time we eat together, so I must wear a feminine one-piece (dress). I also decided that I must put my makeup on beautifully tomorrow.

Notes: 소방 is usually combined with other nouns to indicate that noun is related to “firefighting.”

Common Usages:
소방서 = fire station
소방차 = fire truck
소방관 = firefighter
소방대 = a firefighting team

Examples:
소방 훈련이 힘들어 보여요 = Firefighting training looks difficult
새로운 소방차가 옛날 소방서에 못 들어가요 = The new fire truck can’t go in to (can’t fit into) the old fire station
소방관들은 아주 급하게 소방서에서 나왔어요 = The fire men came out of the fire station urgently

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “초등학꾜”

Common Usages:
초등학생 = elementary school student
초등학교 선생님 = elementary school teacher

Examples:
이 학교는 초등학교라서 이 동네에 어린이들이 많아요
= This school is an elementary school, so there are a lot of children in the neighborhood

고등학교에서 일하는 대신에 초등학교에서 일하고 싶어요
= Instead of working in a high school, I want to work in an elementary school

초등학생들을 가르치려면 선생님들이 인내심이 많이 필요해요
= In order to teach elementary school students, teachers need a lot of patience

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “첟차”
Notes: The opposite of “첫차” is “막차” (last bus, last car)

Common Usages:
첫차를 타다 = to take the first bus
첫차를 놓치다 = to miss the first bus

Examples:
저는 내일 첫차를 타야 돼요 = I have to take the first train tomorrow
첫차가 몇 시에 출발해요? = What time does the first train depart?
첫차가 출발하는 소리가 들렸어요 = I heard the sound of the first car/bus departing
마을버스를 탈 때 첫차를 타면 할인을 받아요 = When riding the village bus, there’s a discount for taking the first bus

Common Usages:
가격표를 떼다 = to take off a price tag
가격표를 붙이다 = to put a price tag on something

Examples:
이 셔츠는 가격표가 없어요 = This shirt doesn’t have a price tag

물건을 살 때 가격표를 잘 확인하고 골라야 해요
= When you buy something, you should check the price tag and then buy it

이 셔츠에 가격표가 없기 때문에 얼마인지 몰라요
= I don’t know how much this shirt costs because there is no price tag on it

Notes: The word “여우” is often used to describe a girl who is able to get what she wants from boys using her abilities to flirt.
For example: 그녀는 여우 같아요 = That girl is like a fox

Examples:
야생 여우는 점점 멸종되고 있어요 = Wild foxes are gradually becoming extinct

Common Usages:
의욕이 넘치다 = to have a lot of motivation/drive (literally – to be overflowing with motivation)
삶의 의욕 = the will to live

Examples:
그 남자가 의욕이 많아 보여요 = It looks like that man has a lot of willpower/drive
매년 초에 모든 사람들은 의욕이 넘쳐요 = Everybody is filled with drive/motivation at the start of each year

Common Usages:
일방적인 경기 = a one sided match/game
일방적인 사랑 = a one sided love (when one person likes somebody, but not vice-versa)
일방 통행 = one way (traffic)
일방통행도로 = a one-way road

Examples:
일방적인 사랑은 결국에 안 좋게 끝나게 돼요 = One sided loves eventually won’t end well

Notes: It is also possible to say “이사 가다” to indicate that one moves somewhere. For example:
새로운 집으로 이사했어요 = I moved to a new house
새로운 집으로 이사 갔어요 = I moved to a new house

In this same respect, it is also possible to indicate that one has moved to a place where the speaker is currently speaking using “오다.” For example:
옆 집에 새로운 가족이 이사 왔어요 = A new family moved in to the house next door

Common Usages:
이삿짐 = one’s items that need to be moved from place to place when moving

Examples:
우리는 부산으로 이사하기로 했어요 = We decided to move to Busan
직장에서 더 멀리 이사하게 되었어요 = I ended up moving farther away from work

한국에서는 이사를 하고 나면 자장면을 먹어요
= In Korea, after you move in (to a new house), you eat 자장면

저는 제 친구에게 한국으로 이사하고 싶은 이유가 뭐냐고 물어봤어요
= I asked my friend ‘what is the reason you want to move to Korea?’

서울로 이사하든지 부산으로 이사하든지 집값은 똑같아요
= It doesn’t matter if I move to Seoul or if I move to Busan, the cost of housing is the same

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “귀구카다”

Examples:
한국에 귀국하고 나서 가장 먹고 싶은 음식은 불고기예요 = After returning to Korea, the food that I will want to eat most is 불고기

Notes: When a person actively explodes something, 터뜨리다 is used.

Common Usages:
폭탄이 터지다 = for a bomb to explode
분노가 터지다 = to explode in anger
배가 터질 것 같아요 = My stomach is (probably) going to explode
사건이 터지다 = for an event/scandal/incident to erupt

Examples:
공을 땅에 떨어뜨려서 공이 터졌어요 = I threw the ball on the ground and it exploded
오늘 제가 사는 곳에서 아주 큰 사건이 터졌어요 = A big scandal erupted today where I live
뭔가 터지는 소리가 들렸어요 = I heard something explode
배가 곧 터질 것 같아서 더 못 먹겠어요 = I can’t eat anymore because my stomach is (like it is) about to explode

Notes: Make sure not to confuse this word with 기대하다 (to expect, to be excited)

Common Usages:
문에 기대다 = to lean against a door
벽에 기대다 = to lean against a wall
사람에게 기대다 = to rely on somebody
~를/을 벽에 기대다 = to lean something against a wall

Examples:
허리가 아플 때는 벽에 기대는 것이 도움이 돼요
= When my back/hip hurts, it is helpful to lean against a wall

문이 완전히 열릴 때까지 버스에서 내리거나 문에 기대지 마세요
Until the door is fully/completely open, don’t get off the bus or lean on the door

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “얻따”

Common Usages:
인기를 얻다 = to become famous (to gain popularity)
신임을 얻다 = to gain trust
정보를 얻다 = to acquire/gain information
지식을 얻다 = to acquire/gain knowledge
기회를 얻다 = to gain/get an opportunity

Examples:
오늘 핸드폰을 사서 많은 사은품을 얻었어요
= I bought a cell phone today and got a lot of free stuff (thrown in)

그 회사원이 승진을 해서 동료들한테 인기를 얻었어요
= That worker’s popularity increased because he got promoted

The noun form of this word (“임신”) translates to “pregnancy.”

Common Usages:
임신 중절 수술 = an abortion
임신시키다 = to get a person pregnant
임신한 지 얼마나 됐어요? = How long have you been pregnant for?

Examples:
20대 후반이 되면 많은 사람들이 임신을 해요 = Many people in their late 20s get pregnant
슬기가 임신해서 회사에 오는 것이 힘들겠어요 = It must be difficult for Seulgi to come to the office because she is pregnant

Common Usages:
안 보이다 = to not be able to see
보여주다 = to show (the grammar for this will be taught in Lesson 41)

Notes: The word 보이다 is the passive form of 보다 and is used to indicate that something can or cannot be seen. For example:

TV가 안 보여 = I can’t see the TV

Notice that the Korean sentence above is predicated by an intransitive verb (보이다), which means it cannot act on an object. The English translation is predicated by a transitive verb (to see), which means it can act on an object. A more direct translation of the Korean sentence would be “the TV can’t be seen.” However, this phrase is often used to indicate that one cannot see something. The same could be said for the sentences below:

저는 소방서가 보여요 = I can see the fire station
입장료가 얼마인지 안 보여요 = I can’t see how much the admission cost is
나는 여기서 산이 안 보여 = I can’t see the mountains from here
초등학교가 보여요? = Can you see the elementary school?
가격표가 안 보여요 = I can’t see the price tags
흡연 구역이 안 보여요 = I can’t see the smoking area
공기가 맑은 곳에서는 많은 별이 보여요 = You can see a lot of stars where the air is clear

You can also use 보이다 in sentences to indicate that something looks like something. By placing 같이 (which is the adverb form of the word 같다) after a noun and predicating the whole sentence with 보이다, you can create this meaning. For example:

너는 원숭이 같이 보여 = You look like a monkey
저의 남자친구는 교수님 같이 보여요 = My boyfriend looks like the professor
너는 고등학생 같이 보여 = You look like a high school student
저의 여자친구는 연예인 같이 보여요 = My girlfriend looks like a celebrity

~아/어 보이다 can be added to adjectives to indicate that something “looks like” an adjective:
저는 그 사람보다 더 똑똑해 보여요 = I look smarter than that person
왜 그렇게 행복해 보여요? = Why do you look so happy

다른 사람들이 그 남자가 잘생기지 않다고 하지만 저한테는 왠지 잘생겨 보여요
Other people say that man isn’t handsome, but to me he looks handsome for some reason

그 여자가 오늘 화장을 하지 않아서 아주 달라 보여요
= That girl looks very different today because she didn’t do her makeup

Common Usages:
환청이 들리다 = to hear things (hallucinations)

Notes: The word 들리다 is the passive form of 듣다 and is used to indicate that something can or cannot be heard. For example:

소리가 안 들려요 = I can’t hear the sound

Notice that the Korean sentence above is predicated by an intransitive verb (들리다), which means it cannot act on an object. The English translation is predicated by a transitive verb (to hear), which means it can act on an object. A more direct translation of the Korean sentence would be “the sound cannot be heard.” However, this phrase is often used to indicate that one cannot hear something. The same could be said for the sentences below:

저는 소리가 안 들려요 = I can’t hear anything
나는 네 목소리가 안 들려 = I can’t hear your voice
첫차가 출발하는 소리가 들렸어요 = I heard the sound of the first car/bus departing
뭔가 터지는 소리가 들렸어요 = I heard something explode
목소리가 잘 들려 = I hear you (your voice) well

Notes: In English, I would only ever say “salty” if something literally has too much salt on it. In Korea, they use this word to refer to anything that has been over-spiced, which is, in effect putting too much salt in something. Therefore, while it might be rare to hear somebody say that something is “too salty” in English, you will hear it every day in Korean.

Common Usages:
짜게 먹다 = to eat something salty

Examples:
한국 음식은 대체적으로 짜요 = Korean food is generally salty
우리가 너무 짜게 먹었어요 = We ate too salty (this would never be said in English, but Korean people say this often after they ate a meal that was overly spiced/salted)