Korean for English speakers Zoo · Lesson 4

The snake has grown

Sino-Korean numbers in Korean — 삼 미터 정도 (about 3 meters) — using sino-Korean for measurements.

Conversation

  1. Muri Muri

    우와, 저기 저 뱀, 정말 길어요.

    Uwa, jeogi jeo baem, jeongmal gireoyo.

    Wow, that snake over there, it's really long.

    Tip: <저기> = there, over there <저 N> = that N (demonstrative) <뱀> = snake <길어요> = adjective "to be long" (in present tense)

  2. Yaya Yaya

    삼 미터 정도?

    Sam miteo jeongdo?

    About 3 meters?

    Tip: <삼> = three (sino-korean number counting) <미터> = meter <N 정도> = about N

  3. Muri Muri

    음... 아니요, 대략 오 미터 정도? 작년에 이렇게 길지 않았어요.

    Eum... aniyo, daeryak o miteo jeongdo? Jangnyeone ireoke gilji anasseoyo.

    Um... No, about 5 meters? It wasn't such long last year.

    Tip: <아니요> = formal way to say "No" <대략> = approximately <오> = five (sino-korean number counting) <작년에> = last year <이렇게 + Adjectif> = such <길지 않았어요> = adjective "not to be long" (in past tense)

  4. Yaya Yaya

    일 년 동안 많이 자랐어요.

    Il nyeon dongan mani jarasseoyo.

    It has grown a lot in one year.

    Tip: <일 년> = one year <동안> = during, in <많이> = a lot <자랐어요> = verb "to grow" (in past tense)

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

When to use Sino-Korean vs Native?

Sino-Korean (일, 이, 삼) for money, time minutes, dates, measurements, phone numbers. Native (하나, 둘, 셋) for counting items, hours, ages.

What is 미터?

'Meter' — loanword. 1미터 = 1 meter. 100미터 = 100 meters.

What does 정도 mean?

'About / approximately'. 3미터 정도 = 'about 3 meters'. Softens precise numbers.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Korean lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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