Lesson 5 - 저는 학생입니다.

About - how to tell someone what you do for a living

The expression "입니다" means "to be" in English. When you introduce yourself to others, you say "저는 (누구)입니다." And "저는 (어느 나라) 사람입니다" is said when you say where you are from. The basic form is "(저는) 명사 (Noun) 입니다." "저는" can be omitted, and 명사 (noun) can be your name or nationality or profession etc. Let's see the following sentences:


저는 김민욱입니다. ------ I am Kim Min-Wook. (Name)
저는 중국 사람입니다. --- I am a Chinese. (Nationality)
저는 학생입니다. --------- I am a student. (profession)

This lession explains how you can ask what they do for a living and tell them your profession using the expressions "입니까?/입니다." The expression "입니까?" is question form of "입니다." For example, if you want to know someone is a student, you can ask him or her:

(당신은) 학생 입니까? --- Are you a student?

And then, the person will answer:

네, (저는) 학생입니다. --------- Yes, I am.
아니오, (저는) 회사원입니다. --- No, I am an office worker.

Here "네" or "예 (ye)" means yes, and "아니오" means no in English. In general, "ㅂ니까?" is question form of "ㅂ니다." For example,

어느 나라에서 왔습니까? --- 미국에서 왔습니다.
학생입니까? ----------------- 학생입니다.

Expressions and Practice
학생입니까? Haksang-imnikka?
네, 학생입니다. Ne, haksang-imnida.
아니오, 회사원입니다. Anio, hoesawon-imnida.

Let's ask your friends about their profession in Korean using the following words:
간호사 (ganhosa) ---------- nurse
과학자 (gwahakja) -------- scientist
기자 (gija) ------------------ journalist
선생님 (seonsangnim) --- teacher
의사 (uisa) ----------------- doctor
학생 (haksang) ----------- student
회사원 (hoesawon) ------ office worker

More resources for learning Korean:
infocobuild Learning Korean

Lesson 4 - 어느 나라에서 왔습니까?

About - greeting plus how to tell someone where you are from.

The previous lesson (lesson 3) explains how to say where you are from in Korean. This lesson brings slightly different expression from the previous lesson. The phrase "(어느 나라) 사람입니다" is the core expression of lesson 3 and uses present tense. The phrase "(어느 나라)에서 왔습니다" is introduced in this lesson:

어느 나라에서 왔습니까? Which country did you come from?
(어느 나라)에서 왔습니다. I came from (your country).

"어느 나라에서 왔습니까?" has the exactly same meaning as "어느 나라 사람입니까?" "(어느 나라)에서 왔습니다" has the same meaning as "(어느 나라) 사람입니다." "왔습니다" is past tense of the verb "오다" which means "come" in English.

As you see, the phrase "(어느 나라) 사람입니다" uses present tense, while the present "(어느 나라)에서 왔습니다" uses past tense.

Expressions and Practice
어느 나라에서 왔습니까? Eoneu nara-eseo wasseumnikka?
미국에서 왔습니다. Miguk-eseo wasseumnida.

Let's practice with your country name!

미국 (miguk) - the U.S.A
독일 (dokil) - Germany
러시아 (reosia) - Russia
인도 (indo) - India
일본 (ilbon) - Japan
중국 (jungguk) - China
파키스탄 (pakiatan) - Pakistan
호주 (hoju) - Australia

More resources for learning Korean:
infocobuild Learning Korean

Lesson 3 - 저는 한국 사람입니다.

About - greeting plus how to tell someone where you are from.

This lesson explains how to ask where they are from and to answer where you are from in Korean. The basic expressions are as follows:

어느 나라 사람입니까? Where are you from?
저는 (어느 나라) 사람입니다. I am from (your country).

"나라 + 사람" in Korean means nationality. For example, "일본 사람" for Japanese and "중국 사람" for chinese. "어느" and "나라" means "which" and "country" respectively.

At the end of the lesson, you can learn the expression "고맙습니다", which means "thank you." You can say "고맙습니다" for all the situations where "thank you" can be said. Another expression to show your gratitude is "감사합니다."

Expressions and Practice
어느 나라 사람입니까? Eoneu nara saram imnikka?
저는 일본 사람입니다. Jeoneun ilbon saram imnida.
고맙습니다. Gomapseumnida.
감사합니다. Gamsahamnida.

Let's practice with your country name!

미국 사람 (miguk saram) - American
독일 사람 (dokil saram) - German
러시아 사람 (reosia saram) - Russian
인도 사람 (indo saram) - Indian
일본 사람 (ilbon saram) - Japanese
중국 사람 (jungguk saram) - Chinese
파키스탄 사람 (pakistan saram) - Pakistani
호주 사람 (hoju saram) - Australian

More resources for learning Korean:
infocobuild Learning Korean

Lesson 2 - 저는 마이클 찬입니다.

About - the way to greet someone and introduce myself to others.

This lesson 2 is slightly different from the previous lesson. This introduces a new expression "만나서 반갑습니다" and explains the way of greeting in more detail. "만나서 반갑습니다" is usually said on the first day when they meet someone. It means "(I am) glad to meet you" in English.

In the expression "저는 (누구)입니다," "저는" means I in English. "저는" is more polite expression than "나는" and is said when they show their politeness to the listeners: when they say to older person, someone in higher position or who they meet for the first time.

저는 김민욱입니다. (I am Kim Min-Wook.)
만나서 반갑습니다. (I am glad to meet you.)

Expressions and Practice
저는 김민욱입니다. Jeoneun Kim Min-Wook imnida.
만나서 반갑습니다. Mannaseo bangapsseumnida.

Practice this expressions with your name. For example,
저는 데이빗(David)입니다. 만나서 반갑습니다.

More resources for learning Korean:
infocobuild Learning Korean

Lesson 1 - 안녕하세요

About - the way to greet someone and introduce myself to others.

In Korea when they meet someone for the first time or someone who they already know, they greet the person by saying "안녕하세요." And when they introduce themselves to others, they say "누구 (name) 입니다." For example, Mr. Kim introduces himself to the other person by saying "김민욱 입니다."

Even though they usually say "안녕하세요" in any situation for greeting, they can say "처음뵙겠습니다" as a greeting when they meet someone for the first time. That is to say, "안녕하세요" can be used in the situations that "how do you do?" and "how are you?" can be said, while "처음뵙겠습니다" can be said only when they meet for the first time.

This is Korean way of greeting. What's your way of greeting?

Expressions and Practice
안녕하세요 - Annyeong-haseyo
김민욱입니다 - Kim-min-wook-imnida
처음뵙겠습니다 - Cheoum-boepgetseumnida

안녕하세요. (누구) 입니다.

처음뵙겠습니다. (누구) 입니다.

More resources for learning Korean:
infocobuild Learning Korean