作者名称 国旗国籍

Alia 알리아

EN

KR

2021.01.23 22:37

ENGLISH CULTURAL ETIQUETTE FOR KOREAN SPEAKERS 🇰🇷❤🇺🇸

3 expressions

Koreans say in English that may be misunderstood by English speakers are "Fighting", "Cheer up" and "No (way)". Here is some advice to help avoid confusion:

"Fighting!" (화이팅):
If you want an English speaker to understand that you are encouraging them, you may say "Good luck!", "You can do it!" or more informally "Go get 'em!". If you want to encourage yourself and a partner / team, you can say "All right, let's do this!"

"Cheer up" (힘내):
In English, "cheer up" is only used when a person is sad. If you say it to someone who is not sad, it sounds very strange 😳. Be mindful that "cheer up" can sound like a request or an order.
To be safe, only use this expression informally when someone is sad and you are trying to make them happy. Avoid using it in text messaging if possible.
If you are with a sad person that you want to cheer up, you may empathetically say: "I hope/am sure all will be ok".

"No way" (아니에요):
While "no way" is a polite response to a compliment in Korean, in English it means "I can't believe that". It is an unusual response to a compliment. When you respond "No (way)" to a compliment, you are telling the person who complimented you that they are being untruthful or false (which may be perceived as offensive).
It is best to say "thank you"🙂, "I am happy you liked it", "I am touched, thanks". Thanking the person who gives a compliment is always the easiest polite response in English.

What faux-pas have you heard English speakers make in Korean and what would you recommend?

(Thanks to 경아 and Annie for their input)

Image: Jan 20, 2021-A colorful promise after a dark storm
74 38

Download the HelloTalk app to join the conversation.

Comments

  • noah 2021.01.23 22:41

    KR
    EN

    👍
  • Aprilㅎ.ㅎ娜娜 2021.01.23 22:46

    FR
    EN
    IT
    CN

    DE

    RU

    So interesting! I didn't go yet that far in learning Korean to meet these expressions. Thanks 👍
  • Louis 2021.01.23 22:49

    EN
    JP

    DE

    FR

    Brazilians also used fighting.
  • Mok 2021.01.24 00:30

    KR
    EN

    😍무지개닷
  • Happyday_야생고릴라 2021.01.24 07:32

    KR
    EN

    This is exactly what I always make a mistake!!! I am so sorry! 😢😢😢😢😢
  • May 2021.01.24 08:20

    CN
    EN

    Thank you, Alia. ^^ They’re really helpful. I would like to speak English like natives.
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 09:37

    EN
    KR

    @noah 🙂
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 09:40

    EN
    KR

    @ Aprilㅎ.ㅎ娜娜 Tu travsilles si dur dans toutes les langues🌟!Très vite, si tu communiques avec des coréens en anglais, tu pourras voir ces expressions apparaître dans leurs messages, je me demande comment ils les traduisent en français🙂
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 09:42

    EN
    KR

    @Louis Really? I was absolutely not aware of this! Is it a translation of a Portuguese expression?
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 09:44

    EN
    KR

    @Mok 😍🌈😁 My neighbor's house
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 09:49

    EN
    KR

    @Happyday_야생고릴라 Hahaha no worries😁👍🏻, I learned before communicating with you what these actually mean in a Korean speaker's intentions. I am sure I have made faux-pas trying to say something in Korean with a Western mindset. I hope my Korean friends explain this to me😃.
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 09:51

    EN
    KR

    @May Dear , I am glad that you found these useful. Given your dedication, I am certain you will reach your goal🌷😍! 화이팅 😉!!
  • Olga 2021.01.24 10:24

    RU
    EN

    It was very interesting for me too😊👍
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 10:30

    EN
    KR

    @Olga Really? that's great😃👍🏻! Are these expressions in English similar to Russian?
  • Olga 2021.01.24 10:34

    RU
    EN

    @Alia 알리아 I don't know for sure, but I think-a little bit similar.
  • Aprilㅎ.ㅎ娜娜 2021.01.24 11:29

    FR
    EN
    IT
    CN

    DE

    RU

    @Alia 알리아 Oh! Tu as raison je ne le suis pas posée cette question. Je n'ai pas encore de partenaire de langue coréen. Alors, je n'ai pas encore eu à expérimenter l'usage des expressions. Je dois essayer!
  • ibony 2021.01.24 11:52

    EN
    KR

    Los japoneses digo がんばって
  • May 2021.01.24 12:11

    CN
    EN

    @Alia 알리아 Thanks a lot for your encouragement.
  • Anna 2021.01.24 13:59

    KR
    EN

    고마워요. 무지개 너무 이쁘다. 힘내요!
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 15:24

    EN
    KR

    @Olga Thank you dear Olga🌷👍🏻
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 15:26

    EN
    KR

    @ Aprilㅎ.ㅎ娜娜 Je suis curieuse de savoir😁🌷 N'hésite pas à me raconter.
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 15:28

    EN
    KR

    @ibony Qué interesante, sí. Creo que se parece más a 화이팅 que a las expresiones en inglés👍🏻🙂
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 15:29

    EN
    KR

    @May 😃🌷
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 15:29

    EN
    KR

    @Anna 😃🌷🙏🏻
  • SweetGrace 2021.01.24 18:57

    KR
    EN

    This is very useful to me~~~👍🏻👍🏻 Thank you sooooo much~~💕💕💕
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 19:00

    EN
    KR

    @SweetGrace I am happy you have found this useful🌷💜😃🙏🏻!
  • SweetGrace 2021.01.24 19:39

    KR
    EN

    @Alia 알리아 Your class is always perfect~~~👍🏻👍🏻💐 I'm happy to know you~💚💙💜
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.24 20:30

    EN
    KR

    @SweetGrace @Anna I could say the same about you dear 💜😃🙏🏻 Actually, I wanted to ask, what do Korean speakers usually mean when they say "cheer up" or 힘내 to someone who is not sad? I am not sure I understand well yet😁 (same question to you )🌈🌷
  • SweetGrace 2021.01.24 20:35

    KR
    EN

    @Alia 알리아 Actually, I didn't know it perfectly. I knew for sure today. Thank you so much~~👍🏻💐💐💐🥰🥰🥰
  • Happyday_야생고릴라 2021.01.25 01:34

    KR
    EN

    @Alia 알리아 Um... Well, it may not be a problem in Western thinking but different from young generation with me. Anyway, it's a little embrassed for young people who are about 30 years younger than me to ask me to be friends. They usually said "Hello~ I want to learn Korean. so Will you be my Korean friend?" Frankly, they never even spoken a word with me at all. So I answerd "It's hard to be friends because of the age difference, but if you want to study Korean, I will help" Then they said "Age is not matter. You domt like me?" (I know 'it is not matter!' 😰) With young people's thinking, can they be friends without a word? Is this common to all others? 😢😢😢
  • Najla 2021.01.25 09:12

    AR
    DE

    Interesting 🌹🐣
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.25 09:38

    EN
    KR

    @Happyday_야생고릴라 1: How interesting😃👍🏻! Thank you for sharing this👍🏻😁 I think you are responding well to these youngsters and it is good to tell them how you feel most comfortable👍🏻. People should not take it personally. In US English, being a "friend" can range from being superficial buddies to real friends to being mentor/mentee. If young people are asking "Will you be my Korean friend?" I think they maybe mean that they want you to be their language partner or their Korean language mentor, a bit like when in Korean one says "May I learn Korean from you? Please take good care of me"). (continues)
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.25 09:41

    EN
    KR

    @Happyday_야생고릴라 2: It is true that we have "friends" of all ages in the West and find it cute that Koreans for example call each other friends if they were born the same year😍 (which is something we would not consider at all). Anecdote: I found an interesting HelloTalk Korean profile. I would sometimes like and comment and never checked the age. I follow and am followed by people 16 and older. It turns out the user was 30 something. He wrote to me privately to tell me he was not comfortable having online friends my age. It was a huge surprise to me but I know one cannot get offended as each culture is different😁. I responded that I respected his choice. What to do😂? All this to acknowledge that yes, concepts of age and friendship differ a lot in our cultures and I think you are handling buddy/friend/mentee requests well👍🏻🙂.
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.25 09:43

    EN
    KR

    @SweetGrace 감사합니다🌷👍🏻
  • Happyday_야생고릴라 2021.01.25 11:48

    KR
    EN

    @Alia 알리아 haha~ 😅 I totally understand what you're saying! ☺ Yes.. I agree!!! However, I think that is not the different between western and Eastern people but also young and older one. It might be possible for me, if they want to be a friend such as language partener (a light meaning). But honestly, I'm embarrassed when they ask me if you'll be my friend without any interaction. They don't even know my gender, age, name, job, and even my nationality. I already wrote about these things in my self-introduction. I think they just write the same request to many people and are waiting for their answers. When they got a reply from me, they start to text with me even they didnt know my information at all. 😭😭😭
  • ibony 2021.01.25 22:46

    EN
    KR

    @Alia 알리아 がんばって
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.26 18:55

    EN
    KR

    @Happyday_야생고릴라 Oh I understand better~ As a teacher I find that youngsters tend to read less and less. You are right🙂👍🏻By interacting here on Hellotalk I agree they should be mindful of jow they contact people.Like you, I would not be surprised if they are sending requests to tons of people indeed. I know you want to be polite by responding but you probably don't need to🙂.
  • Alia 알리아 2021.01.26 18:58

    EN
    KR

    @ibony Oh 힘내 means "work hard"? This is so helpful, thank you😃! I don't know why it gets translated as "cheer up" as both expressions mean very different things. Cool👍🏻

Open HelloTalk to join the conversation