Phone Calls, Family Terms of Address, and Conversation Expressions

Phone Call Expressions

Phone call expressions require distinguishing the meanings of verbs in order to choose the correct answer. '전화를 걸다'(to make a phone call) means that I call the other person, and '전화를 받다'(to answer a phone call) means that I respond to an incoming call. When saying that you will call back a person who is not present, use '다시 전화하겠습니다'(I will call back) or '다시 걸겠습니다'(I will call again). '오다'(to come) and '듣다'(to hear) do not fit this situation.

When pressing the number buttons on a phone with a finger, use '누르다'(to press). '밀다'(to push) means moving an object forward or sideways, and '넣다'(to put in) means inserting something into a place, so neither matches the situation of entering a number.

When calling Korea from another country, press the country code first. The country code for Korea is 82. When pressing the area code, omit the leading 0, and then press the home phone number as it is. Written as a formula, it is as follows.

International phone number = 국가 번호(country code, 82) + 지역 번호(area code, excluding the first 0) + 전화번호(phone number)

When asking to connect the call to another person, use '바꿔 주세요'(please put him or her on the phone). Here '바꾸다'(to change or exchange) does not mean changing an object into something else. It means connecting the phone call to another person. The person who answers says '잠깐만 기다리세요'(please wait a moment) while calling the person being sought, and uses the same answer when the caller asks whether that person is there. '도와주다'(to help), '골라 주다'(to choose for), and '만나 주다'(to meet with) do not mean connecting a phone call.

When the person being sought is nearby and must take the call directly, say '전화 받으세요'(please take the call). This expression tells the other person to pick up the receiver. Conversely, when the person who has taken over the call announces that they have begun the conversation, they say '전화 바꿨습니다'(I have taken over the call), so the two expressions must be distinguished.

When asked whether this is the right place, the person who answers replies '네, 그렇습니다'(yes, that is right). '실례합니다'(excuse me) is used when apologizing or asking for forgiveness, and '거기 있습니다'(he or she is there) is used to say that a person is in a place, so neither is the answer to a confirmation question.

When a call is placed to the wrong place, say '잘못 거셨습니다'(you have dialed the wrong number). It is used together with '아닙니다'(it is not) when the place is not the one the caller is looking for, and then the speaker states their own organization or place. Meanwhile, '듣다'(to hear) means taking in sound through the ears, and '들리다'(to be audible) means that sound reaches the ears. Therefore, '잘 안 들립니다'(I cannot hear well) describes a situation in which sound is not transmitted clearly, and it must be distinguished from a situation in which the number is wrong.

When the person being sought is not present, briefly state the reason. '외출 중'(out of the office) means being outside, and '통화 중'(on the phone) means currently talking on the phone with someone else. When asking the reason for someone's absence, these two terms must be distinguished.

A phone memo records information by field. In the '○○ 씨께'(to Mr. or Ms. ○○) field, write the person who will receive the memo. In the '전화한 사람'(caller) field, write the person who made the call. In the '전화 받은 사람'(person who took the call) field, write the person who received the call and wrote the memo. Therefore, when asked who made the call, check the '전화한 사람' field, and when asked who wrote the memo, check the '전화 받은 사람' field.

When the call does not connect, convey the message by text message. '연락 주세요'(please contact me) is a request for a reply by phone or text. '전화를 안 받다'(to not answer the phone) means that the other person did not answer the call. The person sending the text is the one who wants to convey a message, so do not confuse the roles of the two people.

A phone is indicated by a receiver picture. A public phone is a phone installed on streets or at stations that anyone can use by paying, so when looking for a place to make a call, look for the receiver picture or the public phone picture. It must be distinguished from a vending machine (자동판매기), an automated teller machine (자동인출기), and a trash can (쓰레기통).

In picture questions, a person talking on a mobile phone is shown speaking with the device held to the ear. Check whether the object in the hand is a pencil or scissors, so that it can be distinguished from writing or cutting.

The person who makes a mobile phone call pays the call charges, and the person who receives the call does not pay. The front digits of mobile phone numbers are set as 010, 011, 016, 017, 018, 019, and so on, so a number that is not on this list of front digits cannot be considered the beginning of a mobile phone number. With a mobile phone, you can send text messages, take photos or videos, watch television programs or movies, and make video calls.

Information numbers and emergency numbers frequently used in Korea each have a set purpose. Ask for the phone number of a place through the information number, and call the emergency number when someone suddenly becomes ill or when there is a fire. Knowing these numbers makes life in Korea more convenient. '편리하다'(convenient) means easy and comfortable to use, so it must be distinguished from '불편하다'(inconvenient, not comfortable) and '복잡하다'(complicated, tangled and confusing).

Adverbs that express frequency must be distinguished by meaning.

• 늘 — shows an action done always and continuously. Ex) 그는 늘 아침 일곱 시에 가족에게 전화한다.
• 자주 — shows an action done many times at short intervals. Ex) 요즘은 친구와 자주 문자를 주고받는다.
• 가끔 — shows an action done now and then. Ex) 바빠서 고향 친구에게는 가끔 연락한다.
• 방금 — shows an action done just before. Ex) 그 사람이 방금 사무실을 나갔다.
• 잘 — shows an action done skillfully or well. Ex) 그는 외국어 전화 통화를 잘 한다.

Conversational Response Expressions

Conversational response expressions are short phrases used to answer a request or suggestion from the other person appropriately, or to fit the situation, such as handing over an object or asking the purpose of a visit. You must first figure out what the other person wants in order to choose a suitable response. Frequently used expressions and easily confused pairs are as follows.

• 여기 있습니다(Here you are) — A response given while handing an item requested by the other person to them. It is used when the item is close by and handed over directly, and it must be distinguished from ‘저기 있습니다’(There it is), which means the item is far away. Example: When handing a pen to a person who is looking for one, you say ‘여기 있습니다’(Here you are).
• 어떻게 오셨어요?(What brings you here?) — A greeting that asks the purpose of a visit when a guest arrives. It is used to hear the answer about whom the guest came to meet, so it pairs with the answer ‘만나러 왔어요’(I came to meet someone). It differs in use from ‘누구를 만났어요?’(Who did you meet?), which asks about whom the person met in the past. Example: When a visitor says they came for a consultation, you ask what brings them here.
• 들어 드릴까요 / 열어 드릴까요(Shall I carry it for you? / Shall I open it for you?) — ‘-어 드릴까요’(Shall I do ... for you?) is an expression that offers to do an action for the other person. The action of lifting and moving a heavy object by hand is expressed with ‘들다’(to lift), and the action of opening a door is expressed with ‘열다’(to open). ‘들다’ must be distinguished from ‘입다’(to wear, as in clothing on the body) and ‘빌리다’(to borrow, as in using an object temporarily). Example: When a bag looks heavy, you offer, ‘제가 들어 드릴까요?’(Shall I carry it for you?).
• 초대하다(to invite) — To ask someone to come to a gathering or a celebration. When thanking someone for having invited you, you use it in a form such as ‘초대해 줘서 고마워요’(Thank you for inviting me). ‘약속하다’(to promise) means to decide something in advance and keep it, and ‘선물하다’(to give a gift) means to give an object, so these must be distinguished. Example: You thank a friend who invited you to a housewarming party.
• 다시(again) — To do something once more after having done it once. It is used when saying that you will correct a mistake. It must be distinguished from ‘더’(more), which means a greater amount or degree, and from ‘아직’(still, yet), which means that something is not yet the case. Example: ‘잘못 적힌 주문서를 다시 써 드리겠습니다’(I will rewrite the order form that was written incorrectly).
• 기다려요(wait) — The conjugated form of ‘기다리다’(to wait). When ‘-어요’ is attached to the stem ‘기다리-’, it is shortened to ‘기다려요’ rather than written as ‘기다리어요’. The conjugation pattern differs by stem. For ‘뜨겁다’(to be hot), the ㅂ changes to ‘워’, so it becomes ‘뜨거워요’, and for ‘듣다’(to hear), the ㄷ changes to ㄹ, so it becomes ‘들어요’. For ‘잡다’(to hold), whose stem vowel is ‘ㅏ’, ‘-아요’ is attached, so it becomes ‘잡아요’. Example: ‘잠시만 기다려요’(Please wait a moment).
• 모르다(to not know) — The opposite of ‘알다’(to know), meaning not to know something. When asked whether you know someone's name, you can answer that you do not know the name but have seen the face before. ‘없다’(to not exist, to be absent) indicates whether something exists, and ‘싫다’(to dislike) indicates not liking something, so their uses differ. Example: ‘그 책의 제목은 모르지만 표지는 본 적이 있어요’(I do not know the title of that book, but I have seen its cover).
• 약속 미루기 응대(responding to a request to postpone an appointment) — When you cannot do something you agreed to do together, it is natural to first state the reason and then ask to postpone it to another time. It is also a common response for the other person to accept it as fine and suggest an appointment on another day.

Family Terms of Address

Family terms of address are words that refer to family members, and they vary depending on the speaker's gender and age, and on whose family the member belongs to. In particular, the words for a spouse's family members are determined from the speaker's own standpoint, so the direction of the relationship must be considered first. The terms that are easily confused are as follows.

• 할아버지·할머니(grandfather / grandmother) — They refer to the parents of one's father or mother, and they are also called 조부모(grandparents) in the sense of parents of one's parents. Example: You call your grandmother to check on her well-being.
• 아버지·어머니, 부모님(father / mother, parents) — ‘부모님’(parents) is a word that honors the father and mother together. When honoring someone else's father and mother, ‘아버님’(your father) and ‘어머님’(your mother) are used, and when speaking to others about one's own parents, ‘아버지’(my father) and ‘어머니’(my mother) are used. A term used at the beginning of a letter refers to the person receiving the letter. Since 아버지 and 어머니 divide parents by gender, you must check which one the text refers to. Example: You greet a friend's father, saying ‘아버님’(your father).
• 시어머니·시아버지(mother-in-law / father-in-law, on the husband's side) — They refer to the parents of one's husband. A husband's mother is 시어머니(mother-in-law), and a husband's father is 시아버지(father-in-law). Example: You call your husband's mother ‘시어머니’(mother-in-law).
• 며느리·사위(daughter-in-law / son-in-law) — 며느리(daughter-in-law) is the wife of one's son, and 사위(son-in-law) is the husband of one's daughter. Both terms refer to the spouse of a child, so they are used from the standpoint of parents-in-law or of the father-in-law and mother-in-law. When finding the person a text refers to, you must distinguish terms with opposite directions, such as 시어머니 and 며느리.
• 형제·자매, 동생·언니·오빠(siblings, younger sibling / older sister / older brother) — People born to the same parents refer to each other as 형제(siblings). Among male siblings, the younger one is 남동생(younger brother), and among female siblings, the younger one is 여동생(younger sister). When a woman refers to an older female sibling, she uses 언니(older sister), and when she refers to an older male sibling, she uses 오빠(older brother). Example: You introduce a family that has a younger sister and a younger brother.
• 형제가 어떻게 되세요?(How many siblings do you have?) — An expression that asks how many brothers or sisters a person has. It asks a different question from ‘몇 살이에요?’(How old are you?), which asks about age, and from ‘누구하고 살아요?’(Who do you live with?), which asks about the people one lives with. Example: A: ‘형제가 어떻게 되세요?’(How many siblings do you have?) B: ‘누나가 한 명 있어요’(I have one older sister).
• 가족 수 세기(counting family members) — When counting how many family members there are, the speaker includes themselves. The basic method is to count parents, children, and siblings, and then add oneself. The same principle is used to count the number of people in a text that describes a family photo.

'-(으)세요' Request Expressions

‘-(으)세요’ is a polite-style (해요체) ending attached to verb stems to ask or recommend that the listener do an action. If the stem has no final consonant, ‘-세요’ is attached; if it has one, ‘-으세요’ is attached. E.g., 가다 → 가세요, 앉다 → 앉으세요.

• 가져가세요 — A combination of ‘가지다’ (to hold) and ‘가다’ (to go), meaning to pick up something and take it to another place. ‘데려가다’ (to take someone along) means to take a person with you, and ‘내려가다’ (to go down) and ‘올라가다’ (to go up) indicate the direction of going down or up. E.g., 비가 오니 우산을 가져가세요.
• -아/어 주세요 — An expression for asking someone to do an action for you. It is formed by attaching ‘-아/어 주다’ (to do for someone) to a verb stem and adding ‘-세요’. E.g., 문장을 한 번만 읽어 주세요.
• 물어보세요 — A way of recommending that you ask another person when you do not know something. E.g., 궁금한 점이 있으면 언제든지 물어보세요.
• 서두르세요 — Used to urge someone to move quickly when time is short. E.g., 버스가 곧 출발하니 서두르세요.
• 앉으세요 — The request form of ‘앉다’ (to sit). It is used when offering a seat and must be distinguished from ‘타다’ (to board or ride, as in a car or bus). The honorific verbs for ‘먹다’ (to eat) are ‘드시다’ and ‘잡수시다’, and the honorific verb for ‘자다’ (to sleep) is ‘주무시다’, so they should be learned together.
• 준비하세요 — Means to prepare in advance so that you are ready for a task or situation. It is used to recommend getting necessary items ready beforehand after mentioning a condition such as the weather or the season. E.g., 여행 전에 필요한 서류를 미리 준비하세요.

Expressions for Finding Lost Items

Expressions for finding lost items are used to describe the situation when you have lost something and to explain how to look for it. You should distinguish between cases where an item was lost and cases where it was left behind, and you should know which institution helps return the item.

• 찾아보세요 — ‘찾다’ (to look for) means to search and find something that cannot be seen. Adding the auxiliary verb ‘보다’ (to try doing) as in ‘찾아 보다’ strengthens the sense of recommending that someone search. E.g., 가방 안 주머니를 다시 찾아보세요.
• 줍다 / 주다 — ‘줍다’ (to pick up) means to pick up something that has fallen on the ground. It is conjugated irregularly with ㅂ and becomes ‘주워요’. ‘주다’ (to give) means to hand something to someone and is written as ‘줘요’. Because the conjugated forms of the two verbs are similar, their meanings must be checked together. E.g., 길에 떨어진 동전을 주워요.
• 잃어버리다 / 두고 내리다 — ‘잃어버리다’ (to lose) means that an item goes missing because you do not know where it is. ‘두고 내리다’ (to leave something behind when getting off) means getting off a car or subway without taking your belongings with you. It should be distinguished from ‘잃어버리다’ because you clearly know where the item was. E.g., 버스에 우산을 두고 내렸어요.
• 분실물 센터 / 유실물 보관 센터 — An institution that collects lost items and returns them to their owners. ‘분실물’ and ‘유실물’ have the same meaning. Such centers are operated separately at public facilities such as subway stations and museums, and you find the phone number for the relevant department on the facility's information board and call to inquire.
• 물건의 특징 말하기 — When asking for help finding a lost item, mention noticeable features such as color and size. It is natural to describe the features specifically. E.g., 검은색 지갑이고 작은 크기예요.
• 연락처 남기기 — If the staff member says they will contact you when they find the item, you must give your name and phone number so that they can reach you. E.g., 제 이름과 휴대전화 번호를 알려 드릴게요.

Expressions for Comparing Age

The way you ask about someone's age depends on whether the person is an adult. When asking an older adult, it is polite to use honorific language such as ‘연세가 어떻게 되세요?’ (How old are you?, honorific form). ‘연세’ (age, honorific) is a word that refers to an adult's age in an elevated way. ‘몇 살이에요?’ (How old are you?) is also a question about age, but it is mainly used with people of the same age or younger people, so it is appropriate to use ‘연세’ when asking an adult. When calculating the age difference between two people, first check whether each person is older or younger than the reference person. When the two people are on opposite sides of the reference person, add the two differences. Written as a formula, it is as follows. 나이 차이 = 기준 인물과의 차이 A + 기준 인물과의 차이 B For example, an older sister who is four years older than me and a younger sister who is one year younger than me are five years apart from each other. If both people are older than me, you must subtract the differences instead. You should also learn adjectives related to age. ‘젊어 보이다’ (to look young) means looking younger than one's actual age, and ‘늙어 보이다’ (to look old) means looking older than one's actual age. E.g., 그 가수는 나이보다 훨씬 젊어 보인다. When talking about how old someone looks, do not use ‘크다’ (to be big or tall) or ‘작다’ (to be small), because they refer to height or size.