Welcome to KIIP Level 4 Unit 1! This lesson focuses on essential vocabulary and grammar patterns for discussing the experience of adapting to life in Korea. You'll learn how to describe the initial challenges, emotional journey, and eventual stability of building a new life in a different culture.
This unit introduces two key grammar patterns:
1. Verb + -느라고 - Used to express that the preceding action is the reason for the
following situation (often with a negative or neutral result).
2. Adjective/Verb + -을수록 - Used to express "the more... the more..."
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| KIIP 4 Unit 1 Adapting to Korean Life |
Essential Vocabulary Words
Emotions & Feelings (감정과 느낌)
|
Korean |
English |
|
설레다 |
to be excited/thrilled |
|
자신이 있다 |
to be confident |
|
그립다 |
to miss (someone/something) |
|
신기하다 |
to be amazing/wondrous |
|
낯설다 |
to be unfamiliar |
|
서투르다 |
to be clumsy/inexperienced |
|
겁이 나다 |
to be scared/afraid |
|
긍정적이다 |
to be positive |
|
서글플 |
to be sadful |
Actions & Efforts (행동과 노력)
|
Korean |
English |
|
해내다 |
to achieve/succeed |
|
여기저기 뛰어다니다 |
to run around everywhere |
|
적응하다 |
to adapt |
|
주변을 돌아보다 |
to look around one's surroundings |
|
오해를 받다 |
to be misunderstood |
|
자리를 잡다 |
to settle in; to establish oneself |
|
초청하다 |
to invite |
|
머리를 감다 |
to wash one's hair |
|
앞만 보고 달리다 |
to run only looking forward (to be single-minded) |
|
챙겨 먹다 |
to make sure to eat (properly) |
|
꾸준히 |
steadily/persistently |
|
마음을 먹다 |
to make up one's mind |
|
다가서다 |
to approach someone |
|
기회를 잡다 |
to seize an opportunity |
Nouns & Concepts (명사와 개념)
|
Korean |
English |
|
부푼 꿈 |
big/ambitious dreams |
|
향수병 |
homesickness |
|
여유 |
spare time/leeway |
|
노하우 |
know-how |
|
편견 |
prejudice |
|
환경 |
environment/surroundings |
|
상황 |
situation/circumstances |
|
계기 |
opportunity/occasion/chance |
|
이주 |
migration |
|
기초 |
basics/foundation |
|
수익 |
profit/earnings |
|
승진 |
promotion (job) |
|
사업 |
business/enterprise |
|
회상 |
recollection/memory |
|
엊그제 |
just the other day |
|
고진감래 |
joy after suffering |
|
옛말 |
old saying |
|
지름길 |
shortcut |
|
제2의 고향 |
second home(land) |
|
봄날 |
spring day |
|
기대감 |
sense of anticipation |
|
외로움 |
loneliness |
|
호기심 |
curiosity |
|
자신감 |
confidence |
|
생소함 |
unfamiliarity |
|
체험 수기 |
experience essay/testimonial |
|
번역자 |
translator |
|
수요 |
demand |
|
고생 끝에 낙이 온다 |
After hardship comes happiness |
Adverbs & Expressions (부사와 표현)
|
Korean |
English |
|
다행히 |
fortunately/luckily |
|
꽤 |
quite/considerably |
|
어쩌면 |
perhaps/maybe |
|
당연하다 |
to be natural/obvious |
Essential Phrases
(1) Early Life in Korea (한국 생활 초기)
1. 부푼 꿈을 가지고 왔어요. 정말 설렜어요.
(I came with big dreams. I was really excited.)
2. 낯선 환경에 적응하는 게 쉽지 않았지만 새로운 생활을 즐기려고 노력했어요.
(Adapting to an unfamiliar environment wasn't easy, but I tried to enjoy my new
life.)
3. 의사소통이 잘 안 돼서 답답했어요.
(It was frustrating because I couldn't communicate well.)
4. 하나하나 다 새롭고 신기하게 느껴졌어요.
(Everything felt new and amazing.)
5. 한국에 사는 고향 선배가 하나부터 열까지 도움을 주었어요.
(A senior from my hometown living in Korea helped me with everything from A to
Z.)
6. 살 곳과 직장을 구하려고 여기저기 뛰어다녔어요.
(I ran around everywhere to find a place to live and to find a job.)
7. 문화 차이가 커서 불편하기도 하고 재미있기도 했어요.
(The cultural difference was big, so it was sometimes inconvenient and
sometimes fun.)
8. 향수병에 걸렸어요. 가족들이 너무 그리웠어요.
(I got homesick. I missed my family so much.)
(2) Life in
Korea Now (한국 생활 지금)
1. 이제는 주변을 돌아볼 수 있는 여유가 생겼어요.
(Now I have the leisure to look around my surroundings.)
2. 오래 다닐 수 있는 좋은 직장이 생겨서 생활이 안정됐어요.
(I found a good job I can work at long-term, so my life has become stable.)
3. 외국인에 대한 편견 때문에 서글플 때도 있어요.
(Sometimes I feel sad because of prejudice against foreigners.)
4. 한국어가 아직 서툴러서 오해를 받을 때는 속상해요.
(It's upsetting when I'm misunderstood because my Korean is still clumsy.)
5. 일을 처음 배울 때 힘들었는데 지금은 일을 쉽게 하는 나만의 노하우도 생겼어요.
(It was hard when I first learned the job, but now I have my own know-how to do
it easily.)
6. 어느 정도 자리를 잡아서 가족들을 초청하려고 해요.
(I've settled in to some extent, so I plan to invite my family.)
Grammar Notes & Examples
1. Verb + -느라고 ("Because of doing...")
Used to indicate that the preceding
action was the reason or cause for the situation in the following clause. The
following clause is often a negative result or an explanation for not being
able to do something.
Conjugation Rules:
Verb stem + -느라고
- 읽다 → 읽느라고
- 걷다 → 걷느라고
- 다녀오다 → 다녀오느라고
- 구하다 → 구하느라고
- 살다 → 사느라고
Examples:
1. 한국에 오자마자 바로 한국어 공부를 시작하기 어려운 이유가 있었어요?
(Was there a reason it was difficult to start studying Korean right after you
came to Korea?)
→ 그때는 새로운 환경에 적응하느라고 공부를 시작할 수 없었어요.
(Back then, because I was busy adapting to the new environment, I couldn't
start studying.)
2. 어제 이사하느라고 힘들었지요?
(It must have been hard because you were busy moving yesterday, right?)
→ 네, 그런데 다행히 친구들이 많이 도와줬어요.
(Yes, but fortunately my friends helped a lot.)
3. 머리를 감느라고 전화를 못 받았다.
(I couldn't answer the phone because I was busy washing my hair.)
4. 병원에 다녀오느라고 지난주 수업에 올 수 없었습니다.
(I couldn't come to class last week because I was busy going to the
hospital.)
5. 추운 날씨에 적응하느라고 힘들었어요. 하지만 신기하고 재미있는 것도 많았어요.
(It was hard because I was busy adapting to the cold weather. But there
were also many amazing and fun things.)
2. Adjective/Verb + -을수록 ("The more... the more...")
Used to express that as the degree of
the first action or state increases, the degree of the second action or state
also increases. It is often used in the form '-으면 -을수록' for emphasis.
Conjugation Rules:
Verb/Adjective ending in consonant
+ -을수록:
- 읽다 → 읽을수록
- 짧다 → 짧을수록
- 춥다 → 추울수록
Verb/Adjective ending in vowel + -ㄹ수록:
- 보다 → 볼수록
- 사귀다 → 사귈수록
- 어리다 → 어릴수록
- 살다 → 살수록
Examples:
1. 단계가 올라갈수록 한국어 공부가 더 어려워요.
(The higher the level gets, the more difficult studying Korean becomes.)
→ 그래도 한국어 실력이 좋아질수록 생활이 더 편해질 거예요.
(Still, the better your Korean skills get, the more convenient your
life will become.)
2. 이거 더 끓일까요?
(Should I boil this longer?)
→ 네, 조금 더 끓이세요. 미역국은 오래 끓일수록 더 맛있어요.
(Yes, boil it a little longer. The longer you boil seaweed soup, the more
delicious it becomes.)
3. 몸이 안 좋을수록 더 잘 챙겨 먹어야 한다.
(The more unwell your body is, the more you must take care to eat
properly.)
4. 나이가 어릴수록 외국어를 빨리 배운다.
(The younger the age, the faster one learns a foreign language.)
5. 한국에 산 지 3년 됐는데 한국 문화는 알수록 매력적인 것 같아요.
(It's been 3 years since I lived in Korea, and the more I learn about
Korean culture, the more charming it seems.)
Speaking Practice
Click to listen to the audio and try to
repeat speaking.
고천: 혹시 다니엘 씨 아니에요? 저 1단계 수업 같이 들은 고천이에요. 이게 얼마만이에요?
(Gocheon: Is this Daniel? It's Gocheon, who took the Level 1 class with you.
It's been so long!)
다니엘: 아, 고천 씨. 정말 오랜만이에요. 이번 학기도 수업을 들으세요?
(Daniel: Ah, Gocheon! It's really been a long time. Are you taking classes
this semester too?)
고천: 네, 저는 4단계예요. 참, 1단계 때 왜 갑자기 학교를 그만두셨어요? 어느 날 갑자기 안 나와서 궁금했어요.
(Gocheon: Yes, I'm in Level 4. By the way, why did you suddenly drop out of
school during Level 1? I was curious when you suddenly stopped coming one day.)
다니엘: 아, 그때는 새로운 직장에 적응하느라고 마음의 여유가 없었어요.
(Daniel: Ah, back then, I was so busy adapting to my new job that I had no
peace of mind.)
고천: 그러셨어요? 몰랐어요. 요즘 어떻게 지내세요?
(Gocheon: Really? I didn't know. How have you been lately?)
다니엘: 시간이 지날수록 일도 익숙해지고 승진도 해서 어느 정도 안정이 됐어요.
(Daniel: As time passes, I've gotten used to the work, got a promotion, and
have become somewhat stable.)
고천: 아유, 잘됐네요. 언제나 긍정적이셔서 이렇게 잘될 거라고 생각했어요.
(Gocheon: Aww, that's great. I always thought you would do well because
you're so positive.)
다니엘: 그렇게 말씀해 주셔서 감사해요.
(Daniel: Thank you for saying that.)
Reading Comprehension
(1) Feelings One Can Have While Living
Abroad (외국에 살면서 가질 수 있는 느낌)
기대감: 곧 좋은 일이 생기겠지. 행복해지겠지.
(Sense of anticipation: "Something good will happen soon. I'll become
happy.")
외로움: 친구도 없고... 가족들이 너무 보고 싶어.
(Loneliness: "I have no friends... I miss my family so much.")
호기심: 이게 뭐지? 궁금하다.
(Curiosity: "What is this? I'm curious.")
자신감: 나는 살 수 있어!
(Confidence: "I can make it!")
생소감: 이건 처음 보는 건데... 어떻게 사용하는 거지?
(Unfamiliarity: "I'm seeing this for the first time... How do you use
it?")
(2) An
Immigrant's Experience Essay (이민자 체험 수기)
안녕하십니까? 저는 4년 전에 한국에 온 데이비드라고 합니다. 귀여운 아들이 하나 있는 한영 번역자입니다. 저는 어떤 계기로 멀리 한국에 이주하게 되었을까요? 바로 언어에 대한 큰 관심 때문이었습니다. 대학교에서 영문학뿐만 아니라 불어와 라틴어도 꾸준히 공부했습니다. 그래서 대학교 졸업을 앞두고 한국에 올 기회가 생겼을 때 새로운 언어를 배울 수 있다는 기대에 이주할 마음을 먹었습니다.
(Hello. My name is David, and I came to Korea four years ago. I am a
Korean-English translator with a cute son. What was the opportunity that led me
to move far away to Korea? It was my great interest in language. In university,
I steadily studied not only English literature but also French and Latin. So,
when I had the chance to come to Korea just before graduating, I made up my
mind to move, excited by the prospect of learning a new language.)
처음에는 대학교 선배의 소개로 영어 학원에서 일자리를 갖게 되었습니다. 유치원생과 초등학생들에게 영어 기초를 가르치는 것은 꽤 힘든 일이었는데 공부에 열중하는 어린 학생들을 보면서 저도 한국어를 배울 수 있겠다는 용기가 생겼습니다. 가족도 친구도 모두 먼 나라에 두고 왔기 때문에 한국에서 많이 외로웠지만 직장 동료들과 어울리고 한국어를 배우고 동아리 활동도 하면서 인맥을 넓혀 갔습니다. 한국어 실력이 늘수록 한국인 친구도 사귈 수 있게 되었고 한국에 대한 지식도 쌓여 갔습니다. 외로움보다 호기심이 앞서고, 한국 생활에 익숙해지니 자신감도 생겼습니다. 그리고 언어 공부와 한국 친구 덕분에 영어 강사보다 훨씬 적성에 맞는 한영 번역 일을 할 수 있게 되었습니다.
(At first, I got a job at an English academy through an introduction from a
university senior. Teaching the basics of English to kindergarten and
elementary school students was quite difficult, but seeing the young students
engrossed in their studies gave me the courage that I could learn Korean too. I
left all my family and friends in a distant country, so I was very lonely in
Korea, but I expanded my network by socializing with coworkers, learning
Korean, and joining club activities. The more my Korean skills improved, the
more I could make Korean friends and build my knowledge about Korea. Curiosity
overtook loneliness, and as I became accustomed to life in Korea, I gained
confidence. And thanks to language study and Korean friends, I was able to get
a job as a Korean-English translator, which suited my aptitude much more than
being an English instructor.)
먼 나라에 와서 적응하는 것이 쉬운 일은 아니지만 제 경험으로 봤을 때 지름길이 있습니다. 그것은 바로 호기심입니다. 문화도 언어도 모르는 외국에 나가면 겁이 나는 것은 어쩌면 당연한 일입니다. 그러나 호기심으로 다가서면 상황이 바뀝니다. '모르면 어때? 배우면 되지.'라고 하는 태도가 필요하다는 것입니다. 그런 태도로 낯선 환경을 알아 가려고 노력하면, 자기도 모르는 사이에 외국 생활에 익숙해지고 새로운 기회도 잡게 될 것입니다.
(Adapting after coming to a faraway country is not easy, but from my
experience, there is a shortcut. That is curiosity. It's perhaps natural to be
scared when going to a foreign country where you don't know the culture or
language. However, if you approach it with curiosity, the situation changes.
You need an attitude of, "So what if I don't know? I can just learn."
If you try to get to know the unfamiliar environment with that attitude, you
will find yourself becoming accustomed to life abroad and seizing new
opportunities without even realizing it.)
Quiz
Translate into Korean using the grammar
and vocabulary from this lesson:
1.
"I couldn't study because I was busy adapting to the new
environment."
2.
"The longer you boil seaweed soup, the more delicious it
becomes."
3.
"I was running around everywhere to find a job, so I was
very tired."
4.
"The better my Korean gets, the more convenient my life
becomes."
Answers:
1.
새로운 환경에 적응하느라고 공부를 못 했어요.
2.
미역국은 오래 끓일수록 더 맛있어져요.
3.
일자리를 구하려고 여기저기 뛰어다니느라고 많이 힘들었어요.
4.
한국어 실력이 좋아질수록 생활이 더 편해져요.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we learned to:
- Use Verb
+ -느라고 to explain that one action was the
reason for another situation (because of doing…)
- Apply Adjective/Verb
+ -을수록 to express proportional
relationships ("the more... the more...")
- Discuss the challenges and experiences of adapting to life in Korea
- Use vocabulary related to emotions, efforts, and life changes
Keep practicing to confidently talk about your experiences and adaptations in Korean life! 🇰🇷✨