Here's how to say "to think," summarized from Sunday's live Korean class. The full live stream lasted around 2 hours, but the abridged version is just at 12 minutes.
Not only did I teach how you can use the 것 같다 form to say "to think," but I also reviewed conjugating adjectives to use with this form; you get two large separate topics in one simple video lesson.
The post Thinking 것 같다 | Live Class Abridged appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.
Baekunam Hermitage, which means “White Cloud Hermitage” in English, is located in northern Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do in the foothills of Mt. Bilmisan (352.2 m). In fact, the location of the hermitage is rather remote, and it’s situated with mountains to the west and agricultural fields to the east. It’s believed that Baekunam Hermitage was first founded in 1886 by a female shaman named Yun, who was also known as Lord of Jillyeong by the government of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). In fact, Yun was known as a royal shaman.
There’s a rather interesting hermitage legend connecting shamans and the royal court. In 1882, Queen Min (1851-1895), who was also known as Empress Myeongseong, fled to Chungju during the Imo Incident (1882). The plight of Queen Min was perilous. She has just fled from the Royal Palace after rioters searched the royal grounds to kill her because of her membership in the much hated Min family; and as a result, of the perceived corruption of the government which was under Queen Min’s control. The rioters were poor and wanting revenge for the condition of their country and its people. The queen narrowly escaped the Royal Palace. Dressed as an ordinary lady of the court, Queen Min was carried on the back of a faithful guard who claimed that she was his sister. While in Chungju, a shaman predicted that Queen Min would return to the palace soon after taking flight from the Royal Palace and taking up residence at the home of Min Eung-sik. Eventually the queen would return to Seoul; but this time, with the shaman to serve her. In a dream, a white iron Buddha appeared to the shaman. In this dream, an iron Buddha asked the shaman to be enshrined in a temple, so a temple was built on the spot which is now Baekunam Hermitage. Baekunam Hermitage was built in 1886.
Much later, and after the hermitage was reconstructed in 1977, was the Yosachae (dorms) built. In 1991, the Samseong-gak Hall was built and the dorms were repaired. In 1991, the abbot of the hermitage, Jinsong, rebuilt the Daeung-jeon Hall. And in 2002, an access road was built to replace the formerly unpaved hermitage road.
Baekunam Hermitage is home to a single Korean Treasure. This treasure is Korean Treasure #1527, and it’s officially known as the “Iron Seated Buddha at Baegunam Hermitage.”
You first approach the hermitage from the hermitage parking lot and around a bend in the road. The first of the two hermitage shrine halls that visitors can explore is the diminutive Samseong-gak Hall. The exterior walls to this shaman shrine hall are adorned in simple dancheong colours. Stepping inside the Samseong-gak Hall, you’ll find a collection of shaman murals that date back to 1888. The first of the three, and hanging on the far left side of the main altar, is the mural dedicated to Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit). The tiger in the Sanshin painting has a leopard-like face and a tiger body. It has a long tail that stands erect next to the Mountain Spirit’s head. And its green eyes look across Sanshin’s body protectively. Next to this mural is the older Chilseong (Seven Stars) mural. And hanging on the far right part of the main altar is a mural dedicated to Dokseong (The Lonely Saint). Birds fly overhead, flowers from the trees hang down, and Dokseong sits contemplatively with his long white eyebrows.
Next to the Samseong-gak Hall, and to the right, is the Daeung-jeon Hall. The Daeung-jeon Hall is both a storage area and the main hall at Baekunam Hermitage. The central part of the Daeung-jeon Hall is the shrine hall. Like the Samseong-gak Hall, the exterior to the Daeung-jeon Hall is plainly painted in traditional dancheong colours.
Stepping inside the main hall, your eyes will instantly be drawn to the main altar and the “Iron Seated Buddha at Baegunam Hermitage.” It’s believed that this statue, which looks to be Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha), was moved to its current location of Baekunam Hermitage from the ruins of the neighbouring the Eokjeongsa-ji Temple Site. The Eokjeongsa-ji Temple Site was a large temple that was first built during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). The iron Buddha has a gentle face, and its robe hangs over just its left shoulder. The iron Buddha sits with its legs crossed and making the “Touching the Earth” mudra (ritualized hand gesture). The iron Buddha stands 87 cm in height, and it’s believed to date back to late Unified Silla (668-935 A.D.) to early Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). Overall, the statue is quite well preserved with no major signs of damage. The “Iron Seated Buddha at Baegunam Hermitage” is the oldest of the three iron statues in Chungju alongside those at Daewonsa Temple and Danhosa Temple. The “Iron Seated Buddha at Baegunam Hermitage” is Korean Treasure #1527.
The only other building at the hermitage are the monks’s dorms and administrative office to the right of the Daeung-jeon Hall.
From the Chungju Intercity Bus Terminal, the easiest way to get to Baekunam Hermitage is to simply take a taxi. The taxi ride will last 25 minutes, or 19.1 km, and it’ll cost about 15,800 won (one way).
The obvious major highlight at Baekunam Hermitage is the “Iron Seated Buddha at Baegunam Hermitage.” The iron statue of the Buddha is a wonderful example of Buddhist artistry from late Unified Silla and/or the early Goryeo Dynasty. The statue is both masterful and sublime. In addition to this main hall statue, have a look inside the Samseong-gak Hall at the late 19th century shaman murals of Sanshin, Dokseong, and Chilseong. While harder to get to, Baekunam Hermitage is definitely worth it.
In this post, we’ll teach you how to say “fluent” in Korean. Perhaps you’re a Korean learner wondering how to be fluent in Korean.
As you progress in your Korean learning journey, you might come across this word, too.
All Korean vocabulary you’ll learn below will be in Hangeul (Korean Alphabet) with Romanized Korean next to it. We recommend learning the Korean alphabet so you can learn these terms faster and have accurate pronunciation.
Knowing how to read the Korean alphabet will help you retain the core Korean words you should learn first. It will also improve your overall Korean language learning plan.
With the goal of being fluent in Korean in mind, why don’t we also learn the word for “fluent” in Korean?
You can say “fluent” in Korean as 유창한 (yuchanghan), which is used as an adjective.
For example:
유창한 영어 (yuchanghan yeongeo)
fluent English
그는 유창한 영어를 구사합니다 (geuneun yuchanghan yeongeoreul gusahamnida)
He speaks fluent English.
The original form 유창하다 (yuchanghada) is a verb that means “to be fluent.”
This is used in sentences as ~가 유창하다 (~ga yuchanghada) or ~을/를 유창하게 하다 (~eul/reul yuchanghage hada).
For example:
중국어가 유창하시네요! (junggugeoga yuchanghasineyo!)
You’re fluent in Chinese!
나는 한국어를 유창하게 하고 싶어요. (naneun hangugeoreul yuchanghage hago sipeoyo.)
I want to be fluent in Korean.
이 아이는 벌써 영어를 유창하게 해요. (i aineun beolsseo yeongeoreul yuchanghage haeyo.)
This child is already fluent in English.
The Korean term 능통하다 (neungtonghada) can also be used to say “fluent” in Korean. Here are some examples:
당신은 많은 언어에 능통합니까? (dangsineun maneun eoneoe neungtonghamnikka?)
Are you fluent in many languages?
그는 일본어와 러시아어에 능통해요. (geuneun ilboneowa reosiaeoe neungtonghaeyo.)
He is fluent in Japanese and Russian.
The word for “fluency” in Korean is 유창함 (yuchangham). You can also use the word 능숙함 (neungsukam) which also translates to “proficiency.”
Fluency doesn’t happen overnight. But if you want to start your journey towards becoming fluent in Korean, then the best way to do it is to learn a bit each day.
Here are some resources that’ll give you step-by-step instructions and some tips to help you in your Korean language journey.
And that’s it for this lesson! We hope you achieve the Korean fluency that you’re aiming for.
To further help you in your Korean language journey, you can also read through our blog for useful Korean learning resources.
화이팅! ^^
The post “Fluent” in Korean – How to express your proficiency appeared first on 90 Day Korean.
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I compiled a list of the most common questions that I've been asked as a Korean learner, and then met up with "A Piece of Korean" (한국어 한 조각) to get their ideas as well. Here are the most common questions that Korean learners get asked on a regular basis, along with a few ways that you can answer these questions.
The post The most common questions Koreans ask foreigners (and how to answer them) appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.
One of the great things about running a website about Korean Buddhist temples is that you get to meet a lot of amazing people. And a lot of these amazing people have varying backgrounds, interests, and insights. Rather amazingly, some of these people first visited Korea in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Here is Frank’s story:
Q1: Where are you originally from? Introduce yourself a little.
A: I’m originally from Pittsburgh but after college I joined the Peace Corps and came to Korea in 1966
Q2: When and why did you first come to Korea?
A: 1966 Peace Corps
Q3: When you first came to Korea what city did you live? Did you subsequently move around?
A: Busan for less than a year. Was medically returned to States.
Q4: What was the first temple you visited in Korea?
A: My Korean family took me to see Tongdosa [Temple] and Beomeosa [Temple]. They were devout Christians but wanted me to see the temples.
Q5: What drew your interest to Korean Buddhist temples? (Buddhism, architecture, art, history, etc)
A: We had at least 2 books about Buddhism in our Peace Corps foot locker that, along with the temple visits, made me very curious about Buddhism.
Q6: What is your favourite temple? Why?
A: I like many of the temples a lot, but perhaps Haeinsa [Temple] is my favorite. When I came back to Korea in 1971 on a visa trip from Tokyo (to begin teaching at Sophia University’s International Division), I took a bus to Haeinsa [Temple] and amazingly was permitted to join some monks for several days of their Winter Retreat. A monk invited me to climb up to a hermitage and introduced me to Songchol [Seongcheol] Sunim. I didn’t know who he was, but I had a chance to talk with him about meditation for at least 40 minutes. I later discovered what an honor that had been.
Q7: What temple or hermitage has changed the most from when you were first got here? What has changed about it?
A: We had a Peace Corps conference in 1966 in Kyongju [Gyeongju] and visited Bulguksa [Temple], which at that time had not be greatly restored. It was beautifully restored in the late 60s and early 70s.
Q8: What was the most difficult temple to get to? How did you get there?
A: In 1970, I asked about meditation at Jogyesa [Temple] and a kind monk wrote down a Seon master’s name and his temple outside of Incheon. I had to take buses into the countryside but found Yonghwasa [Temple] and met Jeongang Sunim, one of the great 20th century masters. I stayed there at the temple for about a week. I was so lucky to have met two of the greatest Korean Seon masters.
Q9: Did you remain in Korea or did you return home?
A: I have lived mostly in Korea since Peace Corps days but have also taught in Japan for a number of years.
One of the most common mistakes when using Korean counters is overusing words. This includes overusing markers. It's a mistake that's so easy to make, but just as easy to fix. In this lesson I'll explain what the mistake is, and the simplest way that you can fix it in your sentences to never make it again.
The post Use Korean Counters Without This Common Mistake | Korean FAQ appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.
Gosansa Temple in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, which shouldn’t be confused with the number of temples throughout Korea with the same name, is located to the north of Mt. Darangsan (591.2 m). It’s believed by some that Gosansa Temple was first built in 879 A.D. by the famed monk Doseon-guksa (827-898 A.D.). However, there’s not a lot of concrete information to support this claim. Another claim, at least according to the “Gosansa Jungsugi,” which was written in 1920, states that Gosansa Temple was rebuilt in 1096 by Hyeso-guksa. However, and through archaelogical work conducted at the temple, tiles, earthenware, and porcelain pieces were collected. It was discovered that this collection of artifacts from Gosansa Temple dated back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). This puts in doubt the claim that the temple was built by Doseon-guksa and rebuilt during the early Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392).
Gosansa Temple was later rebuilt in 1653 by the monk Songgye after being destroyed during the Joseon Dynasty. More recently, and in 1920, the monk Hoam rebuilt Gosansa Temple. However, and during the Korean War (1950-53), most of Gosansa Temple was destroyed in 1950. Then in 1956, the monk Wolha rebuilt the Samseong-gak Hall and the monks’ dorms. In 1997, the Samseong-gak Hall was repaired, as was the Eungjin-jeon Hall in 1998. Since the Korean War, and because it’s the only large shrine hall that still remains on the temple grounds at Gosansa Temple, the historic Eungjin-jeon Hall acts as the main hall.
While Gosansa Temple doesn’t have a National Treasure of Korean Treasure, it does have a pair of Chungcheongbuk-do Tangible Cultural Property.
You first make your way up a steep mountain road to get to Gosansa Temple. When you finally do arrive at the temple parking lot, which is rather strangely placed, you’ll notice the Yosachae (monks’ dorms) off to your left. The grassy temple parking lot is situated between the Yosachae to your left; and up the neighbouring mountainside, you’ll find a pair of temple shrine halls (the only two at Gosansa Temple).
To your right, and up a set of stairs that partially climb the mountain, is the Samseong-gak Hall. You’ll notice this shaman shrine hall to your left and through a collection of lantern trestles. The exterior walls to the Samseong-gak Hall are adorned with a tiger mural and a Sinseon (Taoist Immortal) painting. Stepping inside the Samseong-gak Hall, you’ll find three shaman paintings on the main altar. The first of the three, and hanging in the centre, is dedicated to Chilseong (The Seven Stars). The Chilseong painting is rather simple as are the other paintings dedicated to Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit) and Dokseong (The Lonely Saint) that also take up residence inside the Samseong-gak Hall.
Heading back in the same direction you first came from, keep heading straight towards the slightly elevated Eungjin-jeon Hall. The Eungjin-jeon Hall is in a clearing and on a ridge on the mountain. The exterior walls are beautifully adorned with modern murals dedicated to the Nahan (The Historical Disciples of the Buddha). Stepping inside the Eungjin-jeon Hall, and rather unexpectedly, you’ll find a white, stone statue dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) on the main altar. The reason I say unexpected is because a statue of Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha) is traditionally housed inside a Eungjin-jeon Hall alongside Nahan statues. The statue dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal on the main altar is wearing a large, white crown with black hair that flows down to her shoulders. It’s believed that this statue dates back to the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Additionally, this statue is one of the two Chungcheongbuk-do Tangible Cultural Property at Gosansa Temple.
Joining the stone statue of Gwanseeum-bosal on the main altar are six stone statues dedicated to the Nahan. Originally, there were sixteen of these statues, but ten have since gone missing. All six statues are hooded with blue trim against the dominant white paint of the stone statues. The six statues are divided into two sets, three on either side of the main altar. These three statues are then backed by a beautiful modern mural of the Nahan. Like the main altar Gwanseeum-bosal statue, these stone statues of the Nahan date back to the late Joseon Dynasty. What makes these statues so unique is that they are made of stone instead of clay or plaster from this time period. This collection of stone Nahan statues is the other Chungcheongbuk-do Tangible Cultural Property at Gosansa Temple.
As for the rest of the interior of the Eungjin-jeon Hall, you’ll find a beautiful modern painting dedicated to Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife), as well as an equally modern painting of a Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural).
From the Jecheon Bus Station, you’ll need to take Bus #980. After 66 stops, or 1 hour and 15 minutes, you’ll need to get off at the “Shinhyun 2 ri stop.” From where the bus drops you off, you’ll need to walk 1.8 km, or 27 minutes, to get to Gosansa Temple. It should be noted that most of the 1.8 km will be a hike up a mountain and not so much a walk.
There are only a couple of shrine halls at Gosansa Temple in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, but the obvious highlight is the artwork that adorns both the exterior and interior of this rather uniquely designated main hall. The exterior of the Eungjin-jeon Hall has beautiful modern paintings dedicated to the Nahan (The Historical Disciples of the Buddha), while the interior has an amazing collection of stone statues dedicated to the Nahan, as well as the main altar image of Gwanseeum-bosal. In addition to all this artwork, Gosansa Temple is beautifully situated up in the mountains with beautiful views of the valley below.
Several decades ago there was a popular theme park in Seoul called Yongma Land (용마랜드) - at least until other parks opened nearby, and the park slowly decayed until it shut down permanently. None of the rides are still functional, and the park is no longer open to visitors. But you can still get inside with a ticket, and every day many do. I visited together with my friend Anna, and we explored the park to see what was still there, and what the purpose of the park is.
The post We explored this abandoned amusement park in Seoul appeared first on Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean.
One of the great things about running a website about Korean Buddhist temples is that you get to meet a lot of amazing people. And a lot of these amazing people have varying backgrounds, interests, and insights. Rather amazingly, some of these people first visited Korea in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Here are their stories!
Q1: Where are you originally from? Introduce yourself a little.
A: I was born in Freeport, TX. I moved every year of my life around the U.S. Bill was born in Okinawa. He went to Korea in 1966.
Q2: When and why did you first come to Korea?
A: I was 12 when we moved to Seoul in the summer of 1968. We lived in Bay St. Louis, MS. I remember running down the street to my math teacher’s house, Mrs. Ramsey, squealing that I was moving to South Korea! I was thrilled before we even got there. I was in the deep south during the civil rights movements, lost my best friend, had crosses burned in our yard, my friends said you will probably marry a slanty eyed boy (racism)… well I did! My dad worked for the U.S. government, a petroleum specialist. He worked jointly with the U.S. & R.O.K. Airforce. We lived there 6 years, for my entire junior and high school experience, but I know I went to Korea to meet my Seoulmate, Bill Krause! Bill’s dad was in the war in Okinawa, stayed after the war, started a contracting company and rebuilt much of Southeast Asia. He was an invited contractor to Korea.
Q3: When you first came to Korea what city did you live in? Did you subsequently move around?
A: Seoul! We stayed in the U.N. Village, Hannam-dong. Upon our arrival, we stayed at Walker Hill Resort. We lived off base but went to Seoul American High School. Bill lived in New Itaewon up on Namsan!
Q4: What was the first temple you visited in Korea?
A: All the temples and palaces in Seoul. Immediate travel to many areas in Korea with the T.C.C. Club [Travel and Culture Club] in our high school. Bopjusa [Beopjusa Temple], Haeinsa [Temple], Kyongju [Gyeongju], Kwangju [Gwangju] areas, Pusan [Busan], Cheju-do [Jeju-do], all over. When I was a little older, we took off on our own, Bill and I and friends.
Q5: What drew your interest to Korean Buddhist temples?
A: Growing up all over the U.S., camping and nature were always my peace in a dysfunctional family! I found peace and knew holiness was not small and confined in a church.
Q6: What is your favorite temple? Why?
A: Exactly. Why would one have a favorite? HA! Feelings and experiences for me. Bill’s first love was photography, so thankful he captured much of this time period!
Q7: What temple or hermitage has changed the most from when you first got here? What has changed about it?
A: As I see your amazing travel and documenting of temples, I see many changes. In our days, we could freely go in, be welcomed to stay in the old rooms with floor heating. We did not worry about things like carbon monoxide poisoning, etc., and we always ended up in the kitchen. We shared whatever we had in our backpacks, which were heavy military packs, not this lightweight stuff! We were young foreign diplomats in many ways. Those days we would be so remote, Bill’s long hair, we were the Beatle’s to some!
Q8: What was the most difficult temple to get to? How did you get there?
A: Pyochungsa [Temple]! Back then, no roads! A small group went there together in the spring of 1973. Bill went with a friend and traveled to remote places, as this was their senior year and he would be graduating from SAHS [Seoul American High School]. We took trains and buses from Seoul. The bus literally crossed rivers and we landed in a village outside of temple. It seemed monks in training were there, as well as some students studying. We stayed days and a forest fire happened. No water or fire trucks, we were all on the mountain using everything we could to put the fire out. Truly life enriching experiences. I met Beop (a Buddhist monk) there and would love to find him. He must be at a temple someplace!
Later that year, 1973, Bill graduated and moved to college in Port Angeles, WA. We were and still are soulmates. A friend and I did an independent study in our Korean Culture class, we were seniors. We chose Pyochungsa [Temple]. We went alone and found our way and stayed. Beop greeted us; and yes, we ended up in the kitchen. We hiked all over, did the least amount of schoolwork as possible! On this occasion we joined in all chants and meditations. We went up high above the main temple, where the deep meditative place was. We knew we were amongst holiness. I did not like rice, I would sneak my bowl to hide in the mountains. I just know they probably knew this. Then, rice had to be mixed with beans as rationed or food shortages. Hard to verbalize this experience. We passed our class and this friend and I graduated in Jan., 1974 and went to be with Bill. I gave Beop a native American necklace that I was wearing.
Q9: Did you remain in Korea or did you return home?
A: I left Korea, Jan., 1974. I graduated from high school. Bill and I returned in the fall of 1981 on a tour. His parents still lived in Namsan. I have not been back. We hope to go again, especially being in Okinawa temporarily. We now live in Tehachapi, CA. There is a beautiful Korean temple, Taegosa [Temple] (Mountain Spirit Center) just down the road. It seems it was built just for us outside of our little town!
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