How to Ask a Korean Out on a Date

Want to strike a conversation with that cutie walking on the streets of Seoul? Granny Kim and her crew shows you how! Learn these simple phrases featured in KWOW episode 57 to get your love life started:

The phrases featured in the episode are FORMAL, which should be used towards those older than you or people you’ve just met. Familiarize yourself with the INFORMAL versions below to widen your dating circle.

Phrases for asking a Korean out on a date, complimenting them, and finding out if they’re single: (Note: Dashes added for easier readability. Not added in cases where neighboring characters share a consonant. Also, some L consonants will have an R sound. This is normal.)

You’re beautiful.
아름다워. Ah-reum-da-wo. (informal)
아름다우시네요. Ah-reum-da-ooh-shi-ne-yo. (formal)

You’re cool.
멋있다. Musheetda. (informal)
멋있네요. Musheetneyo. (formal)

Are you hungry? Shall we go get some food?
배고파? 우리 밥 먹으러 갈까? Bae-go-pa? Oo-ri bap mug-eu-ruh gal-gga? (informal)
배고프세요? 우리 밥 먹으러 갈까요? Bae-go-peu-se-yo? Oo-ri bap mug-eu-ruh gal-gga-yo? (formal)

What are you doing today?
오늘 뭐해? O-neul mwo-hae? (informal)
오늘 뭐하세요? O-neul mwo-ha-se-yo? (formal)

What’s your phone number?
전화번호가 뭐야? Juhn-hwa-bun-ho-ga mwo-ya? (informal)
전화번호가 뭐예요? Juhn-hwa bun-ho-ga mwo-ye-yo? (formal)

Do you want to watch a movie?
영화보고 싶어? Young-hwa-bo-go ship-uh? (informal)
영화보고 싶어요? Young-hwa bo-go ship-uh-yo? (formal)

Are you single?
싱글이야? Shing-geul-ee-ya? (informal)
싱글이세요? Shing-geul-ee-se-yo? (formal)

Do you have a girlfriend?
여자친구 있어? Yuhja-chingoo eess-uh? (informal)
여자친구 있어요? Yuhja-chingoo eess-uh-yo? (formal)

Do you have a boyfriend?
남자친구 있어? Namja-chingoo eess-uh? (informal)
남자친구 있어요? Namja-chingoo eess-uh-yo? (formal)

To learn more about asking if someone has a boyfriend or girlfriend, watch KWOW #54 at 1:07.

Ways to say “YES” to accept the date offer:

Yes, I’m free. When should we meet?
어, 시간돼. 언제 만날까? Uh, shi-gan-dwae. Uhn-jeh mahn-nal-gga? (informal)
네, 시간돼요. 언제 만날까요? Neh, shi-gan-dwae-yo. Uhn-jeh mahn-nal-gga-yo? (formal)

Shall we meet today?
오늘 만날까? O-neul mahn-nal-gga? (informal)
오늘 만날까요? O-neul mahn-nal-gga-yo? (formal)

How about this weekend?
이번 주말은 어때? Ee-buhn joo-mal-eun uh-ddae? (informal)
이번 주말은 어때요? Ee-buhn joo-mal-eun uh-ddae-yo? (formal)

Let’s go eat dinner together.
우리 같이 저녁 먹자. Oo-ri gatchi juhn-yuk mug-ja. (informal)
우리 같이 저녁 먹어요. Oo-ri gatchi juhn-yuk mug-uh-yo. (formal)

I don’t have a boyfriend.
남자친구 없어. Namja-chinggoo upss-uh. (informal)
남자친구 없어요. Namja-chingoo upss-uh-yo. (formal)

I don’t have a girlfriend.
여자친구 없어. Yuhja-chingoo upss-uh. (informal)
여자친구 없어요. Yuhja-chingoo upss-uh-yo. (formal)

Ways to say “NO” to reject the date offer:

I’m busy.
나 바빠. Na ba-bba. (informal)
전 바빠요. Juhn ba-bba-yo. (formal)

Let’s just be friends.
우리 그냥 친구하자. Oo-ri geu-nyang chingoo-ha-ja. (informal)
우리 그냥 친구해요. Oo-ri geu-nyang chingoo-hae-yo. (formal)

I’m married.
결혼했어. Gyul-hon-haess-uh. (informal)
전 결혼했어요. Juhn gyul-hon haess-uh-yo. (formal)

I have a boyfriend.
남자친구 있어. Namja-chingoo eess-uh. (informal)
남자친구 있어요. Namja-chingoo eess-uh-yo. (formal)

I have a girlfriend.
여자친구 있어. Yuhja-chingoo eess-uh. (informal)
여자친구 있어요. Yuhja-chingoo eess-uh-yo. (formal)

Here are some phrases for when your relationship develops: 

There’s no one like you.
너밖에 없어. Nuh-bak-eh upss-uh. (informal)
당신밖에 없어요. Dang-shin-bak-eh upss-uh-yo. (formal)

I can’t live without you.
너없이 못살아. Nuh-upsshi motsarah. (informal)
당신없이 못살아요. Dang-shin-upsshi motsal-ah-yo. (formal)

Will you go out with me?
나랑 사귈래? Na-rang sa-gweel-lae? (informal)
저랑 사귈래요? Juh-rang sa-gweel-lae-yo? (formal)

Let’s go see my parents.
내 부모님 보자. Nae boo-mo-nim bo-ja. (informal)
저희 부모님 뵈요. Juhui boo-mo-nim bwe-yo. (formal)

I want to meet your parents.
네 부모님께 인사드리고 싶어. Nee boo-mo-nim-ggeh een-sa deurigo shipuh. (informal)
당신 부모님께 인사드리고 싶어요. Dang-shin boo-mo-nim-ggeh een-sa deu-rhi-go ship-uh-yo. (formal)

Will you marry me?
나랑 결혼해 줄래? Na-rang gyul-hon-hae joo-lae? (informal)
저랑 결혼해 줄래요? Juh-rang gyul-hon-hae joo-lae-yo? (formal)

I love you.
사랑해. Saranghae. (informal)
사랑해요. Saranghaeyo. (formal)

To learn the different ways to say “I love you,” watch KWOW episode #1.

Here are some cute, semi-cheesy yet romantic phrases to use on your sweetie:

I want to see you.
보고 싶어. Bo-go ship-uh. (informal)
보고 싶어요. Bo-go ship-uh-yo. (formal)

I’m cold. Hug me!
추워. 안아줘! Choo-wo. Ahn-ah-jwo! (informal)
추워요. 안아줘요! Choo-wo-yo. Ahn-ah jwo-yo! (formal)

I want to be with you.
같이 있고 싶어. Gatchi itgo shipuh. (informal)
같이 있고 싶어요. Gatchi itgo shipuhyo. (formal)

Don’t go home. Stay with me.
집에가지마. 나랑 같이 있어. Jeeb-eh gajima. Narang gatchi eessuh. (informal)
집에가지마요. 저랑 같이 있어요. Jeeb-eh gajimayo. Juhrang gatchi eessuhyo. (formal)

I like you.
네가 좋아. Nee-ga jo-ah. (informal)
당신이 좋아요. Dang-shin-ee jo-ah-yo. (formal)

To learn more on how to say “like” and “don’t like,” watch KWOW episode #52.

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Time to test your newly acquired skills! Take our weekly quiz to see if you can spot this week’s featured KWOW words in K-pop music videos. Answers below exercises.

QUESTION #1: Where do you hear 고백 (GOBEK/confession) in Secret’s “Starlight Moonlight”? Notice 사랑 (SARANG/love) and 좋아 (JOA/like) make multiple appearances.

QUESTION #2: Can you spot 소개팅 (SOGETING/blind date) in 2NE1 “I Don’t Care”?

QUESTION #3: Where does the second 사랑 (SARANG/love) appear in Ailee’s “Heaven”?

***ANSWERS BELOW. No peeking!***

Answer #1: GOBEK appears at 0:46. Answer #2: SOGETING is heard at 2:07. Answer #3: The second SARANG appears at 1:43. (What a coincidence because 143 is the numerical code for “I love you.”) Other SARANGs are sung at 0:59, 2:06, 2:52.

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KWOW CONTEST OF THE WEEK:

1. Write 10 of your favorite dating phrases from this week’s episode of KWOW.
2. Take a photo of your beautiful work.
3. Upload the photo onto Twitter.
4. Copy and paste the link in the comment section below. (Note: Other submissions may not be considered an entry.)
5. Don’t forget to ask your fun/crazy/yummy question to this week’s KWOW host Granny Kim.
6. Have fun! The first *seven people* to complete the task will win a reply from Granny Kim :)

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35 Korean Foods You Must Know

This week on KWOW episode 56, we learned about Korean cuisine. Food is an extensive topic, so we're specifically focusing on common terms that will help you read the Korean menu. You'll understand the difference between rice and noodles:

Let's do a review of the featured terms. I hope your eyes are hungry because they are about to see mega digital calories! If the following photos make you too hungry, scroll down quickly and enter the weekly contest! :)

Rice is BAP (밥) in Korean. Bap is also the general term for "food." Here are some popular bap dishes:

1. HUINBAP (흰밥) is cooked white rice. Many Korean households eat huinbap on a daily basis, three meals a day. Note: HUIN (흰) means "white."

2. OGOKBAP (오곡밥) is the delicious "five grains rice." It is a more nutritious substitute for white rice. Despite the name, you can add as many grains as you like, including black bean, red bean, foxtail millet, and barley.

3. GIMBAP (김밥) literally means "seaweed rice." Gimbap may look like sushi, but take a closer look. They are similar yet different. Gimbap does not contain raw fish. Gimbap is typically filled with vegetables, eggs, and meat. (Also Romanized as "kimbap.")

4. BIBIMBAP (비빔밥) literally means "mixed rice." It contains a variety of vegetables placed on top of white rice, along with a spoonful of red pepper paste. Add an egg and some meat. Stir the ingredients and enjoy!

Trivia: Sometimes Korean people joke around and call the K-pop boy band B.A.P. as "bap."

Maybe it's cold outside and you want to warm yourself up. Look for 찌개 (JJIGAE), which is "stew." The jjigae dish contains tofu, meat or seafood, scallions and other vegetables. Be Korean and order your stew extra spicy!

5. KIMCHI JJIGAE (김치 찌개) is kimchi stew. It is one of the more popular stews.

6. SOONDUBU JJIGAE (순두부 찌개) is soft tofu stew. While most jjigae variations contain a couple pieces of tofu, the soondubu jjigae contains A LOT of tofu.

7. DWENJANG JJIGAE (된장 찌개) is the delicious "soybean paste stew." It may be an acquired taste for some, but for those who grew up eating it, this dish is heaven. Tastes cozy!

8. BUDAE JJIGAE (부대 찌개) was a dish born after the Korean War. It's called the "army stew" because it uses Spam, Frank sausages, and sliced American cheese. All the ingredients that were present around U.S. Army bases in Korea.

While reading the menu, you may come across this curious character: 탕. What can the capitalized E, half H, and circle possibly mean? 탕 means "soup" and is pronounced as TANG.

9. SEOLLUNGTANG (설렁탕) is the tasty "ox bone soup." The bones are boiled until the stock becomes a milky-white color. Sprinkle some salt, pepper and scallions to flavor it up another notch. Eat it with your white rice (huinbap).

10. SAMGYETANG (삼계탕) is yet another scrumptious dish. Translated as "ginseng chicken soup" in English, it is particularly enjoyed during those hot summer months.

11. GALBITANG (갈비탕) is short ribs soup. Unless you are an experienced cook, we recommend you eat this at a restaurant because it can take over five hours to make!

Another word for "soup" is GOOK (국).

12. DDUKGOOK (떡국) is the annually eaten "rice cake soup." Koreans enjoy it on the Lunar New Year with their families.

13. MIYEOKGOOK (미역국) literally means "seaweed soup" and is indulged on birthdays.

14. KONGNAMULGOOK (콩나물국) literally means "soybean sprout soup" and is known to reduce hangovers.

Whether it's winter or summer, 면 (MYUN) can be enjoyed all-year round. Myun is the Korean word for "noodles."

15. JJAJANGMYUN (짜장면) is the yummy "blackbean noodles." Have a napkin ready and wear non-white clothes. As delicious as this dish is, things can get real messy if you don't know how to use your chopsticks!

16. NENGMYUN (냉면) are cold noodles. These handmade noodles served in iced broth are a great way to cool down during those hot summer days.

17. RAMYUN (라면) are what we in America call "instant noodles." In Japan, they're called "ramen." Every culture has their own unique way of cooking up these noodles. Koreans love adding kimchi and scallions into theirs. Not such a surprise considering that Koreans use kimchi for pretty much everything!

While GOOK means "soup"... GOOKSU means "noodles."

18. KALGOOKSU (칼국수) means "knife noodles" in Korean. It sounds a bit ominous, but the name refers to the fresh handmade, knife-cut noodles (as opposed to being stretched or spun).

19. KONGGOOKSU (콩국수) are "soymilk noodles" served cold with floating ice cubes. The noodles are made up wheat flour and topped off with a small handful of raw veggies.

20. MAKGOOKSU (막국수) are "buckwheat noodles" also coolly-served. Similar to nengmyun, except buckwheat noodles contain more buckwheat flour.

Are you eating out with your buddies? 전 (JEON) is a great family-style dish! Jeon are Korean pancakes. Unlike the sweet, breakfast pancakes in America, jeon are savory pancakes.

21. KIMCHIJEON (김치전) is the delicious "kimchi pancake." There's not much to say about it but the fact that it is delightful.

22. PAJEON (파전) is perfect for green onion lovers. Pajeon means "scallion pancake" in English.

23. SAENGSEONJEON (생선전) literally means "fish pancake." If you love fish, you're going to love this one.

24. GAMJAJEON (감자전) seems to be the easiest pancake for shy foreigners. After all it's just a "potato pancake." Who doesn't like potatoes?

JOOK (죽) means "porridge" in Korean. Because of its soft texture, jook is typically eaten when you're sick and is particularly popular among the elders.

25. DAKJOOK (닭죽) is delicious whether or not you are sick and elderly. 닭 (DAK) means "chicken," thus 닭죽 (DAKJOOK) means "chicken porridge."

26. JEONBOKJOOK (전복죽) means "abalone porridge." It's a local delicacy on Jeju Island.

27. PATJOOK (팥죽) is a "red bean soup" can be made sweet or savory. In other words, it can be eaten during dinner or for dessert.

28. HOBAKJOOK (호박죽) literally means "squash porridge." The floating rice cake balls make this porridge so cute!

Another common Korean food word is BOKKEUM (볶음), which means "stir-fried." Enjoy these dishes with your white rice (huinbap).

29. BOKKEUMBAP (볶음밥) means "fried rice." While there are many varieties of bokkeumbap, the most famous kind is kimchi bokkeumbap. (Read #33.)

30. MYEOLCHI BOKKEUM (멸치볶음) is a classic Korean side dish: stir-fried anchovies.

31. OJINGEOCHAE BOKKEUM (오징어채볶음) can be a fun little challenge for foreigners: stir-fried dried squid strips. The dried squid strips can also be enjoyed without the additional seasoning.

32. NAKJI BOKKEUM (낙지볶음) is stir-fried octopus. The dish is created with cabbage, onions, scallions, and more.

KIMCHI (김치) is Korea's most popular side dish. To learn more about kimchi, watch KWOW episode 22. Then impress your Korean neighbor with your new knowledge!

33. KIMCHI-BOKKEUM-BAP (김치 볶음밥) is a combination of three common food terms we learned today. Can you guess what it means in English? That's right, it's kimchi fried rice!

34. KIMCHIJJIGAE (see #5) 35. KIMCHIJEON (see #21)

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Wow, I feel like I just ate a 35-course meal just by looking at all these food photos! The featured dishes are only a portion of Korean cuisine. We focused on teaching you the common words to build your food foundation.

If you haven't yet, catch up on these yummy episodes:
KWOW #26 - Korean sidedishes (banchan)
KWOW #30 - Korean desserts

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KOREAN TABLE MANNER:
Before a meal, Koreans will politely say "잘 먹겠습니다" (Jal muckgesseubnida), which in literal translation means "I will eat well." This phrase is formal, so use it towards towards those older than you. Say "잘 먹겠습니다" to the cook--your mother or the host--or to the one buying you food. When you've finished the meal say, "잘 먹었습니다" (Jal mukeossubnida). "I have eaten well." Regardless of meal's taste, it is well-mannered to show your appreciation.

The informal version of the above phrases are:
"잘 먹을께." / Jal mukeulggeh. / I will eat well.
"잘 먹었어." / Jal mukeossuh. / I have eaten well.

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KWOW CONTEST OF THE WEEK:
1. Write the phrase ten times on a paper: 잘 먹겠습니다.
2. Then write this second phrase also ten times: 잘 먹었습니다.
3. Take a photo of your beautiful work.
4. Upload the photo onto Twitter.
5. Copy and paste the link in the comment section below. (Note: Other submissions may not be considered an entry.)
6. Don't forget to ask your fun/crazy/yummy question to this week's KWOW host Taekwon Do.
7. Have fun! The first *five people* to complete the task will win a reply from Taekwon Do :)

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What's GAJIMA and HAJIMA?

If you're into K-POP or watch Korean dramas, the words featured on this week's KWOW will sound very familiar to you. Watch episode 55 below:

GAJIMA (가지마) means don't go. HAJIMA (하지마) means don't do, don't, or stop it, depending on the context. Whenever you hear JIMA (지마), it indicates a "don't." It is placed after a verb to make it negative.

As explained in KWOW episode 55, you make a verb negative by… 1. choosing an un-conjugated verb 2. subtracting DAH (다) 3. adding JIMA (지마)

For example, let's negate the un-conjugated verb "to cry": 울다 (ooldah) - 다 (dah) + 지마 (jima) = 울지마 (ooljima) And that's how you convert "to cry" into "don't cry."

[Taekwon's philosophy: "If you're sad, eat K-BBQ. If you're happy, eat K-BBQ."]

How do you convert "to do" into "don't do"? 하다 (hadah) - 다 (dah) + 지마 (jima) = 하지마 (hajima) Remember, HAJIMA can mean one of the following: don't do, don't, or stop it.

[Billy Jin and Madison Lee were high school un-sweethearts. There was mega drama between the two. Hyungmin, above, is Billy Jin's boyfriend's best friend.]

Shall we negate one more verb? For this final example, let's use the most important verb "to eat," which is 먹다 (mukdah) in Korean. 먹다 (mukdah) - 다 (dah) + 지마 (jima) = 먹지마 (mukjima)

[Little does Billy Jin know about Hyungmin and his new girlfriend Madison Lee. Ignorance is not always bliss, but Korean shaved ice is!]

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Time to QUIZ YOURSELF! Think you can spot JIMA in the following videos?

Question #1: Where do you hear the second GAJIMA (가지마) in Big Bang's "Monster"?

Question #2: Can you spot the first GAJIMA in Hwanhee's "Don't Go"?

Question #3: When does the 5th GAJIMA appear in Monday Kiz’s “Don’t Go”?

GRAND FINALE QUESTION #4: How many GAJIMA's and OOLIJIMA's can you spot in Davichi & T-ara's "We Were in Love"?

ANSWERS BELOW. No peeking!

Answer #1: The second GAJIMA is sung at 2:53. Other GAJIMA's appear at 1:54, 3:01, 3:02, 3:03, and 3:57. In addition, HAJIMA appears at 3:05, 3:06, and 3:07.

Answer #2: The first GAJIMA is sung at 0:37.

Answer #3: The 5th GAJIMA appears at 2:05. Other GAJIMA's are sung at 0.:03, 0:04, 1:12, 1:13, 2:06, 2:58, and 2:59.

Answer #4: Think you found them all? Post your answer be below, along with a fun/random/kimbap-rific question to Professor Oh. The first *five* people to get the correct answer wins a reply from this week's KWOW host. No question, no reply. Have fun! :)

Other videos that contain gajima, hajima, and jima: GD&TOP - "Don't Go Home"T-ara - "Cry Cry" Davichi - "Don't Say Goodbye" g.o.d. - "Lies" [old school K-pop]

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*** ANSWER TO QUESTION #4 REVEALED! (updated July 3) GAJIMA is sung 5 times (0:28, 1:09, 2:02, 2:44, 3:05). OOLIJIMA is sung 4 times (0:13, 0:55, 1:47, 2:41). Did you notice other previously featured KWOW words, such as JOA and SARANG? :)

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