Korean · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 4 of 12
Home and housing
집 구하기Jip guhagi
Look at flats to rent in Korea: rent, deposit and fees in 만 원, comparisons with 보다 and 제일, -지만 (but) and adjectives before nouns.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask about the rent, the deposit and the fees
- Compare two flats with 보다, 더 and 제일
- Say “but” inside a sentence with -지만
- Describe things before a noun: a quiet neighbourhood
Listen
In Cheongju, Hwang Dayeon looks at two flats to rent with Mr Kim from the estate agent's. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Mr Kim
여기예요. 이 집은 방이 두 개 있어요. 월세는 오십만 원이에요.
Yeogiyeyo. I jibeun bangi du gae isseoyo. Wolseneun osimman wonieyo.
Here it is. This flat has two rooms. The rent is 500,000 won a month.
Dayeon
보증금하고 관리비는 얼마예요?
Bojeunggeumhago gwallibineun eolmayeyo?
How much are the deposit and the maintenance fee?
Mr Kim
보증금은 오백만 원이에요. 그리고 관리비는 칠만 원이에요.
Bojeunggeumeun obaengman wonieyo. Geurigo gwallibineun chilman wonieyo.
The deposit is five million won, and the maintenance fee is 70,000 won.
Dayeon
방이 넓고 밝지만 역에서 좀 멀어요.
Bangi neolgo bakjiman yeogeseo jom meoreoyo.
The rooms are big and bright, but it's a bit far from the station.
Mr Kim
다음 집도 보세요. 역 근처에 있어요.
Daeum jipdo boseyo. Yeok geuncheoe isseoyo.
Have a look at the next one too. It's near the station.
Dayeon
와, 이 집은 역에서 정말 가까워요. 몇 층이에요?
Wa, i jibeun yeogeseo jeongmal gakkawoyo. Myeot cheungieyo?
(At the second flat) Oh, this one is really close to the station. Which floor is it on?
Mr Kim
칠 층이에요. 그리고 이 동네가 이 근처에서 제일 조용해요.
Chil cheungieyo. Geurigo i dongnega i geuncheoeseo jeil joyonghaeyo.
The seventh floor. And this is the quietest neighbourhood around here.
Dayeon
하지만 방이 그 집보다 좀 좁아요.
Hajiman bangi geu jipboda jom jobayo.
But the rooms are a bit smaller than in the other flat.
Mr Kim
네, 좁지만 더 밝아요. 월세는 육십만 원이에요.
Ne, jopjiman deo balgayo. Wolseneun yuksimman wonieyo.
Yes, they're smaller, but brighter. The rent is 600,000 won.
Dayeon
그 집보다 십만 원 더 비싸요?
Geu jipboda simman won deo bissayo?
So it's 100,000 won more than the other one?
Mr Kim
네, 하지만 관리비는 더 싸요. 오만 원이에요.
Ne, hajiman gwallibineun deo ssayo. Oman wonieyo.
Yes, but the maintenance fee is lower. It's 50,000 won.
Dayeon
음, 역에서 가까운 집이 좋아요. 이 집으로 하고 싶어요.
Eum, yeogeseo gakkaun jibi joayo. I jibeuro hago sipeoyo.
Hmm, I'd like a flat close to the station. I'd like to take this one.
Understand
Bigger, cheaper, the quietest: 보다, 더, 제일
To compare two things, put (boda), than, after the thing you compare with: (i jibi geu jipboda balgayo), this flat is brighter than that one. The adjective itself doesn't change. You can add (deo), more, before it: (geu jipboda deo bissayo), it's more expensive than that one. The order of the two nouns can change: means the same.
For “the most”, put (jeil) or (gajang) before the adjective: (i dongnega jeil joyonghaeyo), this neighbourhood is the quietest. is a little more formal. This is a particle and has nothing to do with the verb , to see. When you make your choice, say the noun + (으)로 하다, to go with: (i jibeuro hago sipeoyo), I'd like to take this one.
- 이 방이 그 방보다 넓어요.I bangi geu bangboda neolbeoyo.This room is bigger than that one.
- 월세가 십만 원 더 비싸요.Wolsega simman won deo bissayo.The rent is 100,000 won more.
- 이 동네가 이 근처에서 제일 조용해요.I dongnega i geuncheoeseo jeil joyonghaeyo.This is the quietest neighbourhood around here.
But: -지만
-지만 (-jiman) joins two contrasting facts in one sentence, like “but” or “although”. Add it to the stem: → (neoljiman), → (bissajiman), → (joyonghajiman). For the past, add it to the past form: (bissatjiman), it was expensive, but…
(hajiman), which you know from A1, does the same job at the start of a new sentence: You can use either; -지만 just sounds smoother inside one sentence.
- 방이 좁지만 밝아요.Bangi jopjiman balgayo.The room is small but bright.
- 좀 비싸지만 역에서 가까워요.Jom bissajiman yeogeseo gakkawoyo.It's a bit expensive, but it's close to the station.
- 이 동네는 조용하지만 역에서 멀어요.I dongneneun joyonghajiman yeogeseo meoreoyo.This neighbourhood is quiet, but it's far from the station.
A quiet neighbourhood: adjectives before a noun
Korean adjectives are verbs, so they need a special ending before a noun: -ㄴ after a vowel, -은 after a consonant. → (ssan jip), a cheap flat; → (joyonghan dongne), a quiet neighbourhood; → (neolbeun bang), a big room. A ㄹ stem drops its ㄹ: → (meon dongne), a neighbourhood far away. You already know (ttatteutan), warm, from the café.
Most adjectives ending in ㅂ change ㅂ into 우 before a vowel: (gakkapda) → (gakkawoyo), it's close, and (gakkaun yeok), a nearby station. A few are regular, like (jopda): (jobayo), (jobeun bang).
| Adjective | In a sentence | Before a noun |
|---|---|---|
| (keuda), big | (keoyo) | (keun bang) |
| (joyonghada), quiet | (joyonghaeyo) | (joyonghan dongne) |
| (neolda), spacious | (neolbeoyo) | (neolbeun bang) |
| (jopda), small, cramped | (jobayo) | (jobeun bang) |
| (gakkapda), close | (gakkawoyo) | (gakkaun yeok) |
| (meolda), far | (meoreoyo) | (meon dongne) |
More in the grammar: More particles: 도, 만, 의, 하고, 보다, 부터/까지, 한테 · But and background: -지만, -는데, -아/어도 · Irregular verbs: ㅂ, ㄷ, ㅅ, 르, ㅎ (and ㅡ, ㄹ stems) · Describing nouns: -는, -(으)ㄴ, -(으)ㄹ, -던
New words
- 부동산budongsanestate agent's; property · (budongsane gayo), I'm going to the estate agent's
- 월세wolsemonthly rent · (wolse osimman won), 500,000 won a month
- 보증금bojeunggeumdeposit · You get it back when you move out.
- 관리비gwallibimaintenance fee · a monthly fee for the building: cleaning, the lift, sometimes water and heating
- 넓다neoldato be spacious, big (of rooms and places) · (neolbeoyo); (keuda) is big in size, is big in space
- 밝다bakdato be bright, light · (balgayo), (balgeun bang), a bright room
- 가깝다gakkapdato be close, near · (yeogeseo gakkawoyo), it's close to the station; 에서 means from
- 층cheungfloor, storey · with Sino-Korean numbers: (chil cheung), the seventh floor; (myeot cheungieyo?), which floor?
- 동네dongneneighbourhood
- 제일jeilthe most · (gajang) means the same.
- 조용하다joyonghadato be quiet · (joyonghaeyo), (joyonghan dongne)
- 보다bodathan · after the thing you compare with: (geu jipboda), than that flat
- 좁다jopdato be small, cramped (of rooms); narrow · the opposite of (neolda); (jobayo)
- 전세jeonserenting with a large deposit and no monthly rent · a Korean system; see the tip below
Practise
1.How do you say “This flat is brighter than that one”?
2.Which means “a quiet neighbourhood”?
3.Put the words in order: the room is big, but a bit expensive.
Tap the words below in the right order.The room is big, but a bit expensive.
4.Match the housing words with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5. (gakkapda) is an ㅂ adjective. Which means “a nearby station”?
6.Put the words in order: this neighbourhood is the quietest.
Tap the words below in the right order.This neighbourhood is the quietest.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
월세는 얼마예요?
Wolseneun eolmayeyo?
How much is the monthly rent?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.