Korean · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 5 of 12
Work and studies
일과 공부Ilgwa gongbu
Introduce yourself at work in the formal -ㅂ니다 / -습니다 style, talk about your studies and past jobs, and say how long you've done something.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Introduce yourself formally at work
- Use the formal style: -ㅂ니다 / -습니다 and 입니다
- Say how long you've worked or lived somewhere
- Talk about what you studied and what you did back then
Listen
On his first day at an IT company in Pangyo, Kim Dohyeon introduces himself to his team. Later he has lunch with the team leader, Lee Jeonga. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Dohyeon
안녕하십니까? 신입 사원 김도현입니다. 작년에 대학교를 졸업했습니다.
Annyeonghasimnikka? Sinip sawon Kim Dohyeonimnida. Jangnyeone daehakgyoreul joreophaetseumnida.
Good morning. I'm Kim Dohyeon, the new employee. I graduated from university last year.
Jeonga
도현 씨는 오늘부터 우리 팀 개발자예요.
Dohyeon ssineun oneulbuteo uri tim gaebaljayeyo.
From today, Dohyeon is a developer on our team.
Dohyeon
열심히 하겠습니다. 잘 부탁드립니다.
Yeolsimhi hagetseumnida. Jal butakdeurimnida.
I'll do my best. I look forward to working with you all.
Jeonga
도현 씨, 대학교에서 전공이 뭐였어요?
Dohyeon ssi, daehakgyoeseo jeongongi mwoyeosseoyo?
(At lunch) Dohyeon, what did you study at university?
Dohyeon
컴퓨터 공학이었어요. 디자인도 조금 배웠어요.
Keompyuteo gonghagieosseoyo. Dijaindo jogeum baewosseoyo.
Computer engineering. I also studied a bit of design.
Jeonga
전에 회사에서 일했어요?
Jeone hoesaeseo ilhaesseoyo?
Have you worked at a company before?
Dohyeon
아니요. 대학생 때 이 년 동안 카페에서 일했어요. 그때는 학교 앞에 살았어요. 팀장님은요?
Aniyo. Daehaksaeng ttae i nyeon dongan kapeeseo ilhaesseoyo. Geuttaeneun hakgyo ape sarasseoyo. Timjangnimeunyo?
No. When I was a student, I worked in a café for two years. Back then I lived right by the university. What about you?
Jeonga
저는 여기에서 일한 지 칠 년 됐어요. 그 전에는 디자인 회사에 있었어요.
Jeoneun yeogieseo ilhan ji chil nyeon dwaesseoyo. Geu jeoneneun dijain hoesae isseosseoyo.
I've been working here for seven years. Before that I was at a design company.
Dohyeon
우리 팀은 야근을 자주 해요?
Uri timeun yageuneul jaju haeyo?
Does our team often work late?
Jeonga
가끔 해요. 하지만 신입 사원은 첫 달에는 야근 안 해요.
Gakkeum haeyo. Hajiman sinip sawoneun cheot dareneun yageun an haeyo.
Sometimes. But new employees don't work late in their first month.
Dohyeon
아, 정말요? 좋아요.
A, jeongmallyo? Joayo.
Oh, really? That's good.
Jeonga
네. 오늘은 여섯 시에 퇴근하세요.
Ne. Oneureun yeoseot sie toegeunhaseyo.
Yes. Today, go home at six.
Understand
The formal style: -ㅂ니다 / -습니다
In A1 you learnt the polite -아요 / -어요 style, the one for most everyday situations. The formal style is used in presentations, meetings and speeches, in the news and announcements, by staff to customers, and when you introduce yourself at work. It sounds respectful and a little stiff, so people usually switch back to -아요 / -어요 once they're talking face to face, as Jeonga does at lunch.
Take the stem. After a vowel, add -ㅂ니다 (the ㅂ goes under the last syllable); after a consonant, add -습니다. Questions end in -ㅂ니까? / -습니까?. becomes (imnida), and a ㄹ stem drops its ㄹ: → (samnida). For the past, add -습니다 to the past stem: (joreophaetseumnida), I graduated.
Three set phrases for your first day: (annyeonghasimnikka?), the formal hello; (yeolsimhi hagetseumnida), I'll do my best; (jal butakdeurimnida), I look forward to working with you.
| Verb | Polite style | Formal style | Formal question |
|---|---|---|---|
| (gada), to go | (gayo) | (gamnida) | (gamnikka?) |
| (meokda), to eat | (meogeoyo) | (meokseumnida) | (meokseumnikka?) |
| (hada), to do | (haeyo) | (hamnida) | (hamnikka?) |
| (itda), to be there | (isseoyo) | (itseumnida) | (itseumnikka?) |
| (salda), to live | (sarayo) | (samnida) | (samnikka?) |
| (ida), to be | (ieyo) / (yeyo) | (imnida) | (imnikka?) |
| (joreophada), past | (joreophaesseoyo) | (joreophaetseumnida) | (joreophaetseumnikka?) |
How long? -(으)ㄴ 지 … 됐어요 and 동안
To say how long it has been since something started, add -ㄴ 지 to a stem ending in a vowel or -은 지 after a consonant, then the length of time and (dwaesseoyo), it has been: (ilhan ji chil nyeon dwaesseoyo), I've been working here for seven years. A ㄹ stem drops its ㄹ: → (san ji). To ask, use (eolmana), how long:
(dongan) after a length of time means “for”. With the past, it describes a period that has ended: (i nyeon dongan kapeeseo ilhaesseoyo), I worked in a café for two years. Years take Sino-Korean numbers and (nyeon); months are easiest with native numbers and (dal): (han dal), one month; (du dal), two months.
- 여기에서 일한 지 칠 년 됐어요.Yeogieseo ilhan ji chil nyeon dwaesseoyo.I've been working here for seven years.
- 서울에 산 지 삼 년 됐어요.Seoure san ji sam nyeon dwaesseoyo.I've lived in Seoul for three years.
- 한국어를 배운 지 얼마나 됐어요?Hangugeoreul baeun ji eolmana dwaesseoyo?How long have you been learning Korean?
- 이 년 동안 카페에서 일했어요.I nyeon dongan kapeeseo ilhaesseoyo.I worked in a café for two years.
Back then: 때, 전에 and the past
You don't need a special form for “used to”: the ordinary past describes old habits and situations, often with (ttae), the time when: (daehaksaeng ttae), when I was a student; (geuttae), back then. (geuttaeneun hakgyo ape sarasseoyo), back then I lived right by the university.
(jeone) on its own means before, in the past: (jeone hoesaeseo ilhaesseoyo?), have you worked at a company before? (geu jeoneneun) means before that. For nouns, remember / : (jeongongi mwoyeosseoyo?), what was your major?
- 대학생 때 매일 카페에서 일했어요.Daehaksaeng ttae maeil kapeeseo ilhaesseoyo.When I was a student, I worked in a café every day.
- 그때는 학교 앞에 살았어요.Geuttaeneun hakgyo ape sarasseoyo.Back then I lived right by the university.
- 전공이 뭐였어요?Jeongongi mwoyeosseoyo?What was your major?
More in the grammar: Speech levels: 해요, 합니다, 반말 and 한다 · 이다 and 아니다: to be · The past tense: -았- / -었-
New words
- 입니다imnidaam, is, are (formal) · the formal form of / : (Kim Dohyeonimnida), I'm Kim Dohyeon
- 신입 사원sinip sawonnew employee · (sawon), employee, member of staff
- 대학교daehakgyouniversity · (daehaksaeng), university student; (hakgyo), school
- 졸업하다joreophadato graduate · (daehakgyoreul joreophaesseoyo), I graduated from university
- 팀timteam · (timjangnim), team leader; staff say it instead of “you” when speaking to her
- 개발자gaebalja(software) developer
- 열심히yeolsimhihard, with effort · (yeolsimhi hagetseumnida), I'll do my best
- 잘 부탁드립니다jal butakdeurimnidaI look forward to working with you · said when you start a job or meet people you'll work with; literally, I ask you to treat me well
- 전공jeongongmajor, subject (at university) · (keompyuteo gonghak), computer engineering
- 전에jeonebefore, in the past · (geu jeoneneun), before that; (sam nyeon jeone), three years ago
- 동안donganfor (a length of time) · (i nyeon dongan), for two years
- 때ttaetime, when · (daehaksaeng ttae), when I was a student; (geuttae), then, back then
- 됐어요dwaesseoyoit has been (with a length of time) · past of (doeda), to become: (chil nyeon dwaesseoyo), it's been seven years
- 야근yageunworking late, overtime · (yageuneul haeyo), I work late
Practise
1.Which is the formal form of (meogeoyo)?
2.Introduce yourself formally to your new team: “I'm Kim Dohyeon.”
3.Put the words in order: say you've been working here for seven years.
Tap the words below in the right order.I've been working here for seven years.
4.Match the work words with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.You want to say “I worked in a café for two years” (you don't work there now). Which sentence fits?
6.Put the words in order: say formally that you graduated from university.
Tap the words below in the right order.I graduated from university.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
안녕하십니까? 신입 사원 김도현입니다.
Annyeonghasimnikka? Sinip sawon Kim Dohyeonimnida.
Good morning. I'm Kim Dohyeon, the new employee.
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.