Long live the king Sejong!

 A life dedicated to his people

ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ

✎From the time he was a kid, Sejong was a great lover of reading and loved to study. Records describe Sejong as the most studious king in Korean history. He became even more remarkable in his teens for his keen interest in the political and daily affairs of governance and for always seeking to improve the lives of his citizens.

However, King Sejong's most important achievement is the hangeul (한글), the Korean alphabet.

💗In the past in the Joseon dynasty, Chinese characters were used, meaning that the language used by Koreans at that time was Chinese and only those who had the privilege of learning it. That is why many citizens did not know how to read and write, as they did not have the money or time to do so.

The king wanted his people to be able to read and write, so he created something that was easy to learn. Thus, the vowels of hangeul (한글) were obtained from three elements which are: 

🌍"ㅡ" for earth.

👲"ㅣ" for man. 

💫"." for the sky

💜In addition, it is composed of 21 vowels (11 single and 10 double) and 19 consonants (14 single and 5 double).

👲Sejong spent his life working for and by his people. It must be for this reason that from the age of 40, his health began to weaken; so that he could not even sit for several hours attending to the affairs of the state. However, he never stopped reading, studying and working for a better life for the citizens. 

His ideals and legacy continue to live on through the King Sejong Institute, endorsed by the Korean embassy and where I am currently studying the korean language!  In addition, in one of the most important squares in Seoul located in Gwanghwamun, there is a monument of this monarch, in whose base you can see the entire Korean alphabet referring to his great contribution.  

૮ ˙Ⱉ˙ ა

Monument of the monarch in Seoul-korea

∧,,,∧ ( ̳• · • ̳) / づ ♡

He is undoubtedly one of the most admirable people for Koreans and their language.
What did you think about the history behind the Korean alphabet and his creator the King? 

There is no “MY" It’s only “OUR"

The curious concept of the Korean language that blurs the difference between "I" and "we".

 The Korean language has been created for inclusive use with their community.

꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱

🙉When I was studying Korean level 2 I once heard one of my Korean friends say, "Our boyfriend is also studying education", she said this while noisily sipping her soup. She was sitting next to another friend who was doing the same.

👀At that moment I wondered, had I misheard her?, were these women dating the same person?...

"She's talking about her boyfriend," the second one clarified. "In Korea, we usually say 'our' or 'we' instead of 'my' or 'I'."

✅The pronoun 우리 "uri" (our) in Korean is not just a simple grammar term, it is more of a cultural canon that has been maintained for years. The main ideology of using 우리 "uri" in Korean culture is to capture the very essence of a nation.

૮˶• ﻌ •˶ა~ ♡

💚Koreans use 우리 "uri" when something is shared by a group or community, or when many members of a community own similar things. In other words, it is based on their collectivist culture.

It is well known that language and culture are embedded in each other. This is what I have internalized throughout my learning journey. This is why language reflects culture and culture reflects language.

So this is the message Koreans give for being such an inclusive community:

Even when this concept of bonding and integration with the community can be a little confusing at first, will eventually make you feel integrated and familiar with your community. Also when you learn a different language, you have to think differently.

💜Having a sense of togetherness and brotherhood among them makes it an interesting country culturally and in language.

ପ(๑•ᴗ•๑)ଓ ♡

What do you think about this interesting fact? Do you think that the Korean ideology of using 우리 "uri" encourages the union they have as a nation? Let me know in the comments!

Koreans don't say “how are you?" they say “밥 먹었어요? (Bap meogeosseoyo?)" instead.

 밥 먹었어요? (have you eaten?) is a way of saying "how are you?" in Korean culture.

ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

This question is very common among friends.

 Koreans most of the time say 밥 먹었어요? (Bap meogeosseoyo?)", which directly translates to "Have you eaten?" or "Did you eat breakfast/lunch/dinner?"

🅰Many foreigners wonder why Koreans are so interested if they have already eaten. Also, since foreigners are not familiar with the Korean language, they may wonder what the real intention of the question is. Are you offering me food? Do you want me to buy you food? Although it may seem confusing at first, it is no more than a very particular form of greeting.  

Pronunciation.

 

🅱 With this little greeting Koreans are not just asking if you have eaten or if you are hungry nor if you really haven't eaten yet. It has a deeper meaning and is used as a more friendly greeting that shows interest or concern for the other person's well being.

I will show you below a little more in depth the meaning behind the translation!

✅ 밥 (bap) has many translations such as: rice or meal.

✅ 먹었어요 (meo-geo-sso-yo) = verb "eat" in past tense

❤Koreans take rice very seriously, so that they use it to scold or compliment their children. When parents scold their children for their behavior, they usually yell "No bap -밥- for you!". When someone talks about his own work, 'I have earned my bap -밥-'. Even when one is grateful, and wants to make it up to the other person 'I'll buy you bap -밥- later!' 

❤In the past, Korea faced significant economic hardship, and food scarcity was a major issue. Rice, in particular, was considered a luxury that not everyone could afford, making it a privilege for only a few. As a result, many people suffered from hunger. Due to these historical challenges, asking someone if they had eaten was a deeply meaningful question, as a positive response indicated well-being and good health

I hope you enjoyed reading about this particular but warm form of greeting. 

♡＼(^ω^＼)

Do you know any other particular greeting that you would like to know more about? Let's talk about various greetings in other countries that you find interesting in the comments section.