I recently made friends with a Malaysian woman who speaks English like a native. She wants to learn Korean, and I need opportunities to brush up on my English. So, we meet up regularly to help each other out with our language studies. When she gets mixed up about Korean expressions or grammar, she asks me for help. It's really difficult to explain the subtle differences in meaning created by different word endings or particles. I especially had a tough time thinking of an appropriate answer when she asked about the difference between the particles '는' and '가'. The honorifics and Sino-Korean words that are characteristic of Korean are also hard to explain.
Observing her Korean studies every day, I am constantly reminded that Korean really is difficult to master. I hope that she will overcome her difficulties and quickly become fluent in Korean.
brush up (on) sth - to improve your knowledge of something already learned but partly forgotten
subtle - not loud, bright, noticeable, or obvious in any way
sino - of or connected with China
occur to sb - if a thought or idea occurs to you, it comes into your mind
- I got mixed up and had to start again from the beginning. / If you get mixed up, you can ask me for help.
- The subtle differences are difficult for a foreigner to understand. / There are some subtle differences between the two works.
- Cooking Korean food can be difficult to master. / It's not too difficult to master.
1: It occurs to me that learning Korean is no joke.
2: Of course.
1: Foreigners pick it up pretty easily at first.
2: That's right.
1: But the more they learn, the more they struggle with it.
2: The people I know from overseas, all feel the same way.