# Audio to help with learning Korean ??



## Andy_46 (Oct 17, 2007)

Hi

I'll shortly be taking my blue belt and have been told i'll be told what moves / forms to carry out in Korean.  Its always been in english up to now and although i have all the korean words wrote in my grading book, i've no idea how to pronounce half of them.  Is there a tape available so i can hear someone saying them ??

Thanks
Andy


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## JT_the_Ninja (Oct 17, 2007)

Andy_46 said:


> Hi
> 
> I'll shortly be taking my blue belt and have been told i'll be told what moves / forms to carry out in Korean.  Its always been in english up to now and although i have all the korean words wrote in my grading book, i've no idea how to pronounce half of them.  Is there a tape available so i can hear someone saying them ??
> 
> ...



Are they written down in English characters or in Korean hangul?


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## Lynne (Oct 17, 2007)

Andy_46 said:


> Hi
> 
> I'll shortly be taking my blue belt and have been told i'll be told what moves / forms to carry out in Korean. Its always been in english up to now and although i have all the korean words wrote in my grading book, i've no idea how to pronounce half of them. Is there a tape available so i can hear someone saying them ??
> 
> ...


Are you studying at home, Andy?  If you are taking Tang Soo Do with a certified instructor, most of your instruction should be in Korean.  In my dojang, my instructors pronounce Korean a little differently from one another which really throws me off at times though.  When I was a white belt, it drove me nuts.  For instance dullryo chagi (roundhouse kick) is usually pronounced tolio chagi.  One person actually pronounce it torrio chagi.  I knew it was a kick (chagi) but had no idea what torrio was.  That was recent.  

Do you have to know numbers?  Hana is awna (1); tul is dool (2), etc.  There is no guarantee that my instructors are pronouncing Korean correctly by the way and their pronounciation is often a little different than my Sa Ba Nim.  Also, they often give a command so fast that it's hard to distinguish amongst some of the Korean words, i.e., yup (side) versus ahp (front), or Il versus E (one and two to designate forms, rank, etc.).

I wish I knew of some tapes.  I often thought they would help.


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## JWLuiza (Oct 17, 2007)

Lynne said:


> Are you studying at home, Andy?  If you are taking Tang Soo Do with a certified instructor, most of your instruction should be in Korean.



Not always true.  My school doesn't focus on the korean terminology.  Most schools that do don't even pronounce the Korean correctly anyway...



> In my dojang, my instructors pronounce Korean a little differently from one another which really throws me off at times though.  When I was a white belt, it drove me nuts.  For instance dullryo chagi (roundhouse kick) is usually pronounced tolio chagi.  One person actually pronounce it torrio chagi.  I knew it was a kick (chagi) but had no idea what torrio was.  That was recent.



An example of why I think using just the english terms is enough, or if you have to use korean, name both.   



> Do you have to know numbers?  Hana is awna (1); tul is dool (2), etc.  There is no guarantee that my instructors are pronouncing Korean correctly by the way and their pronounciation is often a little different than my Sa Ba Nim.  Also, they often give a command so fast that it's hard to distinguish amongst some of the Korean words, i.e., yup (side) versus ahp (front), or Il versus E (one and two to designate forms, rank, etc.).
> 
> I wish I knew of some tapes.  I often thought they would help.


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## MBuzzy (Oct 17, 2007)

In hearing at least 3 distinct schools' pronunciation of the Korean terms and spending a YEAR training in Korean, I can say that based on my small sample size, Americans have NO IDEA how to pronounce the Korean.  I am sure that when they were taught by the Koreans it was right and then as it was passed won, changed slightly until it reached the end state of now.  

As for correct pronunciations, I know that Master Pak, Ho Sik sells a set of tapes that tells how to pronounce things correctly.  I can only assume that since he is a native Korean, they will be right.  The problem is that the people who are doing your test may not be exactly the same.

I learned my initial Korea pronunciation from an English/Korean dictionary.  If you use Langenscheight's, the explanations are very good.  But ever dictionary or guide will explain them a bit different.  Korean is VERY hard to translate.  There are sounds that we simple don't have, so they are hard to explain.  There are also much more subtle differences in some sounds.  Think of the difference between Food and Good.  that is how they hear US saying most of their words.


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## Lynne (Oct 17, 2007)

JWLuiza said:


> Not always true. My school doesn't focus on the korean terminology. Most schools that do don't even pronounce the Korean correctly anyway...
> 
> 
> 
> An example of why I think using just the english terms is enough, or if you have to use korean, name both.


Oh, I see.  

When initially teaching a move, my school will use both.  For instance, they instructor will say yup podo chagi - hook kick.  They may repeat it a few more times.  Korean terminology is used in our spotlights and tests though.


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## Lynne (Oct 17, 2007)

MBuzzy said:


> In hearing at least 3 distinct schools' pronunciation of the Korean terms and spending a YEAR training in Korean, I can say that based on my small sample size, Americans have NO IDEA how to pronounce the Korean. I am sure that when they were taught by the Koreans it was right and then as it was passed won, changed slightly until it reached the end state of now.
> 
> As for correct pronunciations, I know that Master Pak, Ho Sik sells a set of tapes that tells how to pronounce things correctly. I can only assume that since he is a native Korean, they will be right. The problem is that the people who are doing your test may not be exactly the same.
> 
> I learned my initial Korea pronunciation from an English/Korean dictionary. If you use Langenscheight's, the explanations are very good. But ever dictionary or guide will explain them a bit different. Korean is VERY hard to translate. There are sounds that we simple don't have, so they are hard to explain. There are also much more subtle differences in some sounds. Think of the difference between Food and Good. that is how they hear US saying most of their words.


I imagine the Koreans wouldn't be able to understand our Korean


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## Lynne (Oct 17, 2007)

Andy_46 said:


> Hi
> 
> I'll shortly be taking my blue belt and have been told i'll be told what moves / forms to carry out in Korean. Its always been in english up to now and although i have all the korean words wrote in my grading book, i've no idea how to pronounce half of them. Is there a tape available so i can hear someone saying them ??
> 
> ...


I would see about sitting down with an instructor and learning the pronounciations so at least you'd have an idea.  It would be a shame to fail because you don't know the Korean pronounciations.


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## Kacey (Oct 17, 2007)

Look here for other discussions and resources - and good luck!


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## Lynne (Oct 17, 2007)

Here is a link I found. All you have to do is click on the word to hear the pronounciation.  I listened to the speaker pronounce bow as "kung yet."  We pronounce it as "ken-YAY."

http://www.itatkd.com/terminology.html


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## MBuzzy (Oct 17, 2007)

Here are a few perfect examples.  The pronunciation "Kung Yet" is the CLOSEST to how it really sounds.  Using our letters and sounds at least.  

Also, Yup Podo Cha Gi obviously has a completely different translation at your school.  The literal translation is "Side Thrust Kick"  Hook kick being Yup Hu Ri Gi, the literal translation being side hip [movement] kick.


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## Dave Leverich (Oct 17, 2007)

One thing I found odd on that site was the pronunciation of Shee Jahk (it's written "si-ot, i" which is always pronounced 'she' where si-ot followed by another vowel would be like 'saw, soo' etc. Yet that page pronounces it 'say jack'. I've heard it as say jack, see jack, and she jack.
Is that an exception I wonder?


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## MBuzzy (Oct 17, 2007)

Dave,

As far as I know, you have the right pronunciation...if you look at the Hangul, it is pronounced Shee Jahk.


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## Dave Leverich (Oct 17, 2007)

Heh, good stuff, at least I haven't been saying it wrong for the last 22 years ;p.
I do have friends (in fact most of them...) who pronounce 'Tie Kwan Do'... it's kind of embarassing, like a bad accent ;p.


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## MBuzzy (Oct 17, 2007)

oh yeah, I've heard it all.  TAng (like the drink) soo do, Soo Back Do, and hundreds of variations of almost every korean word I know.


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## Dave Leverich (Oct 17, 2007)

Heh, I hear you!
I generally will ask a native any time I have questions. Heck, I find people actually enjoy helping me learn Korean, win win .


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