Abstract

Everyday expressions that naturally pop up in conversations with friends and colleagues—such as "How are you?", "Nice!", "Seriously?", "I can't forgive that!", and "Of course!"—become easy to remember through cute and humorous illustrations.

Featuring 120 illustrations, this book introduces essential Korean expressions you'll want to know, from phrases commonly used in everyday life to expressions for conveying feelings and emotions, as well as useful phrases for those moments when you need just the right words.

Kim Jin-ah, a leading expert in Korean language education, provides clear and detailed explanations of the meaning and usage of each phrase. Her explanations make it easy to grasp subtle nuances, including differences between Korean and Japanese, while related expressions help learners expand their vocabulary and range of expression.

Free downloadable audio is also included for all key phrases and sample dialogues, recorded in Japanese followed by Korean.

Author’s Information

Jina Kim: Professor at Meiji Gakuin University. She holds a Ph.D. in academic studies and completed both her master's and doctoral programs at the Graduate School of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. She served on the Examination Standards Review Committee of the Hangul Proficiency Test Association from 2001 to 2003 and was an instructor for NHK's Korean-language television course in 2005. She has also taught at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Waseda University, Seikei University, and Sophia University, among others. Born in Seoul, South Korea.

Her publications include "Discourse and Grammar: Japanese and Korean in Contrast" (Kurosio Publishers); "담화론과 문법론" (Discourse and Grammar; Youkrack Publishing), which was selected as an Outstanding Academic Book by the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Korea; and "Dramatic Hangul: You, in the Wind" (Asahi Press). Her co-authored works include "Korean Language Learning Course 'Rin' 1: Introduction" (Taishukan Publishing); "New Express Korean" (Hakusuisha Publishing); "Kirakira Korean" (Dohgakusha); and "Habatake! Korean," "Habatake! Korean 2: Beginner–Intermediate," "Petit Korean," and "Viva! Intermediate Korean" (Asahi Press). She also co-translated "한글의 탄생" (The Birth of Hangul; Dolbegae), which was named one of the Books of the Year 2011 by Kyobo Book Centre, The Chosun Ilbo, The Dong-A Ilbo, and the Maeil Business Newspaper in South Korea.

Kanahei: Kanahei first gained nationwide popularity through her mobile phone wallpaper designs and made her professional debut in 2003, while still a high school student, as an illustrator for "Seventeen" (Shueisha). Since then, she has worked across a wide range of media, including publishing, mobile content, corporate advertising, character collaborations, and a serialized manga in "Ribon" (Shueisha), building a large fan base particularly among people in their 20s and 30s.

Her "Kanahei's Small Animals" series, featuring the popular characters Piske & Usagi, has been developed into a wide range of merchandise in Japan and overseas. The series received the Runner-Up Award at the LINE Creators Stamp AWARD in both 2014 and 2015, followed by the Grand Prix in 2016, and won the Stamp Premium Award at the LINE Creators MVP AWARD in 2020.