Replies to This Discussion | 이 토론에 대한 답글들

Permalink Reply by Shoru on November 28, 2010 at 9:12am

very nice question usual case in business moreover when you need info about hardware where price is over 1-2-300 000 $ or more + Korean side cant talk on English, you=customer have to understand Korean - must understand it, by telephone not by e-mail, even now is so high technologies through e-mail u cant explain & insight that order situation, but most cases are solved by: "Could you send to me your answer by e-mail" of course on Korean language.

thank you for question = reasonable!

Permalink Reply by Lara Tosh on November 28, 2010 at 11:12am

If my "noonchi" doesn't carry me through:

I pick out the key word / phrase that's throwing me off, get them to write it & then ask for clarification (and / or pull out my cell phone dictionary).

Permalink Reply by Steven S. Bammel on November 28, 2010 at 5:01pm

I ask the other person to repeat once and if I still don't understand, I fake it, generally by at least trying to repeat back a keyword or phrase that I picked up. :)

If they're asking me a question, I can sometimes muddle through by answering as it looks like they're expecting me to and then watching the result to see if I need to change course.

Happens all the time!

Permalink Reply by Shoru on November 28, 2010 at 5:40pm

BEST !!!

Permalink Reply by Matt Hernandez on November 28, 2010 at 10:47pm

if it's just in passing, then I just say " Neh!" .. if the look on their face doesn't look like that was the correct answer, I usually tell them I don't understand what they're saying,
hahah

Happens all the time!

Permalink Reply by Ondrej Slechta on November 30, 2010 at 5:27am

When this is just a casual conversation at a party where everybody is drunk I'd typically let it go and/or reply using some universal recent 인기어 I'd have overheard in a TV show.
If we're talking business, a good strategy is taking a lead and repeating what you believe the speaker has just said in a very simple way using your own words, loudly, with confidence and paying attention to clear pronunciation, and confirming it with "~~하겠다, 그런 말씀이시지요?" or something similar.
If mutual understanding is crucial, for example if you're closing a multi-million US$ forex transaction over phone, I'd just have the counterparty and myself repeat the sentence ad nauseam until both sides are crystal clear what is being agreed.

Permalink Reply by Michael A. Lesniak on November 30, 2010 at 6:06pm

I agree with Ondrej 100%.

If at first you don't understand, and it seems important, it's best to ask they repeat it. Then try to say back to them what you think they mean, ending with some variation of what Ondrej has suggested. Works like a charm, and the honesty is almost alway appreciated (90% of Koreans have language learning experience, and will be sympathetic). Also, many Koreans have a great English lexicon, even if they can't speak well. Use this to your advantage.

On a slightly different point... often people use a new word (to me) or expression that I didn't quite catch. I ask them to repeat it, even if I get what they are saying from the context. But often never get the same word back... it's weird, because I find myself in an awkward and often unproductive situation saying.. 아니, 그 전에 하셨던 말씀... 딱 그 단어만 다시.. it's cumbersome. Any ways to express this desire to learn just one word!?!