I attended a Korean language lecture at the Korean Cultural Centre today. It was about Korean honorifics and their usage in Korea. It was really interesting to see how the Korean society structure is so complex, and also how complicated it all is. The lecturer even said many Koreans don’t know how, or get wrong, honorifics which makes me feel a lot better, if and when I learn the language. It’s amusing how Koreans try so hard not to call each other by their names, but will strive to call them using a honorific instead. In English, we only really have one word for “you” which is…”you”. XD We did have both thou and you, thou being used for someone you’re close to, but that has fallen out of context. In Korean, there are many ways on saying “you”, depending on your age, gender or your position in society. Likewise in Vietamese, there are 7 ways to say “you”. In Chinese, we have 2 ways. Well, 3, if you count 爾, which I have never been seen used, apart from in words such as 威爾斯 and 北愛爾蘭, which actually are the names for Wales and Northern Ireland in Chinese. Even then, I don’t really think you can class them as true honorifics.
I started filling in my UCAS application and writing my personal statement. I never knew that it would so hard to write. So many things to consider and add, yet I only have a small space to write. I’m definitely going to put in that I attended the Korean lecture though. I think attending a lecture at 6:30pm on a Tuesday evening is a good way to convey that I really want to study Korean.
Currently listening to: 미워도 사랑하니까 by DAViCHi, from the album Vivid Summer Edition [AMARANTH (Repackage)].