🎙️ Welcome to the Self-Study Korean Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re diving into KIIP Level 2 Unit 1 – Essential Words and Phrases about Hometown.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to describe your hometown in Korean using key vocabulary, grammar structures, and practical phrases. Let’s get started!

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KIIP Level 2: Unit 1–Essential Words and Phrases about Hometown

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Essential Vocabulary

🎙️ First, let’s go over some important words. Listen carefully and repeat after me.

Hometown and Places

고향 – Hometown

오래되다 – To be old

건물 – Building

호수 – Lake

맥주 – Beer

벚꽃 – Cherry blossom

한강 – Han River

해산물 – Seafood

생선회 – Sliced raw fish

절 – Buddhist temple

사원 – Temple

박물관 – Museum

유명하다 – To be famous

Describing Hometowns

건물이 높다 – The buildings are tall

박물관이 많다 – There are many museums

길이 복잡하다 – The roads are complicated

사람이 많다 – There are many people

야경이 아름답다 – The night view is beautiful

교통이 편리하다 – Transportation is convenient

차가 많다 – There are many cars

산과 강이 있다 – There are mountains and rivers

물이 깨끗하다 – The water is clean

공기가 깨끗하다 – The air is clean

경치가 아름답다 – The scenery is beautiful

건물이 낮다 – The buildings are low

Grammar Notes

Now, let’s learn two important grammar points that will help you talk about your hometown naturally.

1. Noun + (이)라고 하다 (To be called/Named)

This structure is used to introduce names.

• 이것을 한국말로 뭐라고 해요? → 한국말로 프린터라고 해요.

(What is this called in Korean? → It's called 'printer' in Korean.)

• 이 동물을 한국말로 뭐라고 해요? → 원숭이라고 해요.

(What is this animal called in Korean? → It's called 'monkey.')

• 한국의 전통 옷을 한복이라고 해요.

(The traditional Korean clothing is called hanbok.)

• 베트남의 유명한 쌀국수는 '포'라고 합니다.

(Vietnam’s famous pho is called 'Pho'.)

🎙️ Try practicing by saying the name of your hometown in Korean!

2. Adjective + ㄴ/은 (Describing Nouns)

This structure is used to modify nouns with adjectives.

• 싸고 예쁜 옷이 많아요.

(There are many cheap and pretty clothes.)

• 넓은 집에서 살고 싶어요.

(I want to live in a spacious house.)

• 서울은 큰 도시예요.

(Seoul is a big city.)

• 시장에는 싸고 맛있는 음식이 많아요.

(There are many cheap and delicious foods in the market.)

🎙️ This structure will help you describe places more naturally in Korean.

Listening Comprehension

Now, listen carefully to a short passage about my hometown.

🎙️ 제 고향은 베트남 하노이입니다.

하노이는 베트남의 수도이고 베트남에서 제일 큰 도시입니다.

하노이에는 높은 건물이 많고 길도 복잡합니다. 특히 오토바이가 많아서 좀 복잡합니다.

하노이는 음식이 싸고 맛있습니다. 가장 유명한 음식은 쌀국수입니다. 베트남 말로는 '포'라고 합니다.

베트남 사람들은 거의 매일 '포'를 먹습니다.

하노이 근처에 유명한 관광지 '하롱베이'가 있습니다.

하롱베이에는 여러 개의 섬이 있어서 배를 타고 갑니다.

경치가 아름다운 곳이라서 외국 사람도 많이 옵니다.

🎙️ Now, let’s go over the English translation.

My hometown is Hanoi, Vietnam.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and the largest city in Vietnam.

There are many tall buildings and complicated roads in Hanoi. Especially, there are many motorcycles, making it a bit complicated.

Food in Hanoi is cheap and delicious. The most famous dish is pho. In Vietnamese, it is called 'Pho.'

Vietnamese people eat pho almost every day.

Near Hanoi, there is a famous tourist destination called Halong Bay.

Halong Bay has many islands, so people travel there by boat. Since it is a beautiful place, many foreigners visit it.

Quiz

Question 1:

How do you say "My hometown is called Busan." in Korean?

🎙️ The answer is: 제 고향은 부산이라고 해요.

Question 2:

How do you say "This building is very tall." in Korean?

🎙️ The answer is: 이 건물은 아주 높아요.

Question 3:

How do you say "Seoul is a big and convenient city." in Korean?

🎙️ The answer is: 서울은 크고 편리한 도시예요.

Question 4:

How do you say "Hanoi has many beautiful tourist attractions." in Korean?

🎙️ The answer is: 하노이에는 아름다운 관광지가 많아요.

🎙️ That’s all for today’s episode on KIIP Level 2: Unit 1 – Talking About Your Hometown!

Now, you know how to describe where you’re from using essential vocabulary and grammar. Keep practicing by writing about your hometown in Korean.

Thank you for listening, and as always, happy studying! 😊🎧