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Life in Korea · Unit 4

Chatting with friends

What does ㅋㅋㅋㅋ mean?

Hoya the tiger

This unit is part of the Life in Korea Pass — opening soon.

Until then, you can find your level with the level test, or start at the beginning of Level 1.

What you’ll learn

  • -지 · -네 · N이야/야 · -는데Small endings that carry feeling
  • 뭐 해? · 어디야? · 밥 먹었어? · 지금 갈게 · 좀 이따 봐 · 늦을 것 같아Six lines that fill every chat
  • ㅋㅋ · ㅎㅎ · ㅇㅇ · ㄴㄴ · ㅇㅋ · ㄱㅅ · ㅠㅠConsonant abbreviations (초성체)
  • 헐 · 대박 · 진짜? · 어떡해 · 축하해 · 힘내 · 괜찮아?Reacting to a friend's news

Sori’s tips in this unit

  • Texting is not exempt: the S-U06 rule still holds
  • Shortened words: 낼, 담에, 걍, 넘 — and the slang warning
  • How chats look: no spaces, short messages, and the little number 1
  • Voice messages, calls and group chats

The scene opens

  1. B

    Bori

    야, 호야! 내 톡 봤어? 아까 세 번 보냈는데.

    Hey, Hoya! Did you see my message? I sent it three times earlier.

  2. Hoya

    어, 미안. 못 봤어. 근데 네 톡에 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ만 있었어. 그게 무슨 뜻이야?

    Oh, sorry. I didn't see it. But there was only ㅋㅋㅋㅋ in your message. What does that mean?

  3. B

    Bori

    그냥 크게 웃는 거야. 재미있으면 ㅋ을 많이 써.

    It's just laughing out loud. When something's funny, you type lots of ㅋ.

Inside the unit

  1. 1
    SceneA short scene with Sori, Hoya and the people around them, every line with its English
  2. 2
    Grammar4 patterns: why you need it now, the rule, a table and examples
  3. 3
    Sori’s tipsExceptions, reasons and easily confused pairs
  4. 4
    Hoya’s notebookLife in Korea, in Hoya’s own words
  5. 5
    Words30 words, which go into your spaced review
  6. 6
    PracticeFill the gap, build the sentence, pick the reply — and fix Hoya’s mistakes
  7. 7
    Review roomQuestions from this unit and earlier ones, each marked with where it comes from
  8. 8
    Read & writeA short reading with questions, and a writing task with a model answer
  9. 9
    Cheat sheetThe whole unit on one printable card