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Study in the app →Korean · TOPIK Band 1 · Chapter 9
우리 가족이에요 This is my family
No new grammar — you pull together everything so far (이다, 있다/없다, 은/는 vs 이/가, family words) to introduce a family. You also add describing words: 크다·작다·예쁘다·멋있다, the degree words 정말·아주·너무, 같이 (together), plus 나이 and 새. The culture section covers why Koreans ask your age and how "Korean age" works.
Dialogue
우리 가족이에요 — This Is My Family
- Jieun 민수 씨, 가족 사진이에요? Minsu, is this a family photo?
- Minsu 네, 우리 가족이에요. Yes, this is my family.
- Jieun 와, 형이 정말 멋있어요! Wow, your older brother is really cool!
- Minsu 동생은 아주 예뻐요. My younger sibling is very pretty.
Dialogue
나이가 많아요? — Is He Older?
- Michael 민수 씨, 형은 나이가 많아요? Minsu, is your older brother older?
- Minsu 네, 형은 나이가 많아요. 저는 적어요. Yes, my brother is older. I'm younger.
- Michael 아, 네! 정말요? Oh, okay! Really?
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 나이 | nai | n. | age |
| 같이 | gachi | adv. | together |
| 정말 | jeongmal | adv. | really |
| 아주 | aju | adv. | very |
| 너무 | neomu | adv. | too (much) |
| 크다 | keuda | a. | to be big |
| 작다 | jakda | a. | to be small |
| 새 | sae | det. | new (before a noun) |
| 예쁘다 | yeppeuda | a. | to be pretty |
| 멋있다 | meositda | a. | to be cool, stylish |
Culture
나이를 묻는 이유와 한국 나이 Asking age & Korean age
In Korea people often ask your age, even on a first meeting. It isn't rude — age decides how you address each other (형/누나/오빠/언니) and which speech style you use. Knowing the age sets the relationship.
Age decides what you call each other
In chapter 7 you saw that 형·누나·오빠·언니 depend on the speaker's gender. They also depend on age — you only use them for someone older. So you need to know who is older to address them correctly, and that is exactly why age comes up so early.
"Korean age"
Traditionally in Korea you are one year old at birth, and everyone gains a year on New Year's Day (Jan 1) — so "Korean age" ran one or two years ahead of the international count. Since 2023, official documents use the international age (만 나이), but in everyday talk many people still give the Korean-style number.
hangul
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