Customer Reviews

Making Out in Korean: Revised Edition (Making Out Books)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Overall this book includes a wide variety of up-to-date expressions and slang. I had heard many of the phrases in Korea, but until reading this book I didn't know what they meant, proof that this book is just as useful for advanced students as well as for pure beginners. My main gripe is with romanization. For example, Korean has an "uh" sound and an "oh" sound; in this book they are all written the same way. Also, the author has no knowledge of Korean grammar (e.g. he says "mashida" literally means "liquid"), which gives me less confidence to use phrases I have never heard before.

To address comments below, the revised 2004 edition includes more idioms with the same categories, but MOST importantly includes the phrases in Hangeul, which was a major shortcoming of the first edition. The romanization is different - 2000 official Revised Romanization of Korean is used along with a rough pronunciation. Even if you have the first edition, you should get a copy of the revised edition!

If you only want to buy one Korean phrasebook, then this isn't the one for you. If you're a beginning student of Korean and want something to flip through, then this book can be useful. It all boils down to Chapter 13 - "Lover's Language". My Korean girlfriend had a lot of fun reading through that chapter, and I was doubled over in laughter due to the suprise of what she was saying--and she knew what she was saying because everything is written in English and Korean (using hangul and two romanization forms). Speaking of hangul, just go ahead and learn it--it's easier than the alphabet, and you may actually be understood when you use the book.

Don't let other serious students steer you away from this book just because it's not a textbook; phrase books have their place for serious students also. I have learned both from phrase books for weguksaram's and from phrase books for Koreans.

Unless you are more kind-hearted than I am, you might be especially interested in Chapter 9, "Curses and Insults." That had some words and phrases which I have been unable to find in the dictionary. I even made a special computer file so that I could study those words and phrases.

To read the book through once takes only a couple of hours. Still, it's worth the price.

My friend, who grew up speaking Korean, laughs when she reads this phrasebook. The phonetic pronunciations given are deplorable. Ignore them; learn hangul.
The phrases themselves are fun, but (I'm told) the language used is quite childish. It's sort of the equivalent of calling your lover "snugglewums". If you're using this phrasebook with someone you've just met, you're not likely to impress them. If you're already close, they're likely to think you're cute - after they stop laughing.
For fun-factor alone, the book is worth the price - but definitely don't make this the only Korean phrasebook you buy.

I'm learning a bit of spoken Korean with a Korean friend. We've gone over some videos we found online, a formal book which gives the full grammar and written language and a few other things. This is her favorite book we've looked at so far, as it actually gives words and phrases as they are used by real, live Korean people. Other books are awfully formal. Formality is important in Korean culture, but understanding people, and making yourself understood is probably more important. One of the other reviewers is quite correct: there is a lot of bawdy stuff in here. If you're religious, you are likely to be offended. However, there are a lot of us who want to be able to say such things in Korean, and as such, this is a valuable resource. It is decidedly non-proper, and it warns you when it teaches phrases which are not obviously off color (lots of "hey dude" kind of things involve calling the other fellow something fairly rude to most Koreans). This isn't a phrasebook for board meetings: it's a phrasebook for making new friends in Korean bars.

One point against it, which may be just a difficulty with Korean in general: the pronunciation guide is quite messed up. It makes very little sense, and sounds nothing like how Korean people pronounce the words. Probably no big deal if you are doing what I am doing, or if you understand the standard English transliteration of Hangul, but if you're just picking this up casually and hoping to make yourself understood, you'd be better off pointing to the helpful Hangul in the phrasebook than trying to sound the words out by yourself.

funny, embarrassing, and dirty. This book is all laughs and a little but of education. Ignore the English romanization is it is the worst I've ever seen. However, the translations and Korean is spot on. If you want to learn some great insults, cuss words, and the worst ways to compliment a women, pick up this book. I can't help but look at it from time to time to see how might I make my buddies crack a smile. It truly is a unique book and certainly the only one of its kind (other than the "sequel" book of course)

Having said all that, it does contain some dirty language that must be handled with care especially in the presence of Korean people. I'll save you the story but just know that some of the words and phrases here can get you into big trouble if not used properly.

[...]

When I opened up "Making Out in Korean", I opened up to the pages that told me what to say when getting lucky with a lady. I found a lot of the phrases useful and modern, unlike a lot of other Korean phrase books out there. Of course everyone wants to know how to say, "F*** You!" in a different language, but then again we all need to know how to say "You better use a condom!"

It's a useful tool, but you need to incorporate other tools to fully get a grasp on learning the language. Listening to Pimsleur's Korean CD's will teach you nothing but formal conversational tools, so it's good to always add both levels of respect (while speaking) in your vocab!

I had purchased this booklet almost 2 years ago for my girlfriend then. She still casually reads it on occasion for basic references and for fun.

The appeal of the book is that it has the right mix of educational and entertainment value to actually teach her how to read basic hangul and speak some Korean phrases as painlessly as possible from a book. Hearing her reading the later chapters is a treat in itself. Making out in Korean, indeed...

The romanization is a bit off at times, requiring me to correct her. But even I have to admit I learned a few slangs myself that I was previously unaware of (I'm a 1.5 generation).

I have to conclude the book was perfect for us, and it set out to do what I hoped. Not to make my (now fiance) fluent in Korean, but to increase her appreciation in Korean culture and bring us that much closer. She's even taken to wanting to wear a hanbok (traditional Korean dress) for part of our upcoming wedding.

I have yet to learn if the phrases from this book are truly effective at disguising the foreigner aspect of book learned Hangul, but I have yet to hand this to someone to browse that is not laughing and combining phrases in fun ways withing in minutes of reading it.
The double set of romanization was also helpful to try and understand the pronunciation while reading.