Konglish (Korean: 콩글리시) is the use of English words (or words derived from English words) in a Korean context. The words, having initially been taken from English language, are either actual English words in Korean context[1], or are made from a combination of Korean and English words. It is considered a sublanguage.[2] Common sentence structure or vocabulary mistakes made by Koreans has also been referred to as Konglish.[3][4][5] Words and phrases borrowed from English or other languages may be shortened if Koreans using them feel they are too long.[6]
This is the first entry in a series of entries I will be writing documenting my interactions and experiences with Konglish. For all Konglish noobies, understand that while Konglish words are in fact derived from English, their pronunciation and meaning often have little to no resemblance to English progenitors. This creates for some real annoyance in teaching English as Korean speakers have a bastardized set of words and phrases in their vocabulary which they believe to be part of the English language. Konglish hurts.
