2StoryEveryday life1 min

이사 떡

A new flat, a box of rice cakes for the neighbours and a bag of tangerines in return.

A story about a Korean neighbourhood custom. Notice the honorific -(으)시- for the old neighbour (나오셨어요, 주셨어요) and -아/어 보다 for trying something out.

지난주에 저는 새 아파트로 이사했어요. 방은 작지만 창문이 커서 아주 밝아요.

한국에서는 이사를 하면 이웃에게 떡을 주는 집이 있어요. 요즘은 많지 않지만, 저는 꼭 해 보고 싶었어요.

그래서 시장에서 떡을 샀어요. 그리고 작은 상자에 하나씩 넣었어요.

토요일 오전에 옆집에 갔어요. 할아버지 한 분이 나오셨어요. "안녕하세요. 옆집에 이사 온 사람이에요." 할아버지는 떡을 받고 아주 좋아하셨어요.

위층에는 아이가 두 명 있는 가족이 살아요. 아이들이 상자를 보고 크게 말했어요. "와, 떡이다!"

저녁에 누가 왔어요. 옆집 할아버지였어요. 할아버지는 귤 한 봉지를 주셨어요. "이웃끼리 도와야지요." 저는 이 동네가 벌써 좋아졌어요.

Words: 85
Sentences: 19
Words per sentence: 4.5
in the vocabulary: 100 %
measured level: 2
Reading time: 1 min

Grammar in this text

These forms appear in the text in real use. Switch on “Show grammar” above the text to highlight them.

나오셨어요 · 좋아하셨어요 · 주셨어요
The honorific -(으)시- for an older neighbour: 나오셨어요, 좋아하셨어요, 주셨어요. The honorific -(으)시-: 가세요, 가셨어요 →
해 보고 싶었어요
-아/어 보다: to try doing something. With -고 싶다: she wanted to try it. Trying out: -아/어 보다 →
이웃에게
에게 marks the person something is given to: to the neighbours. To and from a person: 에게, 한테, 께 →

The words from 2 up in this text

Not the hard words in general, but those at your level: all 17 of the 64 words in this text are at 2 or above. You will know everything else by the time you get here.

그래서
so; and so
2
꼭
definitely; without fail
2
나오다
to come out
2
넣다
to put in
2
돕다
to help
2
동네
neighbourhood; area
2
떡
rice cake
2
벌써
already
2
아파트
flat; apartment
2
옆집
next door; the house next door
2
요즘
these days; lately
2
이사
moving house
2
이사하다
to move house
2
이웃
neighbour
2
좋아지다
to get better, improve
2
주시다
to give (honorific)
2
지난주
last week
2

The word lists for this text

The words in this text appear in 24 lists on this site; the number after each says how many come from that list. Having read the text, you have just needed these very words — and can practise exactly them.

Comprehension questions

4 questions on the text. With each answer the sentence it comes from appears — a question whose answer you cannot find in the text tests nothing.

1. What did the writer give the neighbours?

2. Who opened the door next door?

3. Who lives on the floor above?

4. What did the old man bring in the evening?