Lesson 10

Unit 28. 아기 vs. 아가

Translations:
아기 = baby
아가 = baby / one’s daughter-in-law

아기 is a general term for babies, so it is used when you make a statement whereas 아가 is an addressing form. It is also used by some (but not all) mothers-in-law to address their daughters-in-law.

Example #1
아기가 태어났어요. = The baby was born.
아가가 태어났어요. (incorrect)

Example #2
아가야 여기 봐. = (To an infant) Baby, look here.
아기야 여기 봐. (incorrect)

Example #3
아가, 내일 바쁘니? (To one’s daughter-in-law) Are you busy tomorrow?
아기야, 내일 바쁘니? (incorrect)

Unit 29. 상사 vs. 사장님

Translations:
상사 = boss / superior
사장님 = owner of a company / president

If you say someone is your 상사, it means that the person is in a higher position than you in your workplace, but if you say someone is your 사장님, it means that the person is in 사장 position in your workplace.

If it is a small company, the owner is usually 사장, and if the company is relatively big where there are many directors or stockholders, the president of the company is 사장 or 대표. And 님 is just an honorific suffix used mainly after a person's work or specialty title.

If you want to specifically refer to your “direct boss,” the one you report to, you have to know more specific position terms, such as 과장님, 부장님, 차장님, 팀장님, etc..

Example #1
사장님, 안녕하세요. = (To your boss/president) Hello.
상사(님), 안녕하세요. (incorrect)

Example #2
Only if he were not my boss…
직장 상사만 아니면… (o)
사장님만 아니면… (o)

Example #3
내가 상사니까 내가 먼저 예약했어. = Since I’m your boss, I reserved it first.
내가 사장님이니까 내가 먼저 예약했어. (incorrect)

Unit 30. 수영하다 vs. 헤엄치다

Translations:
수영하다 = to swim
헤엄치다 = to swim

These two are very similar, but 수영 often refers to the professional sport that you need to learn whereas 헤엄 implies the movement you make in order to go forward or simply float in the water. In that sense, you use 헤엄치다 more when you describe the movement of animals in the water.

Example #1
요즘 매일 아침 수영해요. = I swim every morning these days.
요즘 매일 아침 헤엄쳐요. (incorrect)

Example #2
“Children are swimming in the swimming pool.”
아이들이 수영장에서 수영하고 있어요. (o)
아이들이 수영장에서 헤엄치고 있어요. (o)

Example #3
수영할 줄 알아요? = Do you know how to swim?
헤엄칠 줄 알아요? (x)