3 Tips to Sound Like a Native

1. Use filler words

So, erm... yeah, you want to sound more natural when speaking Korean? Yeah, filler words are a big part of sounding more natural in any language and Korean is no exception! Here are some filler words, with examples so you can use them yourself!

• 그러니까... (So...) 👉 그러니까... 제가 하고 싶은 말은...
• 음... 어... (Erm... Uh...) 👉 음... 이거랑 이거 주세요. 어, 아니다 저걸로 주세요. 
• 네, 아니, 그래서 (Yeah, no, so) 👉 네, 그래서... 아니, 그러니까...

Try mixing and matching these filler words!

2. Stop repeating pronouns

Explicitly using 'I/you/he/she/we/they/etc.' are important in English to get your meaning across. However, in Korean pronouns are usually derived from context.

Try reading along to this dialogue!

민성: 아니, (너) 크크크 치킨 먹어봤어?

범진: 응, JMT! (우리) 영화나 볼까? 음... (너) 스파이더맨 봤어?

민성: 아직! (우리) 그거나 보자.

3. Use the right formality

It sounds very unnatural to use the highest formality to your friends, but also to use the most casual level of formality in the workplace. 

Exercise: Rank these words from most casual to formal

• 안녕하세요 / 안녕 / 안녕하십니까
• 이름 / 존함 / 성함
• 연세 / 나이 / 연배