Office Korean: Who Does What?

Introduction

Hello! This is [Daily Hangeul], here to upgrade your Korean skills! 👋

Today, we are going to talk about “Distributing Roles and Responsibilities” at work. Have you heard the term “Warabel” (워라밸)? It’s a popular Konglish abbreviation for “Work-Life Balance.”

Nowadays in Korea, efficient work processes are trending because everyone values their “Warabel.” Instead of one person doing everything, teams focus on clear R&R (Roles and Responsibilities) to finish work smartly and go home on time! 🏃💨

Let’s learn how to divide tasks with your colleagues like a pro!

Key Expressions

Here are 3 essential expressions to help you assign tasks and volunteer for roles.

1. 제가 이 부분을 맡을게요.

• Pronunciation: [Je-ga i bu-bu-neul ma-teul-kke-yo]
• English Meaning: I will take charge of this part.
• Detailed Explanation: This is a proactive way to volunteer for a task. The verb ‘맡다’ (mat-da) means “to take charge of” or “to handle.” Using ‘-(으)ㄹ게요’ shows your strong will or promise to do something. It makes you look like a responsible team player!
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Liaison (연음): When the patchim ‘ㅌ(t)’ in ‘맡’ meets the vowel ‘으’, the sound carries over. So, it is not ‘mat-eul’ but [ma-teul].
  • Tensing (경음화): The ‘게’ sound changes to [kke] because of the grammar rule associated with ‘-(으)ㄹ게요’.
  • Result: Pronounce it smoothly as [ma-teul-kke-yo].

2. 업무를 나눠서 하는 게 어때요?

• Pronunciation: [Eom-mu-reul na-nwo-seo ha-neun ge eo-ttae-yo?]
• English Meaning: How about we divide the work?
• Detailed Explanation: When the workload is heavy, you can suggest splitting it. ‘나누다’ (nanuda) means “to divide” or “to share.” ‘~하는 게 어때요?’ is a soft and polite way to make a suggestion to a colleague.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Nasalization (비음화): In ‘업무’ (task), the ‘ㅂ(p)’ sound naturally changes to an ‘ㅁ(m)’ sound because it is followed by the nasal sound ‘ㅁ’.
  • Try this: Instead of saying ‘eop-mu’ stiffly, say [eom-mu]. It’s much easier and sounds more natural!

3. 나중에 같이 검토합시다.

• Pronunciation: [Na-jung-e ga-chi geom-to-hap-ssi-da]
• English Meaning: Let’s review it together later.
• Detailed Explanation: Collaboration often ends with a final check. ‘검토하다’ means “to review.” ‘-(으)ㅂ시다’ is a formal “Let’s” proposition, suitable for a business setting.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Palatalization (구개음화): This is very important! In the word ‘같이’ (together), the patchim ‘ㅌ(t)’ meets the vowel ‘이(i)’. When this happens, the sound changes to ‘치(ch)’.
  • Why? It is physically easier for your tongue to say ‘chi’ than ‘ti’ in this context.
  • Rule: So, don’t say ‘gat-i’. Say [gachi]! It sounds just like the English word “gotcha” (roughly).

Example Dialogue

Let’s see how Min-ji and Mark divide their work for an upcoming presentation.

Min-ji: 이번 프레젠테이션 준비할 게 너무 많네요. 업무를 나눠서 하는 게 어때요?
(There is so much to prepare for this presentation. How about we divide the work?)

Mark: 좋은 생각이에요. 그럼, 자료 조사는 제가 이 부분을 맡을게요. 저는 검색하는 게 빨라요.
(Good idea. Then, regarding the research, I will take charge of this part. I am fast at searching.)

Min-ji: 네, 알겠어요. 그럼 저는 PPT 디자인을 할게요. 다 만든 후에 나중에 같이 검토합시다.
(Okay, got it. Then I will do the PPT design. After we finish, let’s review it together later.)

Mark: 좋아요! 요즘 유행하는 깔끔한 스타일로 만들어 주세요.
(Great! Please make it in the clean style that is trending these days.)

Culture Tip & Trend Analysis

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