Brainstorm Like a Pro: Advanced Korean for Meetings
Hello! This is Maeil Hangeul, here to upgrade your Korean skills to the next level!
Have you ever been in a meeting at a Korean company or worked on a group project for a university class and struggled to express your brilliant ideas or guide the discussion effectively? Today, we’re going to tackle just that. We’ll learn the essential advanced Korean phrases for leading a productive and creative brainstorming session. In Korea’s fast-paced startup scene and evolving corporate culture, collaborative ideation is more important than ever. Let’s learn how to sound like a seasoned professional!
Core Expressions for Your Next Brainstorming Session
Here are five key phrases that will make you the MVP of your next team meeting.
1. 아이디어를 짜내다 (Aidi-eo-reul jja-nae-da)
* English Meaning: To squeeze out ideas; to rack one’s brains for ideas.
* Detailed Explanation: While 아이디어를 모으다 (to gather ideas) is common, 짜내다 has a much more active and intense nuance. It implies a concerted effort to come up with creative solutions, even when it’s difficult. It’s like squeezing the very last drop of juice from a lemon. This phrase shows you’re serious about finding a breakthrough.
2. 발상의 전환 (Balsang-ui jeon-hwan)
* English Meaning: A paradigm shift; a change in perspective; thinking outside the box.
* Detailed Explanation: This is a powerful, Hanja-based phrase (발상 – idea/conception, 전환 – conversion/switch) used when the current line of thinking is stuck. When you suggest a 발상의 전환, you are calling for a fundamental shift in how the team is approaching the problem. It’s a sophisticated way to say, “Let’s look at this from a completely different angle.”
3. 의견을 조율하다 (Ui-gyeon-eul jo-yul-ha-da)
* English Meaning: To coordinate opinions; to mediate different views.
* Detailed Explanation: Brainstorming generates many different, sometimes conflicting, ideas. The role of a good leader is to bring these together. 조율하다 is the verb used for “tuning” an instrument. In a meeting context, it means to skillfully listen to all opinions and guide the team toward a harmonized conclusion. It’s a crucial term in consensus-driven environments.
4. 건설적인 피드백 (Geon-seol-jeo-gin pi-deu-baek)
* English Meaning: Constructive feedback.
* Detailed Explanation: This phrase combines a Korean word (건설적 – constructive) with a loanword (피드백 – feedback). A productive brainstorming session isn’t about shutting down ideas but building upon them. Asking for 건설적인 피드백 encourages team members to offer criticism that is helpful and aimed at improving the idea, rather than simply dismissing it.
5. 중지를 모으다 (Jung-ji-reul mo-eu-da)
* English Meaning: To gather wisdom; to reach a consensus.
* Detailed Explanation: This is a very refined and slightly formal expression that literally means “to gather the wisdom of the many.” It’s a step beyond simply agreeing. It implies that the final decision is the product of collective intelligence and shared understanding. Using this phrase at the end of a discussion shows respect for everyone’s contribution.
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how these phrases work in a real marketing team meeting for a new eco-friendly product.
- A (Team Leader): 자, 신제품 마케팅 전략을 위해 다 같이 아이디어를 짜내봅시다. 어떤 의견이든 좋습니다.
(Okay, let’s all rack our brains for the new product’s marketing strategy. Any opinion is welcome.) - B (Team Member): 기존 방식으로는 한계가 있는 것 같습니다. 발상의 전환이 필요해요. 예를 들어, 광고 대신 환경 캠페인을 주도하는 건 어떨까요?
(I think we’re limited by the existing methods. We need a paradigm shift. For example, what if we led an environmental campaign instead of running ads?) - A (Team Leader): 아주 흥미로운 접근이네요! 그 아이디어에 대해 다른 분들은 어떻게 생각하시나요? 건설적인 피드백 부탁드립니다.
(That’s a very interesting approach! What do others think about that idea? I’d appreciate some constructive feedback.) - B (Team Member): 좋은 생각입니다. 캠페인과 제품 판매를 연결할 구체적인 방법만 보완하면 되겠어요.
(Great idea. We just need to supplement it with a concrete way to connect the campaign to product sales.) - A (Team Leader): 좋습니다. 그럼 나온 의견들을 바탕으로 의견을 조율해서 최종 방향을 정하도록 하죠. 모두의 중지를 모아 결정합시다.
(Excellent. Then, based on the opinions we’ve heard, let’s coordinate our views and decide on a final direction. Let’s reach a consensus with everyone’s wisdom.)
Culture Tip: Horizontal Communication in the Modern Korean Workplace
Traditionally, Korean corporate culture was very top-down and hierarchical. However, influenced by the global startup culture and the values of the MZ Generation (Millennials + Gen Z), there’s a huge push towards 수평적인 소통 (supyeong-jeogin sotong – horizontal communication).
Companies now encourage employees of all levels to speak up. This is why mastering brainstorming vocabulary is so critical! Phrases like 건설적인 피드백 and 의견을 조율하다 are not just business jargon; they are tools for participating in this modern, more collaborative work style. Using them shows that you understand and respect this cultural shift, making you look like an insightful and valuable team member, not just a foreigner who speaks Korean well.
Wrap-up & Practice!
Today we learned five advanced phrases to help you lead brainstorming sessions like a pro: 아이디어를 짜내다, 발상의 전환, 의견을 조율하다, 건설적인 피드백, and 중지를 모으다.
Now it’s your turn to practice!
- Fill in the blank:
팀원들의 다양한 의견을 하나로 합치는 과정, 즉 (______________) 과정이 매우 중요합니다.
(The process of combining the team’s various opinions into one, in other words, the process of [_____________] is very important.) -
Sentence Making:
Imagine you are stuck on a difficult project. Write a short sentence in Korean using the phrase 발상의 전환.
Let us know your answers! Try making your own sentences with today’s expressions in the comments below! Keep up the great work
