TOPIK II Core Vocabulary · Mind & Personality ①

Mind & manner — 성격, 태도, 감정, 표현하다, 이해하다

These words describe how people think, feel, and act. You can use them when you introduce yourself or describe other people.

01성격seonggyeok🔊 [성껵]

personality · a person's usual character and way of behaving.

Pronunciation [성껵]. When ㄱ follows the final consonant (patchim) ㅇ, it becomes a strong (tense) sound ㄲ.

Note 성격이 좋다 describes someone as good-natured. 성격 차이 means "personality differences."

Examples 성격이 좋다 (to be good-natured) · 성격이 급하다 (to be impatient) · 성격 차이 (personality differences)

제 친구는 성격이 정말 좋아요. My friend is really good-natured.  |  성격 is marked with 이/가

성격은 타고나기도 하지만 환경의 영향도 크다. Personality is partly inborn, but the environment also has a strong influence.  |  타고나다 = to be born with

02태도taedo

attitude · how a person thinks about someone or something, and how they act toward it.

Note 성격 is a person's general character. 태도 is how a person acts in one situation. In real use, you see 태도를 바꾸다 much more often than 성격을 바꾸다.

Examples 태도가 좋다 (to have a good attitude) · 태도를 바꾸다 (to change one's attitude) · 적극적인 태도 (a proactive attitude)

그 사람은 일하는 태도가 좋아요. He has a good attitude toward his work.  |  This is a common phrase in evaluations

실패를 대하는 태도가 결국 그 사람을 만든다. How a person responds to failure ultimately shapes who they become.  |  대하다 = to face

03감정gamjeong

emotion, feelings · feelings such as joy, sadness, or anger.

Note 감정을 숨기다 means "to hide your feelings." 감정을 드러내다 means "to show your feelings." 감정적 means "emotional."

Examples 감정을 숨기다 (to hide one's feelings) · 감정을 드러내다 (to show them) · 감정적 (emotional)

저는 감정을 잘 숨기지 못해요. I am not good at hiding my feelings.  |  숨기다 = to conceal

감정을 억누르기만 하면 오히려 몸이 상할 수 있다. If you do nothing but suppress your emotions, it can actually harm your health.  |  억누르다 = to suppress · 상하다 = to be harmed

04표현하다pyohyeonhada

to express · to communicate or show thoughts and feelings.

Note The noun 표현 can also mean a word or phrase that expresses an idea. 표현력 means "the ability to express yourself."

Examples 감정을 표현하다 (to express feelings) · 생각을 표현하다 (to put thoughts into words) · 표현력 (expressiveness)

고마운 마음을 잘 표현하고 싶어요. I want to express my gratitude properly.  |  -고 싶다 = to want to

자신의 생각을 정확히 표현하는 능력은 훈련으로 길러진다. The ability to express your thoughts precisely is developed through practice.  |  훈련 = training · 길러지다 = to be developed

05이해하다ihaehada

to understand · to know what something means, or to see another person's situation.

Note 이해하다 can mean understanding information, as in 내용을 이해하다. It can also mean understanding a person's feelings, as in 마음을 이해하다. 이해가 되다 means "to make sense." 이해가 안 돼요 means "I do not understand."

Examples 내용을 이해하다 (to understand the content) · 이해가 되다 (to make sense) · 이해심 (an understanding nature)

설명이 어려워서 잘 이해가 안 돼요. The explanation is difficult, so I do not understand it well.  |  -아/어서 = because, so

서로 다른 생각을 이해하는 데에는 시간이 필요하다. It takes time to understand a different point of view.  |  -는 데에는 = when it comes to doing ~ / in doing ~

Quick check3 questions

Fill in each blank in Korean. Every answer appears above.

1. 실패를 대하는 __________가 결국 그 사람을 만든다. (the ______ toward failure)
2. __________을 억누르기만 하면 오히려 몸이 상할 수 있다. (bottled-up ______)
3. 서로 다른 생각을 __________ 데에는 시간이 필요하다. (이해하다 · before a noun)

Show answers

1. 태도   2. 감정   3. 이해하는

Study tip 성격 is a person's general character, and it is hard to change. 태도 is how a person acts in a situation, and it can change. So 태도를 바꾸다 sounds natural. 성격을 바꾸다 sounds like a very big job.