A Shot of Korean
내린 다음에 탑시다. (Nae-rin da-eum-ae tap-shi-da.) – Fig. Please board after everyone has gotten off.
Lit. Get off next let’s ride.
When you want to politely ask someone to do something in Korean it’s very common to use a, “Let’s…” sentence ending. It shows that you’d like this rule to apply to everyone, not just the person you’re talking to so it’s a tad more polite than just a command. We do this in English too, but it’s much more common to do it with children and might seem a little condescending to adults. This can be the case for Korean too, but a little less so. Either way, let’s all be honest and admit that a) it’s easier for everyone if we wait for the people exiting the train, bus, etc. to get off before others try to get on and b) Koreans block the way or try to board before others have gotten off at a higher percentage than in many advanced countries. When this poor practice gets to you, you can use this phrase, perhaps with a friendly smile.
This Month’s Hanja
乘 – 탈 승 (seung) – ride
Here’s another crucial Chinese character that will help you guess the meaning of many words related to riding things. Here are some of the most common words that use this meaning of 승 (seung):
승용차 – car
승객 – passenger
탑승 – board
승무원 – flight/train attendant