날씨
유형 1 Question
What's the weather like where you live? Do the seasons change dramatically? Compare summer with winter for me, and then give me a full overview of all four seasons.
Okay, I'm prepared. South Korea experiences four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Consequently, the weather can range from extremely hot to bitterly cold.
During spring and autumn, the climate is pleasantly mild, allowing us to relish the sunshine and gentle breezes. It strikes a perfect balance between being neither too hot nor too cold, which is why these two seasons are beloved by most people.
However, summer in Korea can be scorching hot and humid, which can be quite uncomfortable. At times, it feels like being trapped in a sauna, especially during crowded subway commutes – an experience that's best avoided.
Conversely, winter brings freezing temperatures, with some parts of Korea even plummeting to a bone-chilling minus 20 degrees Celsius. It's truly extreme.
As you can see, the weather in Korea showcases significant fluctuations. How about your country? What are the prevailing weather conditions there?"
좋아요, 준비됐어요. 한국은 봄, 여름, 가을, 겨울, 뚜렷한 사계절이 있어요. 그래서 날씨가 무지 더울 때부터 살을 에게 추울 때까지 다양하죠.
봄이랑 가을에는 기후가 기분 좋게 온화해서 햇살과 산들바람을 만끽할 수 있어요. 너무 덥지도 춥지도 않은 완벽한 균형이라, 이 두 계절을 대부분의 사람들이 사랑하죠.
그런데 한국의 여름은 찌는 듯이 덥고 습해서 꽤 불쾌할 수 있어요. 가끔은 사우나에 갇힌 기분인데, 특히 붐비는 지하철로 출퇴근할 때는 — 웬만하면 피하고 싶은 경험이죠.
반대로 겨울은 기온이 뚝 떨어져요. 한국 일부 지역은 뼈가 시린 영하 20도까지 내려가기도 해요. 정말 극단적이죠.
보시다시피 한국 날씨는 변동이 상당해요. 당신 나라는요? 날씨가 대체로 어떤가요?
- Four distinct seasons — 뚜렷한 사계절
- Scorching hot — 타는 듯이 더운 / 찜통더위
- Especially / Particularly — 특히
- Extremely / Incredibly — 매우 - Very 대신 사용
- Commute — 출퇴근하다 / 통근 시간
유형 2 Question
Which season is your favorite, and what do you like to do during it? Also, tell me what people in your country typically do in summer, and how that compares with popular winter activities.
Oh, my favorite season? It’s definitely summer. Even though it is scorching hot and humid, I still think it’s the best season in Korea.
Korea is a peninsula. This means that we have many beautiful beaches surrounding the Korean peninsula. So, people often go to the beach to avoid the heat wave.
Also, Korea is a mountainous country. This means that we have beautiful valleys in mountains and people who don’t like going to beaches often go to valleys and swim there. Sadly, we occasionally see news that some people were drowned to death in valleys.
What else… umm.. Yeah. Let me talk about winter. In winter, since there are lots of mountains, many people go skiing or snowboarding.
Umm… I think that is all. Everything else is probably similar to your country.
오, 제가 좋아하는 계절이요? 단연 여름이에요. 찌는 듯이 덥고 습한데도, 저는 여름이 한국 최고의 계절이라고 생각해요.
한국은 반도예요. 한반도를 둘러싼 아름다운 해변이 많다는 뜻이죠. 그래서 사람들은 폭염을 피해 해변에 자주 가요.
그리고 한국은 산이 많은 나라예요. 산속에 아름다운 계곡들이 있어서, 해변을 안 좋아하는 사람들은 계곡에 가서 수영을 하곤 하죠. 슬프게도 계곡에서 익사 사고가 났다는 뉴스를 가끔 보긴 해요.
또 뭐가 있지… 음.. 맞다. 겨울 얘기를 할게요. 겨울에는 산이 많다 보니 스키나 스노보드를 타러 가는 사람이 많아요.
음… 이게 다인 것 같아요. 나머지는 아마 당신 나라랑 비슷할 거예요.
- Scorching hot — 타는 듯이 더운 / 찜통더위
- Absolutely / Definitely — 확실히 / 전적으로 / 완전
유형 3 Question
Tell me about a significant weather-related event you witnessed or heard about — maybe a drought that hit your community, or a flood that destroyed people's homes. What happened, when was it, and what details do you remember?
Oh, I have a perfect story to share for this question. It happened during my time in the military.
I served in the Korean military for two years, as is required for all Korean males unless exempted due to physical disabilities or family circumstances. During my service, I participated in a training exercise known as 'Hokhangi,' which translates to 'winter surge' training. At the outset, I thought, 'It won't be too cold,' but boy, was I mistaken.
The experience was etched into my memory because it turned out to be far more brutal than I had anticipated. I genuinely felt like I might freeze to death. I vividly recall huddling in a makeshift, run-down tent with my fellow soldiers, and it was undoubtedly the most challenging experience.
Yes, if someone is seeking the most extreme weather experience, they should consider joining the military in Korea."
오, 이 질문에 딱 맞는 이야기가 있어요. 군대에 있을 때 일이에요.
저는 한국 군대에서 2년간 복무했어요. 신체적 장애나 가정 사정으로 면제되지 않는 한 모든 한국 남자의 의무거든요. 복무 중에 '혹한기'라는 훈련에 참가했어요. '겨울 강추위' 훈련이라는 뜻이에요. 처음에는 '그렇게 안 춥겠지' 했는데, 세상에, 완전히 착각이었어요.
예상보다 훨씬 혹독해서 기억에 깊이 새겨졌어요. 진짜로 얼어 죽을지도 모르겠다 싶었죠. 다 낡아빠진 임시 텐트 안에서 전우들이랑 웅크리고 있던 게 지금도 생생해요. 의심할 여지 없이 제일 힘든 경험이었어요.
네, 누군가 가장 극한의 날씨 경험을 찾고 있다면, 한국 군대에 입대하는 걸 고려해 보시길.
- Participate in — ~에 참여하다