🟠 Talking About Travel Experiences in Korean | Intermediate Level (TOPIK 3–4)
🌊 Memorable Getaways: Describing Your Travel Experiences in Korean
Want to tell your friends about your Jeju sunset or a weekend in Busan? Teacher Hoon explains how to move beyond basic verbs to create vivid Travel Narratives for TOPIK Level 3-4.
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The 3 Pillars of Travel Stories (EEAT Tip)
As a teacher with 20 years of experience, I always tell my students: A great story needs more than just "I went." You need Details (Where), Action (What), and Atmosphere (Feeling). Using sensory words like 시원하다 (refreshing) or 고소하다 (nutty) is what separates a student from a storyteller. Let's learn the toolkit.
📑 Tap to view Storytelling Roadmap
1. Essential Storytelling Vocabulary
- 📍 관광지 (Gwangwang-ji): Tourist attraction/spot.
- 🌄 풍경 / 야경 (Pung-gyeong / Ya-gyeong): Scenery / Night view.
- 🛌 숙소 (Suk-so): Accommodation (Hotel, Guesthouse, etc.).
- ✨ 기억에 남다 (Gi-eok-e nam-da): To be memorable.
- 🏖️ 바닷가 (Ba-dat-ga): Beach/Seaside.
2. Narrative Patterns: Sequencing Actions
To tell a smooth story, link your past tense verbs (-았/었어요) with chronological connectors:
- 🔗 -고 (and): Sequencing two facts.
"사진을 찍고 맛있는 음식을 먹었어요." - 🌤️ -아서/어서 (so/because): Linking cause and effect.
"날씨가 좋아서 산책을 많이 했어요." - ⏳ -ㄴ/은 후에 (after): "졸업을 한 후에 배낭여행을 갈 거예요."
💡 Teacher Hoon's Pro Tone Tip
Consistency is key! A common mistake for TOPIK 3 learners is mixing present and past tense in the same story. If the trip is over, every verb must end in -았어요/었어요. Also, using "정말 (really)" is fine, but try using "무척 (very/exceedingly)" in your writing to sound more sophisticated!
🗣 Practice Dialogue: A Trip to Sokcho
A: 지난 주말에 어디 갔어요? (Where did you go last weekend?)
B: 친구랑 속초에 갔어요. 바다도 보고 맛있는 회도 먹었어요. (I went to Sokcho. We saw the sea AND ate delicious raw fish.)
A: 와, 정말 즐거웠겠네요! (Wow, it must have been really fun!)
💡 Did You Know? The "Meokbang" Trip
Koreans often plan trips solely around food! This is called 먹방 (Meok-bang) 여행. According to travel data, the top 5 weekend destinations for foodies are: 1. Jeju Island, 2. Busan, 3. Gangneung, 4. Jeonju, and 5. Sokcho. Mentioning that your trip was a "Meokbang trip" is a great way to start a conversation with locals!
Want to Practice Narrating Your Trip?
Don't let your memories fade! Book a 1:1 "Travel Storytelling" session with Hoon on italki. We'll look at your travel photos together and practice describing them in detail until you sound like a native travel blogger.
🚀 Share Your Story with Hoon
More Helpful Lessons:
Basic Past Tense |
Comparing Destinations
