가게 주인
gage juin
The English phrase "store owner" is translated into Korean as 가게 주인 (gage juin).
가게 주인 is used to refer to a person who owns and operates a retail business.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 가게 (gage), meaning 'store' and 주인 (juin), meaning 'owner'.
Which one should you use?
상점 주인 is a more formal version that also literally translates to 'store owner'.
How does it change in a sentence?
가게 주인 is a noun phrase and does not change its form based on grammatical case, though particles like 이/가 or 은/는 would be attached in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
gage juin
Did you know?
- In many small, traditional Korean shops, you might call the owner 이모 (imo), which literally means 'maternal aunt'.
- In Korea, it is common to address a 가게 주인 using the title 사장님 (CEO) regardless of the size of the business. This is a polite way to show respect for the person's position as an entrepreneur.
- The word 가게 originally referred to a 'temporary house' or a 'street stall' before evolving into the general word for 'store' used today.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요, 사장님. 이거 좀 더 싸게 팔 수 있을까요?Hello, boss. Can you sell this for a bit cheaper?
- 그 가게 주인은 친절해요.geu gaga juineun chinjeolhaeyo.The store owner is kind.
- 옆집 가게 주인은 아주 젊어요.yeopjib gaga juineun aju jeolmeoyo.The store owner next door is very young.
Example conversation
Minjun and Minji are looking for something in a small shop.
- 민준 Min-jun가게 주인은 어디 계세요?gage juineun eodi gyeseyo?Where is the store owner?
- 민지 Min-ji저기 계신 분이 가게 주인이에요.jeogi gyesin buni gage juinieyo.The person over there is the store owner.
- 민준 Min-jun민지 씨, 저분께 여쭤볼게요.Minji ssi, jeobunkke yeojjwobolgeyo.Minji, I will ask that person.
- 민지 Min-ji네, 같이 가요.ne, gati gayo.Yes, let's go together.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 가게, 주인, CC BY-SA 4.0.
