Sunday, November 25, 2012

Thanks, Google Translate!

I've certainly found a new reason to continue my dogged daily efforts with language learning.

Google Translate.

This morning, I was (as usual with my free time) studying some Korean. I wanted to look up the validity of a sentence I created, and... Well, here's what happened.

I opened Google Translate. Typed in 나는 색종이 한 장 쓸 게. I meant to say "I will use one sheet of colored paper." Considering that 쓰다 is a word that can mean both "to use" and "to write," I can sort of understand Google's translation attempt. (Click on image below.)




But then Google asks me if I meant to write 나는 색종이 한 장 쓸개. I figured, perhaps, that this might be a a more colloquial way of writing whatever it thought I was trying to say.

So followed the link. (Click on image below.)



Oh, yes. That's exactly what I was trying to say. Thanks, Google. Lay off the hallucinogens for a while, will ya? Wow. If there was ever a case for the old saying, "If you want something done, you've got to do it yourself," here it is.

I went with my original sentence.

And guess what? It was correct. A native speaker gave it her official seal of approval.

B.T.W... I just signed up for HaruKorean.com ($5.99/mo.) which is run by the same fantastic people who brought me countless Talk to Me in Korean lessons for free. There are people in South Korea employed to check grammar and spelling on sentences that I submit electronically. It's brilliant.

Goodbye! 안녕히 계세요!

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