[Nova Funny Korean #1] A Fly in My Kimchi Stew?! – Learn 이/가 있어요, 제, 에, 은/는 with a Korean Joke

knova1 — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 08:58:20 +0000

NOVA FUNNY KOREAN #1

A Fly in My Kimchi Stew?! 😂🪰

Laugh first — then learn every word and grammar point in the joke

😂 Funny · 🎧 Real Korean sound · 📚 Book 1 review

🎯 This page’s goal: I can understand a short Korean joke and use Noun + 이/가 있어요, 제, 에 and 은/는 naturally.
🇵🇭 Kaya kong maintindihan ang isang maikling Korean joke at gamitin ang Noun + 이/가 있어요, 제, 에 at 은/는.

Welcome to Nova Funny Korean! 😂 Studying a textbook every day can get boring — so let’s laugh a little. A joke is a great way to review: it’s short, you remember it, and you want to tell it to your friends. Today’s joke happens in a Korean restaurant. Watch it first, then let Teacher Nova break down every word.

🇵🇭 Medyo nakakabagot minsan ang libro araw-araw — kaya tumawa muna tayo! Panoorin muna ang joke, tapos aralin natin ang bawat salita.

🎬 1. Watch the Joke

⏸ Tip: When you see “🤔 What did the owner say?”, guess the answer out loud before the owner speaks! Then listen again and repeat each line 5 times.
🇵🇭 Hulaan muna nang malakas ang sagot ng may-ari bago siya magsalita!

📖 2. The Joke

Who	Korean	Meaning
🍽️ 손님 customer	사장님! 제 김치찌개에 파리가 있어요!!! [사장님! 제 김치찌개에 파리가 이써요]	Sir! There’s a fly in my kimchi stew!!! Boss! May langaw sa kimchi jjigae ko!!!
👨‍🍳 사장님 owner	괜찮아요, 손님. 파리는 많이 안 먹어요. [괜차나요, 손님. 파리는 마니 안 머거요]	It’s okay, sir. Flies don’t eat much. Okay lang po. Hindi naman kumakain nang marami ang langaw.

😂 Why is it funny? The customer is upset because there is a fly in the soup — that’s dirty! But the owner answers as if the customer were worried that the fly will eat his food. “Don’t worry, it won’t eat much!” 🤣
🇵🇭 Galit ang customer dahil may langaw sa sabaw — pero sumagot ang may-ari na parang ang problema ay baka maubos ng langaw ang pagkain niya!

🔍 3. Word by Word

Korean	Meaning	Teacher Nova’s note
사장님	boss / owner	The owner of a shop or restaurant. In Korea, customers call the owner 사장님 to be polite and friendly — you will hear it everywhere!
제	my (polite)	Humble form of “my” (저의 → 제). Use it with people you respect, like a boss or a stranger.
찌개	stew	A thick Korean soup cooked in a pot.
김치찌개	kimchi stew	The most popular stew in Korea — spicy and delicious! 🍲
-에	in / at	Location particle: 김치찌개에 = in the kimchi stew.
파리	a fly 🪰	Careful: same sound as Paris (파리) — the city!
-가 있어요	there is ~	파리가 있어요 = There is a fly.
괜찮아요	It’s okay	One of the most useful Korean words. Sounds like [괜차나요].
손님	customer / guest	Staff in shops and restaurants call customers 손님.
-는	topic particle	파리는 = “As for the fly…” (it shows contrast — the fly, not you 😄).
많이	a lot / much	Sounds like [마니].
안 먹어요	don’t eat	안 + verb = not ~. 많이 안 먹어요 = don’t eat much.

📌 4. Grammar Points

① Noun + 이/가 있어요 = There is ~
✅ Batchim (final consonant) → 이 있어요: 손님이 있어요, 물이 있어요
✅ No batchim → 가 있어요: 파리가 있어요, 커피가 있어요
👉 Opposite: 없어요 (there isn’t) — 파리가 없어요! 😅
🇵🇭 May ~ / Mayroong ~
📚 Full lesson: Grammar 3-1 · 있어요/없어요

② 제 = my (polite)
저 (I, polite) + 의 (‘s) → 저의 = 제. Friends use 내 (my, casual), but with a boss, a customer or the restaurant owner, say 제.
예) 제 이름은 마두예요. · 제 커피에 파리가 있어요!
🇵🇭 Magalang na “ko / aking”.

③ Noun + 에 = in / at (place)
김치찌개에 파리가 있어요. (There’s a fly in the stew.) · 식당에 손님이 많아요. (There are many customers at the restaurant.)
📚 Full lesson: Grammar 3-2 · The Location Particle 에

④ Noun + 은/는 = topic (and contrast)
Batchim → 은 (손님은), no batchim → 는 (파리는). Here 파리는 means “the fly (unlike you)…” — that’s the joke!
📚 Full lesson: Grammar 1-2 · The Topic Particle 은/는

⑤ 많이 먹어요 ↔ 많이 안 먹어요
많이 먹어요 = eat a lot 🍚 · 많이 안 먹어요 = don’t eat much
안 + verb makes it negative: 가요 → 안 가요, 마셔요 → 안 마셔요.
📚 Full lesson: Grammar 7-2 · Simple Negation 안

❓ 5. Answer Fast! (Mini-Story Q&A)

Say each answer out loud — fast! One or two words is enough. Then tap to check. ⚡
🇵🇭 Sumagot nang malakas at mabilis! Isa o dalawang salita lang ay okay na.