How does the way of thinking about business influence the meaning of buy/sell-Comparative study between Japanese and KoreanMORIYAMA, Shin

(Ochanomizu University)

1. Purpose of study
This study aims to figure out the difference in the way of thinking about business(selling and buying) between Japanese and Korean people, compare the semantic
structures of two Japanese verbs, KAU(買う: to buy)and URU(売る: to sell) with those oftwo corresponding Korean verbs SATA(사다: to buy) and PALTA(팔다: to sell). Thestudy will further consider the relationship between their way of thinking and thesesemantic structures.
2. Methodology
At first, I will find out the Japanese and Korean people’s way of thinking aboutbusiness (buying and selling), and make clear the difference of them.
Next, I will clarify the meanings of Japanese two verbs, KAU(=to buy) and URU(=tosell), and those of corresponding Korean two verbs SATA(=to buy) and PALTA(=to sell)by analyzing the semantic descriptions of Japanese and Korean dictionary.
Finally, I will consider the relationship between the way Japanese and Korean people think, and themeaning of those Japanese and Korean verbs.

3. Result and discussion
3.1. The Japanese and Korean people’s way of thinking about buying and selling
Korea has a long history of regarding business, especially service industry as lowly–particularly after the Chosun Dynasty(1392-1910).
Why are people in the service industry unfriendly to customers in Korea? It is due tothe long heritage of traditional values in this country since the time of the Chosun
Dynasty. The Yangban(両班), the upper-class of that time, considered working as lowly,and were dedicated to learning. This tradition spread throughout the common people,
and they also regarded working hard as undignified behavior.
For example, there were small private schools called Seodang(書堂) in Korea, as
Terakoya(寺子屋) in Japan. In the schools, Confucian and Mencian ethics were taught.
In contrast, reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught at the Terakoya in Japan. As aresult, people in the service industry, while becoming unfriendly to customers in Korea,
became calculating and humble in Japan.
But even though people in Korea consider business as lowly, they have to work to feedthemselves, so they work reluctantly, showing their pride and complaining about having
to take a job like this. As a result, store clerks greet their customers in an unfriendly
manner in Korea. They also do this in order to defend themselves against the customers
looking down on them.
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Korean works, 2002 『「韓国人と日本人」なるほど事典』, 200-201, PHP bunko.

Terakoya

Seodang

Contrast this with people in Japan who do not considered the service industry as
lowly, at least in comparison with people in Korea.
Omi merchants(近江商人), who are considered one of the most famous merchants
along with Osaka merchants(大阪商人), and Ise merchants(伊勢商人) in Japan, used tosay that in business you had to have the "three goods（三方よし）": the good for the seller,
the good for the buyer and the good for society. They also have a thought, 利真於勤（りはつとむるにおいてしんなり）, which means that behaviors of merchants suit heaven’s
will because the exchange economy is crucial for people, and the benefit is a reward for
doing their job with fullest sincerity.
3.2. The definitions of the Japanese verbs, KAU/URU, and Korean verbs, SATA / PALTA
As can be seen, the way of thinking about business between Japanese and Korean
people is diametrically opposed. Does this opposition have any effect on the meanings ofverbs “buy” and “sell” of these two languages?
3.2.1 Japanese
Below are the explanations about Japanese verbs KAU, and URU, quoted from
Daijirin(大辞林), Sanseido(三省堂)
3.2.1.1 買う[KAU(=to buy)](1) to buy, purchase
本を買う to buy a book
入場券を買う to buy a ticket
権利を買う to buy a right(2) to think highly of
私は彼のひたむきな努力を買う I give him credit for his effort.
語学力を買われてロンドン支店長になる
2They sent him to the Tokyo Bureau Chief because they thought highly of his linguistic
ability.
(3) to accept, offer
売られた喧嘩を買う to accept a challenge (to a fight).
一役買う to offer one’s services [to help].
買って出る to volunteer(4) to incur
人の恨みを買う to incur another person's ill will顰蹙（ひんしゅく）を買う to be frowned on [upon]
失笑を買う to make one burst into laughter(5) to buy (sex)
飲む打つ買う（大酒を飲み、ばくちを打ち、女を買う）To drink a lot, to gamble, and tobuy sex.
3.2.1.2 売る[URU(=to sell)](1) to sell
土地を売る to sell land
切符を売る to sell tickets
油を売る to waste time in idle conversation(2) to betray, sell
国を売る to sell [betray] one's own country
仲間を売る to betray a friend(3) to make oneself known, become popular
顔を売る to make oneself known
名（前）を売る to become popular
男を売る He has built up a reputation
媚を売る to butter up(4) to force
けんかを売る to pick [provoke／starte] the fight.
恩を売る to place a person under an obligation(5) to sell (one’s body)
体を売る to sell one’s body
身を売る to prostitute oneself
3.2.2 Korean
The following are the explanations about Korean verbs SATA, and PALTA, quoted fromthe online Yahoo Korean Dictionary.
3.2.2.1 사다[SATA(=to buy)](1) to buy, purchase찬거리를사다 (おかずの材料を買う) to buy ingredients of the side dishes3(2) to employ
품을사다(労を買う) to employ일꾼을사다 (働き手を買う) to engage[hire] a person(3) to sell grain and make money.
쌀을 팔아 돈을 샀다 (米を売ってお金を買った) I sold rice and made money.

(4) to offer경멸과 분노를사다 (軽蔑と憤怒を買う) to incur one’s scorn and indignation고생을 사서 하다 (苦労を買って出る) to offer to do a difficult work우환을사다 (憂患を買う)

to make someone worry(5) to incur호감을사다 (好感を買う) to entertain a friendly feeling의심을사다 (疑心を買う) to give rise to suspicion오해를사다 (誤解を買う) to be met with misunderstanding미움을사다 (恨みを買う) to incur another's enmity[displeasure]비웃음을사다 (失笑を買う) to expose one to ridicule(6) to valuate properly그의 재능을 높이사다 (彼の才能を高く買う) to think highly of his talent그의 정직한 태도는 높이 살 만하다 (彼の正直な態度は高く買うに値する)

We should give him credit for his honesty.
3.2.2.2 팔다[PALTA(=to sell)](1) to sell집을팔다 (家を売る) to sell one’s house책을팔다 (本を売る) to sell books(2) to sell (one’s labor)품을팔다 (労を売る) to do job work(3) to betray, sell내 목숨을 내놓는 한이 있어도 친구를 팔 수는 없다 (友 だ ち を 売 る ) to betray afriend(4) to put one's conscience aside양심을팔다 (良心を売る) to put one's conscience aside지조를팔다 (操を売る) to sell[prostitute] one's honor[chastity] (for money)(5) to distract[divert] one's attention한눈을팔다 (わき見を売る) to turn one's eyes away
(6) to buy[purchase] grain.
쌀을 한 말 팔아 왔다 (米を買う) I bought rice.
(7)* to sell (one’s body) ＊This meaning is not referred in the dictionary, but it is used actually.
몸을 팔다（体を売る）to prostitute oneself
3.2.3 Commonalities and differences

4BUY: KAU(J) / SATA(K)
MeaningJK

example sentences0)to buy something in exchange for giving money for it

(1)

(1)

to buy a book(2)to engage a person(3)

to sell rice(6)to think highly of one’s1)to buy high talent in exchange for giving high evaluation(2)

talent2)to buy bad feeling in exchange for giving bad behavior(4)3)to buy good feeling in exchange for giving good behavior(5)

to incur one’s ill will(4)

to make one worry(5)

to entertain a friendlyfeeling4)to buy a fight in exchange for giving agreement

to accept a challenge(3)(to a fight)5)to buy a valuable thing in exchange for money/profit
6)to buy one’s heart in exchange for something else
* Underlined words correspond to the Japanese KAU or Korean SATA

SELL: URU(J) / PALTA(K)
MeaningJK

example sentences0)to give something in exchange for money

(1)

(1)

to sell books(2)

to do wage labor(6)

to buy rice1)to give high talent in exchange for high evaluation

to make oneself known(3)2)to give bad feeling in exchange for bad behavior
3)to give good feeling in exchange for good behavior
4)to give a fight in echange for agreement5)to give a valuable thing in echange for money/profit
6)to give away one’s heart in exchange for something else

(2)

(3)

(5)

(7)*

to pick the fight.
to betray a friend
to sell one’s body(4)to sell one's honor(5)

to turn one's eyes away

(4)

* Underlined words correspond to the Japanese URU or Korean PALTA

3.2.3.1 Commonalities
Both Japanese and Korean languages have words with the central meaning of buying

something in exchange for giving money for it or giving something in exchange formoney. From these words many meanings are derived as are some similarities.
3.2.3.2 Differences
While there are some similarities between the two languages, there are some differences
as well.

5(a) Only in Korean language, both SATA(=buy) and PALTA(=sell) have the meaning ofbuying / selling something with grain, not money. 쌀을 사다(to buy rice) means sellingrice (or buying something in exchange for rice) in the market, and 쌀을 팔다(to sellrice) means buying [purchasing] rice (or selling something in exchange for rice).
(a1)쌀을 사다(to buy rice) to sell rice(a2)쌀을 팔다(to sell rice)

to buy[purchase] rice(b) Only in Korean language, both SATA(=buy) and PALTA(=sell) have the meaning ofengaging someone / being engaged by someone.

(b1)사람을 사다 to engage[hire] a person(b2)품을 팔다 to do wage labor, to work for wages(c) Only in the Japanese language, both KAU(=buy) and URU(=sell) have the meaning ofaccepting / provoking a fight.

to accept a challenge (to a fight)(c2)けんかを売る to pick [provoke / start] the fight(c1)売られた喧嘩を買う(d) There are differences between the meaning of the two verbs corresponding buy inEnglish, URU in Japanese and PALTA in Korean. Moreover, it should be noted that
URU has a relatively positive nuance, and PALTA a negative one, because (d1)~(d3), theexample sentences of meaning (d3), gain value through selling, while the example
sentences of (d4) and (d5), lose value through selling.
(d1)顔を売る to make oneself known(d2)名（前）を売る to become popular(d3)男を売る He has built up a reputation(d4)양심을팔다 (良心を売る) to put one's conscience aside(d5)한눈을팔다 (わき見を売る) to turn one's eyes away
3.3. The relationship between people’s way of thinking and the semantic structures
As explained above, people in Japan tend to find value in business and consider it in apositive light, while people in Korea tend to consider it in a negative light, as something
reluctant to do.
On the other hand, URU in the Japanese language has a positive nuance of selling
something valuable, while PALTA in Korean language has a negative nuance of sellingsuch as throwing something away, or something losing value.
As a result, there seems to be a relationship between the way of thinking aboutbusiness and the corresponding Japanese / Korean word “sell”.

That point stillrequires further investigation.
Reference
コリアンワークス（2002）『「日本人と韓国人」なるほど事典』、PHP 文庫
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