How to talk to yourself in Korean

I don't want to write another post about today being slow, but it was slow... We practised the forms which go with the "plain style" (Korean grammar for international learners, Yonsei university press). Basically sticking -ㄴ/는다-n/-neunda on the end of verbs thus removing any kind of respect form endings. Interestingly the -시--shi- is maintained, and even more interestingly in the first person only the pronoun "나"na / I is acceptable.

The teacher told us that this form is generally used in writing, especially in newspapers and other accounts. According to my grammar book it is a form of paraphrasing, ie not relating the story directly, but rather indirectly. Note how in German and Italian the subjunctive can be used in similar contexts.

However 1st person stories in this style are permissible. Another European point of comparison would be from English grammar, teaching all verbs with their particle "to" eg. "to eat" rather than "eat"

Perhaps though, the most interesting aspect of this form is that it used for talking to yourself. As you have special forms for talking to older, younger, more important and less important people in Korean, there is also a form for having "one on one" conversation!

I've often heard Koreans saying quite loudly, but not to anyone: "춥다"chupda / It's cold and "맛있겠다"mashigetta / that looks delicious!. Often though this is in a group of friends, and often also when the conversation lulls. This is something which is also common to the Japanese (apparently). I have always been a little confused as to how to respond, but I suppose the very nature of this form is that it requires no response!