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VOCAB: 바라다 ("To hope")

When you look up the verb “to hope” in the dictionary, the first word is 바라다 or 희망하다. While they are correct “translations”, it is more natural to use ~(으)면 좋겠어요. Using 바라다 or 희망하다 will sound more like written language. Nevertheless, it is important to know how to use these vocab.

바라다 is used to indicate that one “hopes” that something happens or occurs. In its most simple form, it can be placed after a noun to indicate that one “hopes” for that noun to occur.

건강을 바랍니다 = I wish you good health 성공을 바랍니다 = I wish you success

It is difficult to translate these sentences because it is rare to speak them with 바라다. Unless it was in some sort of fabricated, formal speech, you would most likely see these types of constructions used as a type of greeting in writing.

For example, when writing to somebody to “wish them the best of luck,” you could say “행운을 바랍니다.” Or when buying a greeting card to say “I wish you happiness,” you could say “행복을 바랍니다.”

That being said, it can be used in full sentences to indicate that one wants to “possess” or “gain.”

그 회사는 일본통화만 바라요 = That company only wants Japanese currency

That being said, 바라다 is more commonly used in a different way.

When one hopes for an entire clause to occur (i.e. something ending in a verb or adjective) it is common to attach ~기(를) to the predicating verb or adjective in the clause to turn it into a noun.

아버님이 항상 행복하시기 바랍니다 = I hope you (father) are always happy 그가 나한테 돈을 많이 주기를 바라 = I hope he gives me a lot of money 지방을 많이 먹지 말고 단백질을 많이 먹기 바랍니다 = I hope you don’t eat a lot of fat, and (instead) eat a lot of protein

The word “hope” is used in the English translations above, but that is really just because there is no good way to translate 바라다 to English.

Using 바라다 allows the speaker to indicate that they want that clause to occur. The word “hope” doesn’t need to be included. Instead, depending on the situation, you could translate the sentences above to a request that the speaker is giving to the listener.

Imagine announcing a party to people at your office. You want many people to come, so at the end of the announcement, you say: 많은 사람들이 오시기 바랍니다 = I hope many people (many of you) come = (Lots of people), please come (to my party)

To ask for something, instead of adding ~아/어 주세요 to the end of a verb, you can use ~기 바라다 to essentially create this same meaning.

Please hand that paper over to me = 그 종이를 저한테 건네 주세요 = 그 종이를 저한테 건네기를 바랍니다

Again, don’t be married to the translation of “hope” for 바라다. The word “hope” could be used in the sentences above (eg: “I hope that you do this for me”), but I used the same translations as when ~아/어 주세요 was added to show that ~기 바라다 can be used to ask for something to be done.

When adding just ~기 바랍니다 to “commands” or “requests” like this, it sounds as though the person who is speaking has authority.

If a boss was telling workers to get their work done, he might say: 그 일을 하기 바랍니다 = Please do that for me Implied in this meaning is that the work technically should/ought to be done, and that the boss is ordering them to do it.

You can remove that “authoritative” feel by adding 아/어 주다 after the verb that you are hoping is done. To make those sentences more formal, the honorific ~시~ is often added to 주다.

그 일을 해 주(시)기 바랍니다 = Please do that for me 실내에서 운동하지 말아 주시기 바랍니다 = Please don’t exercise indoors 새로운 정책을 설며할 때 모두 다 잘 들어 주시기 바랍니다 = When I’m explaining the new policy, everybody please listen well

Giving a command this way is very formal, and is most often heard in overhead announcements made to large crowds of people instructing them to do something.

The subway in Seoul might announce: 지금은 서울 역. 서울역입니다. 공항철도나 KTX를 타시고 싶은 승객은 이 역에서 갈아타시기 바랍니다 = This is Seoul Station. Riders wanting to take the Airport Railroad or the KTX, please transfer at this station.

If you need to tell somebody what to do, and you were to climb the figurative ladder of politeness, it would look something like this:

지금 나가

지금 나가라

지금 나가세요

지금 나가기 바랍니다

지금 나가 주기 바랍니다

지금 나가십시오

지금 나가 주시기 바랍니다 = Please go now

Pronunciation

바라 looks strange to Koreans because when ~아/어 (or its derivatives) is added to 바라다, it is often pronounced (and spelt) as 바래.

The governing body for the Korean language states that when the stem of a verb ends in ㅏ (as 바라다 does), then ~아 should be added/merged to it. 바라다 is not an exception. Therefore, despite 바래(요) being common colloquially, 바라(요) is correct.

#korean #vocab

~았/었으면 좋겠다: I hope/I wish

In the form ~(으)면 좋겠어요, there are two grammatical structures: ~(으)면, and ~겠~. The usage of ~겠~ in ~(으)면 좋겠어요 is for expressing your assumption or expectation about something.

~(으)면 = if

~겠~ = that would be..., I would..., they would... (assuming)

좋다 + ~겠~ = 좋겠어요 = It would be nice; I would like it

So together, ~(으)면 좋겠어요 means “It would be nice if...” or “I would like it if...” and can be also used to say “I hope...” or “I wish...”.

비가 안 왔으면 좋겠어요 = I hope it doesn’t rain

Notice that the past tense conjugation is used before ~면 and the future tense conjugation is used on 좋다. Despite the use of these past and future conjugations within it, the speaker is indicating that they are currently hoping for that situation to occur – whether that situation be in the present or in the future.

양이 많았으면 좋겠어요 = I hope there is a lot (I hope the amount is a lot) 내일 경기에서 우리 팀 모두가 최선을 다했으면 좋겠어 = Tomorrow, I hope everybody on our team tries their best 제가 스무 살이었으면 좋겠어요 = I wish I were 20 years old 내일도 날씨가 좋았으면 좋겠어요 = I hope the weather is nice tomorrow as well

Other words (usually 하다 or 바라다) can also be used instead of 좋다.

우리가 곧 만났으면 해 우리가 곧 만났으면 바라요 = I wish we could meet soon, it would be nice if we could meet soon

It is also possible for ~(으)면 to be attached to a word without being conjugated to the past tense and the meaning remains very similar and identical in many cases. The past tense version, ~(았/었)으면 좋겠어요, is similar to using the past tense after “I wish”, as in, “I wish it was snowing.”

I hope this finishes quickly = 빨리 끝나면 좋겠어요 = 빨리 끝났으면 좋겠어요

I hope it stops raining = 비가 그쳤으면 좋겠어요 = 비가 그치면 좋겠어요

I hope you like my present = 제 선물, 마음에 들었으면 좋겠어요 = 제 선물, 마음에 들면 좋겠어요

I would like it if Jooyeon would not be late for work / I hope Jooyeon is not late for work = 주연 씨가 지각 안 했으면 좋겠어요 = 주연 씨가 지각 안 하면 좋겠어요

The two endings have the same meaning, indicating “hope” or a “wish” in the present tense, but Koreans just tend to use ~았/었으면 more.

“I wish... but I know it is not”

In English, there is a difference in meaning between “I hope” and “I wish”, but that difference cannot be expressed through the structure ~((았/었)으)면 좋겠어요. To express the nuance of “I wish... but I know it is not”, you can use ~(았/었)으면 좋을 텐데... (“It would have been nice if...”) or ~아/어/여서 아쉽네요 (“Too bad it is...”).

바라다 and 희망하다: "to hope"

When you look up the verb “to hope” in the dictionary, the first word is 바라다 or 희망하다. While they are correct “translations”, it is more natural to use ~(으)면 좋겠어요. Using 바라다 or 희망하다 will sound more like written language. [For more information on how to use the 바라다 or 희망하다, check out the 바라다 vocab post]

#korean #grammar #notes #vocab

~(으)며: While

~(으)며 can be used for a variety of purposes to list or connect two nouns or verbs.

Interchangeable with ~고

You can list or connect two clauses with similar ideas in a parallel manner using ~(으)며, and it can be interchangeable with ~고. It is also often used to replace ~고 to avoid repetition.

This computer is light, fast, and inexpensive = 이 컴퓨터는 가볍고, 빠르며, 가격이 높지 않아요 = 이 컴퓨터는 가볍고, 빠르고, 가격이 높지 않아요

This method is simple and effective, and can be used by anyone = 이 방법은 간편하고, 효과가 좋으며, 누구나 사용할 수 있어요 = 이 방법은 간편하고, 효과가 좋고, 누구나 사용할 수 있어요

주식이 더 많이 떨어질 수 있으며 이는 한국경제에 안 좋은 영향을 마칠 거예요 = The stocks could drop more, and this could have a bad effect on the Korean economy 이 제품은 한국에서 매우 유명하며 이 제품을 사러 관광객들이 한국을 방붆해요 = This product is very popular in Korea, and many tourists visit Korea to buy it 우리 회사가 상반기에는 그 제품의 개발을 진행하며 항반기에는 판매를 시작 할 거예요 = In the first half of the year, our company will proceed with the development with that product, and in the second half of the year, we will start selling it

In this usage, the meaning of ~(으)며 is quite similar to ~고. All we are doing is connecting two clauses that are related to each other. ~(으)며 is less commonly used in daily conversations and used more often in formal situations or in written Korean, such as when instructions are given to a large group of people through overhead broadcasts or signs.

무단횡단이 불법이며 적발 시 벌금을 내야 돼요 = Jaywalking is illegal, and/so if you are caught, you will have to pay a fine You might see this on a sign telling you not to jaywalk.

Interchangeable with ~(으)면서

~(으)며 is a shortened form of ~(으)면서. You can use ~(으)며 to connect two actions that are occurring at the same time, in the sense of “while doing something”, and it is mostly interchangeable with ~(으)면서.

I drank cola while watching a movie = 저는 영화를 보며 콜라를 마셨어요 = 저는 영화를 보면서 콜라를 마셨어요

As I progress/continue my studies, I also go to work = 학업을 진행하며 직장도 다녀요 = 학업을 진행하면서 직장도 다녀요

The customer asked as he pulled out his wallet. “How much is it?” = 손님이 지갑을 꺼내며 물었습니다. “얼마예요?” = 손님이 지갑을 꺼내면서 물었습니다. “얼마예요?”

That being said, ~(으)며 sounds more formal in most cases, and it is much, much more common to use ~(으)면서 in these types of sentences – especially when two actions literally occur continuously at the same time.

이 기계를 돌리면서 땅콩을 갈아요 = As you turn this machine, the peanuts get/are ground This sentence, indicating that peanuts are ground continuously at the same time that the machine turns, would be much better said using ~(으)면서.

Therefore, I recommend using ~(으)면서 when indicating that two actions (or descriptions) occur simultaneously, but be aware that technically ~(으)며 can also be used to have this function as well.

One exception where ~(으)면서 is different from ~(으)며 is when ~(으)면서 is used in the sense of “even though” to describe that two clauses oppose each other. When ~(으)며 replaces ~(으)면서, the feeling is more closely associated with this function of “connecting two clauses that have a similar idea.”.

그 사람이 한국에서 살며 한국어를 할 수 없어요 = That person lives in Korea, and he can’t speak Korean 그 사람이 한국에서 살면서 한국어를 할 수 없어요 = That person lives in Korea, but he can’t speak Korean Notice the difference between the use of “but” versus "and." In the first example (using ~(으)며), the speaker is just connecting two ideas that are related to each other. However, in the second example (using ~(으)면서), the speaker is specifically indicating that these two clauses oppose each other. In the end, the result is normally the same, but you should be aware of this feeling.

Therefore, because ~(으)며 has another meaning that is not included in the usage of ~(으)면서 (to list or connect two clauses); and ~(으)면서 is more commonly used to indicate that two actions occur at the same time, it is difficult to say that ~(으)면서 and ~(으)며 are identical.

Listing nouns: "and"

When connectinb nouns, you use ~(이)며 instead of ~(으)며. But using ~(이)며 implies a different meaning than other words that mean “and” in Korean.

The most common words for listing items are ~하고, ~와/과, ~(이)랑, and 그리고. These words are used to mention a limited number of items, like “A and B” or “A, B and C”.

But when you use ~(이)며 to list nouns, you imply that not every item is being mentioned and there are likely more that can be mentioned.

책이며 공책이며 바닥에 다 떨어져 있었어요 = Things like books and notebooks were all on the floor 책이랑 공책이랑 바닥에 다 떨어져 있었어요 = (Only) Books and notebooks were all on the floor

얼마 전에 이사를 했는데, 식탁이며 의자며 아직도 살 게 많아요 = I moved recently, and I still have a lot of things to buy like a kitchen table and chairs, etc 얼마 전에 이사를 했는데, 식탁이랑 의자를 사야 돼요 = I moved recently, and I need to buy (only) a kitchen table and chairs

~(이)며 tends to be used in repetition, after each noun that is mentioned, just like ~(이)랑.

Note that if you see ~이며 after a verb, it is because the verb’s verb stem ends with ~이, like 움직이다, which changes to 움직이며.

#korean #grammar #notes

~(으)면서: while

The structure ~(으)면서 can be translated into English as “while”, and similar to the way “while” is used in English, ~(으)면서 has a few different usages in Korean depending on the context.

~면서 is added to words where the stem ends in a vowel (or if the last letter is ㄹ), and ~으면서 is added to words where the stem ends in a consonant (except where the last latter is ㄹ).

To do two actions at the same time

You can use ~(으)면서 to describe how you are engaging in two actions at the same time, or how you do one thing while also doing another thing.

저는 밥을 먹으면서 공부했어요 = I ate (rice) while studying

The meaning of ~(으)면서 is to indicate that “eating rice” and “studying” occurred at the same time. Common translations for ~(으)면서 when used with verbs like this is “as…” or “while…”

콜라를 영화를 보면서 콜라를 마셨어요 = I drank cola while watching a movie 눈이 길에 계속 쌓이면서 길이 점점 미끄러워져요 = As snow piles up (gradually) on the road, it gets more and more slippery 우리가 거기에 가는 길을 몰라서 지도를 보면서 앞에 있는 차를 뒤따라가고 있어요 = We don’t know how to get there, so we are looking at a map while following the car in-front of us 이 행사에서 지난 10년의 성공을 기념하면서 이 동영상을 보겠습니다 = At this event, we will commemorate the success of the last 10 years and watch this video 음악을 들으면서* 다음 주 일정을 세웠어요 = While listening to music, I set up the schedule for next week

*~으면서 is added to words where the stem ends in a consonant, except where the last letter is ㄹ. However, ~으면서 is added to 들 above because the original word is 듣다 (to hear/to listen). The addition of ~으면서 causes ㄷ to change to ㄹ.

It is possible to attach ~(으)면서 to adjectives as well. The meaning of ~(으)면서 in Korean is still the same, but adjectives inherently do not “occur” as a verb does. As such, the translations of “as” or “while” are sometimes inappropriate when ~(으)면서 is used with adjectives. Instead, the speaker is indicating that something has the properties of both adjectives described.

이 음식은 매우면서 짜요 = This food is spicy and salty 오늘 날씨가 흐리면서 쌀쌀해요 = The weather today is cloudy and chilly 그 기념비가 아름다우면서 흥미러워요 = That monument is beautiful and interesting

You might be wondering about the differences in the sentences above, and the following sentences using ~고:

이 음식은 맵고 짜요 = This food is spicy and salty 오늘 날씨가 흐리고 쌀쌀해요 = The weather today is cloudy and chilly 그 기념비가 아름답고 흥미로워요 = That monument is beautiful and interesting

Their meanings are quite similar. However, the use of ~(으)면서 gives the feeling that the two descriptions are more interrelated and connected, whereas the use of ~고 just simply provides two descriptions. You don't really need to distinguish these, much like how you don't need to distinguish the following sentences in English:

The food, while being spicy, is also salty

The food is spicy and salty

Action while in some sort of “state” or “position”

Often times, we want to express that a person does an action while in some sort of “state” or “position.”

I studied while laying down I watched a movie while sitting I ate while standing up

You can create these types of sentences by attaching ~아/어서 to these types of verbs.

누워서 책을 읽었어요 = I lied down and read a book 앉아서 쉴 거야 = I’m going to sit down and relax 줄에 서서 순서를 기다렸어요 = I stood in line and waited for my turn

If you attach ~(으)면서 to these types of words, the meaning is different, and probably not what you want to create.

저는 앉으면서 공부했어요 앉다 means “to sit;” as in, going from a standing position to a sitting position. Therefore, this sentence indicates that you studied while going from a standing position to a sitting position. Technically you could do (and say) that, but most of the time, that would not be the meaning that you are going for.

Noun + ~(이)면서

You can use ~(으)면서 with action verbs, as well as with nouns and the ~이다 verb, in which case the structure changes to "noun + ~(이)면서”.

Just like with adjectives, 이다 is inherently something that does not “occur” as a verb does. Instead, the speaker can indicate that something “is” one thing, while also being another thing.

그 사람은 제 부장이면서 친구예요 = That person is my boss and (while also being) my friend 요즘 핸대폰은 전화기이면서 컴퓨토예요 = Cell phones these days are phones and (while also being) computers 학생이면서 동시에 모델이에요 = She is a student and model at the same time *This can also be expressed by saying “학생이기도 하면서 동시에 모델이에요”

When a person does something for the majority of their childhood, we often use the phrase “I grew up doing” in English. To create these phrases in Korean, you can use the word 자라다 (to grow up) in combination with ~(으)면서.

저는 아빠랑 같이 하키를 하면서 자랐어요 = I grew up playing hockey with my dad 그런 음악을 들으면서 자랐어요 = I grew up listening to that type of music

To express the future tense, you use ~(으)ㄹ 것 + ~이면서, shortened to ~(으)ㄹ 거면서. This is because the future tense in Korean is basically ~(으)ㄹ 것이다, which uses the ~이다 verb already.

결국에 올 거면서 어제는 왜 그렇게 말했어요? = You were going to come here anyway, so why did you say that (you would not) yesterday? 시간 없다고 할 거면서... = I know you are going to say you do not have time (and yet you are not saying so). 하지도 못할 거면서 큰소리치지 마세요 = Do not bluff about it while (it is obvious that) you are not going to be able to do it anyways

Contrasting two actions or states

You can also contrast two actions or states by linking them with ~(으)면서. In this usage, the acting agent of the sentence does both clauses, but the clauses betray or oppose each other directly. It’s typically used when the speaker is talking about another person – saying “Ugh, he does this, but then does that!”

그 여자가 식당을 열고 싶다고 하면서 요리를 못해요 = That girl says she wants to open up a restaurant, but she doesn’t know how to cook 그 사안이 급하다고 하면서 그냥 앉아 있어요 = He said the matter is urgent, but is just sitting there 좋으면서 관심 없는 척하지 마세요 = Do not pretend you are not interested when you are excited

~도 can be added to ~(으)면서 to provide more emphasis or stress to the situation.

준비는 하면서도* 걱정이 됐어요 = Even as I was preparing for it and everything, I was worried *~도 emphasizes the fact that you were worried.

Noun + ~(이)면서

You can use ~(으)면서 with action verbs, as well as with nouns and the ~이다 verb, in which case the structure changes to "noun + ~(이)면서”.

Just like with adjectives, 이다 is inherently something that does not “occur” as a verb does. Instead, the speaker can indicate that something “is” one thing, while also being another thing.

저는 아빠랑 같이 하키를 하면서 자랐어요 = I grew up playing hockey with my dad 그런 음악을 들으면서 자랐어요 = I grew up listening to that type of music

#korean #grammar #notes #prepositions

VOCAB: 설마 ("No way" - Expressing disbelief)

설마 is an adverb that is used to indicate a feeling that the speaker is amazed or astonished that something occurs. Much like other adverbs that have a “feeling,” it is difficult to translate 설마 perfectly.

밥을 다 먹었어요? = Did you eat all of the rice?

If you include 설마 in this sentence, the speaker is describing their amazement/astonishment that the action occurs. Common translations of 설마 are “don’t tell me that…” or “I can’t believe that…”.

설마 밥을 다 먹었어요? = Don’t tell me you ate all the rice?! = I can’t believe you ate all the rice!

설마 can be used in negative sentences too.

설마 밥을 아직 안 먹었어요? = Don’t tell me that you haven’t eaten (rice) yet? = I can’t believe that you haven’t eaten (rice) yet!

설마 아직도 아파요? = Don’t tell me you are still sick? 설마 거곳에 혼자 가요? = Don’t tell me you are going there by yourself? 설마 학생이 그렇게 답장했어요? = Don’t tell me the student responded like that? 설마 우리가 내일 학교에 가야 돼요? = Don’t tell me that we have to go to school tomorrow? 설마 그들이 아버지와 어머니가 모르게 결혼할 거야? = Don’t tell me they will get married without their parents knowing?

설마 is often used by itself to express one’s disbelief in a situation. Kind of like saying “no way, that’s ridiculous” in English.

1: 왜 이렇게 물을 안 줘? = Why aren’t they giving us any water? 2: 돈을 내야 될 것 같아요 = We’ll probably need to pay for it 1: 설마!= No way! That’s ridiculous!

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 다행(이다) ("Thankfully")

The adjective 다행하다 is used to describe a “fortunate” or “lucky” event.

아무도 안 죽은 거는 다행한 일이에요 = Nobody dying is (a) fortunate (event)

It can also be used as an adverb to mean “fortunately.”

제가 유럽을 여행했을 때 다행히 문제가 생기지 않았어요 = When I travelled Europe, fortunately no problems came up

The noun 다행 often translates to “fortune” or “luck.” Koreans often usually put 다행 after a clause ending in ~아/어서 to express that they are “thankful” that something happened. 이다 can be placed after 다행 and be conjugated.

제가 와서 다행이에요 = Thankfully, I came 비가 안 와서 다행이에요 = Thankfully it didn’t rain 물이 별로 안 뜨거워서 다행이에요 = Thankfully the water isn’t too hot 별로 안 바싸서 다행이에요 = Thankfully it’s not too expensive 사진을 많이 찍어서 다행이에요 = Thankfully you took many pictures 아직 사람이 별로 없어서 다행이에요 = Thankfully there aren’t that many people yet 돈을 안 줘서 다행이에요 = Thankfully I didn’t give (him) any money

다행(이다) and 다행하다 aren’t overly difficult, but it is useful to know how to say “thankfully, ….”

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 왠지 (For some reason)

~ㄴ/은/는/ㄹ/을지 is used in sentences when something is unknown.

제가 준 거는 쾐찮은지 모르겠어요 = I don’t know if the thing that I gave is good 이 빛이 충분히 밝은지 모르겠어요 = I don’t know if this light is bright enough

Question words could go in these types of sentences.

그 사람을 왜 데려오는지 물어봤어요 = I asked him why he is bringing that person 비상출입구가 어디 있는지 찾았어요 = We found where the emergency exit is

그렇다 can be used as 그런 to mean “in that way.”

저는 그런 사람을 믿지 않아요 = I don’t trust that type of person/those types of people 그런 것를 안 좋아해요 = I don’t like that type of thing

Using 그렇다 and these grammar points, you can make the following sentence:

왜 그런지 몰라요 = I don’t know why it is like that

The word 왠지 is an adverb that has the meaning of the sentence above. It is used in sentences when the speaker doesn’t know why something occurs – or when something occurs for no clear reason.

A typical translation for 왠지 could be “I don’t know why…” or “for some reason…”.

그녀는 왠지 한국어를 배우고 싶었어요 = (I don’t know why, but) She wanted to learn Korean for some reason / she wanted to learn Korean 나는 왠지 오늘 학교에 가기 싫어 = (I don’t know why, but) I don’t want to go to school today for some reason 오늘이 일요일이지만 버스가 승객들로 왠지 가득 찼어요 = (I don’t know why, but) Even though today is Sunday, the bus is packed/filled with passengers for some reason

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 가득 차다 (To be full)

채우다 is an active verb that means “to fill.”

병에 끝까지 물을 채워 주세요 = Please fill the bottle to the top (to the finish) with water 그들은 집을 이상한 가구로 채웠어요 = They filled their house with weird furniture

차다 is the passive equivalent that can be used to indicate that some area is full/filled. To make the sentence more natural and less ambiguous, you can indicate what the area is filled with by using the particle ~(으)로 after a noun.

교실이 (학생들로) 완전히 찼어요 = The classroom is completely full (with students) 식당이 (손님들로) 완전히 찼어요 = The restaurant is completely full (with customers)

Despite being in the past tense, 찼다 is describing that an area is currently full in the present. Much like how in English the past tense “filled” can be used to indicate that something is “full” in the present tense.

It is also common to add ~아/어 있다 to 차다 to create the meaning that something is (in the state of) full/filled in the present.

교실이 학생들로 완전히 차 있어요 = The classroom is completely full with students 식당이 손님들로 완전히 차 있어요 = The restaurant is completely full with customers

가득 is a common adverb that is often used with 채우다 and 차다. It carries the feeling that something is completely “filled/full.” It doesn’t translate to anything special (other than “completely”) and is more of a word that is included for feeling.

교실은 학생들로 가득 찼어요 = The classroom is (completely) filled with students 식당은 손님들로 가득 찼어요 = The restaurant is (completely) filled with customers

Most people will say that 가득 means “filled/full,” simply because it is very commonly used in combination with 차다. You might see 가득하다 as an adjective describing that something is full, but it is generally more natural to use 가득 차다 instead.

This usage of 차다 is also used to indicate that one is “full” with some sort of emotion or feeling.

자신감에 찬 표정으로 새로운 직장에 들어갔어요 = He went into a new workplace with a face “full of” confidence 시험결과를 보고 저는 기쁨으로 가득 찼어요 = After looking at the exam results, I was “full of” joy 손님이 불행에 찬 눈으로 주인을 봤어요 = The customer looked at the owner with eyes “full of” unhappiness

차다 has other meanings, but they are unrelated to this usage:

차다 = to kick

차다 = to wear a watch

차다 = to be cold

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 가꾸다 (To grow / To make look pretty)

가꾸다 has a few different usages that are hard to connect to each other. Generally, 가꾸다 can be used to indicate that:

1. One grows or cultivates some sort of crops

In this usage, 가꾸다 usually acts on the word 정원 (garden) or some sort of fruit or vegetable.

나이가 먹으면 정원을 가꾸는 거는 좋은 운동이에요 = When you get older, gardening is good exercise 우리는 옛날에 우리 집에서 채소를 가꿨어요 = A long time ago we grew/raised vegetables at our house

2. One dresses up to make themselves look pretty

In this usage, 가꾸다 usually acts on the word 외모 or some similar word meaning “body” or “appearance.”

여자들이 파티에 가기 전에 예쁘게 가꿨어요 = Before the girls went to the party, they dolled themselves up all pretty 일주일 후에 다에트가 할 거라서 지금부터 외모를 가꿔야 돼요 = Because I have a date in a week, I have to make myself look nice

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 차림으로 (Wearing…)

차림 as a noun technically refers to one’s clothes. It is often used as 옷차림 to generally refer to one’s outfit.

그 여자의 옷차림이 아주 예뻐요 = That girl’s clothes/outfit is very pretty

차림 is often placed after an indication of a type or article of clothing.

잠옷 차림 (pajamas) 교복 차림 (school uniform) 정장 차림 (a suit) 운동복 차림 (exercise clothes)

~(으)로 is often added to these constructions to indicate that one does an action while “wearing” the specified article of clothing.

그는 잠옷 차림으로 밖에 나갔어요 = He went outside wearing his pajamas 저는 매일 교복 차림으로 학교에 갔어요 = I went to school every day wearing my uniform 면접을 보러 정장 차림으로 들어오는 사람이 많아요 = There are many people coming in wearing suits to do the interview 운동복 차림으로 교회에 들어가서는 안 됩니다 = You shouldn’t go into church wearing exercise clothes

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 뵈다/뵙다 (To see - honorific)

뵈다

뵈다 is the honorific equivalent of 보다 (to see). 뵈다 is used when the person being looked at deserves a high amount of respect.

저는 어제 선생님의 할아버지를 뵀어요 = I saw your (the teacher’s) grandpa yesterday (spoken to a teacher, about seeing the teacher’s grandfather)

Remember with these honorifics, the sentence can still be conjugated with low-form honorifics depending on who you are speaking to.

나는 어제 너의 할아버지를 뵈었어 = I saw your grandpa yesterday (spoken to a friend about seeing the friend’s grandfather).

The conjugation of 뵈다 is the same as 되다. Like 되다, when ~아/어 (or a derivative of it like ~았/었) is added to 뵈다, the ~아/어 can merge with the stem.

Koreans often make the following mistakes when conjugating 뵈다:

Writing 뵈어 or 봬 as 뵈. This is an incorrect conjugation

Writing 뵈었어 or 뵀어 as 뵜어. This is an incorrect conjugation

뵙다

Another similar word is 뵙다. 뵙다 and 뵈다 have the same meaning and function, but 뵙다 is slightly more formal. 뵙다 is a completely different word than 뵈다, and therefore does not follow any of the acceptable “merging” conjugations seen with 뵈다.

In fact, 뵙다 can only be used when the conjugation or grammatical principle added to it begins in a consonant. Because of this, 뵙어 or 뵙었어 are incorrect. Koreans might also write 봽어 or 봽었어 which are incorrect because:

1. Only additions that begin with a consonant can be added to 뵙다.

뵙겠다 뵙는 뵙고

2. 뵙다 is a common way to politely say “see you (sometime in the future)” using 겠다.

내일 뵙겠습니다 = See you tomorrow 나중에 뵙겠습니다 = See you later

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 연세 (Age)

연세 is the formal equivalent of the word 나이. When talking to (much) older people, you should use 연세 to refer to their age.

Using this word is a delicate science, because if you use 나이 on a very old person, they might be offended. However, if you use 연세 on somebody who isn’t very old, they might be offended as well.

Up until about 65 years old, you would be safe to use 나이. Anything after that and you should be safe using 연세. The difficulty is also how old the person looks. If the person looks really really old (like 80+), you should definitely use 연세 instead.

연세 is a noun, and is commonly placed with 많다 or 들다 (or the formal 드시다) to describe that one is old.

할아버지가 연세가 많아서 걷기가 힘들어요 할아버지가 연세가 드셔서 걷기가 힘들어요 = Grandpa is old, so it is difficult (for him) to walk

When asking about someone’s age using 연세 it is common to use 되다.

연세가 어떻게 되세요? = How old are you?

Notice that ~세요 is being used to ask a question.

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 아무래도 (Perhaps)

아무래도 is often used in sentences where the speaker “thinks” something will occur. Because of the nature of this usage, 아무래도 is often used in sentences that end in 것 같다.

아무래도 그녀가 우리를 만나러 안 올 거 같아요 = She probably won’t come to meet us 아무래도 그가 벌써 떠났을 거 같아요 = He probably already left

There are technically two types of usages for 아무래도. One of them is an adverb, which is shown in the examples above. Another usage of 아무래도 comes from bending the word 아무러하다.

아무러하다

아무 can be placed before nouns and followed by a negative ending.

아무 것도 먹고 싶지 않아요 = I don’t want to eat anything/I want to eat nothing 애기는 아무 데도 가지 않았어요 = The baby didn’t go anywhere/The baby went nowhere 아무 말도 안 했어요 = I didn’t say anything/I said nothing

The adjective 아무러하다 acts similar to 아무, but more broadly indicates that “no form” of that particular noun occurs.

우리가 일어났을 때 아무러한 소리도 안 냈어요 = When we woke up, we didn’t make any (form of) sound 일할 때 아무러한 문제가 안 생기게 조심하게 하세요 = When you work, be careful to make sure that no (form of) problem comes up 남자가 자기 엄마가 죽은 거를 봤을 때 아무러한 느낌이 없었어요 = When the man saw his mother die, he didn’t have any (form of) feeling

아무러하다 is often contracted to 아무렇다, and can replace 아무러하다 in these types of sentences. In fact, some Koreans would say that the above sentences looked unnatural because of the use of 아무러하다, and it would be more natural to use 아무렇다 instead. Officially, 아무러하다 and 아무렇다 have the same meaning – as 아무렇다 is just a contraction of 아무러하다.

우리가 일어났을 때 아무런 소리도 안 냈어요 = When we woke up, we didn’t make any (form of) sound 일할 때 아무런 문제가 안 생기게 조심하게 하세요 = When you work, be careful to make sure that no (form of) problem comes up 남자가 자기 엄마가 죽은 거를 봤을 때 아무런 느낌이 없었어요 = When the man saw his mother die, he didn’t have any (form of) feeling

~아/어도 can be added to 아무러하다. The resulting construction (아무러해도) is often added to sentences where the speaker indicates that – “regardless of what sort of thing happens, everything will be okay or there will no problem.”

늦게 해도 일이 아무러해도 문제가 없을 거예요 = It doesn’t matter if you do it late, the work/task won’t have a problem

When ~아/어도 is added to 아무렇다 it changes to 아무래도 because of the ㅎ irregular. Therefore, in addition to being placed in sentences where the speaker “thinks” something will occur (as shown at the very beginning of this section using 것 같다), it is also possible to use 아무래도 in these types of sentences.

늦게 해도 일이 아무래도 문제가 없을 거 같아요 = It doesn’t matter if you do it late, the work/task won’t have a problem

아무렇게나

Because 아무러하다 and 아무렇다 are adjectives, ~게can be attached to it to change it into an adverb. When ~게 is added to these words, ~나 is often attached on top of ~게 to form 아무러하게나 and 아무렇게나.

It is difficult to come up with a translation for these constructions when used in a sentence, but they are generally used to describe that an action is done “hastily, without much thought.”

일을 아무렇게나 하지 마! = Do something properly (Do not do it “hastily without much thought”) 4시까지 다 하려고 학생이 숙제를 아무렇게나 하고 선생님께 드렸어요 = In order to do it all by 4 o’clock, the student did the homework hastily without much thought and gave it to the teacher 집에 들어가서 들고 있었던 물건을 바닥에 아무러하게나 놓았어요 = I went into the house, and hastily, without much thought, just threw the items I was carrying on the floor

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 어쩌면 (Perhaps)

어쩌면 is one of those words that don’t have any real meaning but are often used in sentences for feeling and to help the listener expect what the speaker will say, such as 만약 in "if" sentences or 아무리 in "as well" sentences.

In the dictionary, “어쩌면” is probably defined as “maybe” or “perhaps” (just like “만약” is usually defined as “if”). However, 어쩌면 can be taken out of sentences without any real change of meaning.

어쩌면 is often placed in sentences where the speaker is not sure about something, but is making a guess about a situation, thus it is often used in sentences that end in ~ㄹ/을지(도) 모르다.

어쩌면 그녀가 올지도 몰라요 = She might come = I don’t know if she will come = Perhaps she will come

어쩌면 그녀의 남자 친구가 그녀를 위해 선물을 살지 몰라요 = Her boyfriend might buy her a present = I don’t know if her boyfriend will buy her a present = Perhaps her boyfriend will buy her a present

어쩌면 우리가 내일 갈 수 있을지도 몰라요 = We might be able to go (or might not be able to go) tomorrow = I don’t know if we will be able to go tomorrow = Perhaps we will be able to go tomorrow

어쩌면 can also be used to stress one’s amazement at some fact, almost as if the speaker is saying “Wow! Look at that!” 이렇게, 그렇게 and 저렇게 are often used in sentences to stress why something occurs.

왜 이렇게 일찍 가요? = Why are you going so early (like this)?

어쩌면 is often added to sentences to stress “how” something is possible – often in combination with 이렇게, 그렇게 and 저렇게.

어쩌면 이렇게 일찍 왔어요? = How is it possible that you came this early? 어쩌면 비가 저렇게 많이 왔어요? = How is it possible that it rained that much? 어쩌면 밥을 그렇게 많이 먹을 수 있어요? = How is it possible that you can eat that much? 어쩌면 시험을 그렇게 잘 봤어요? = How is it possible that you did that well on the exam?

It is possible to use 어쩌면 in these situations, but you’d be more likely to hear 어떻게 placed in that situation to have the same meaning.

어떻게 이렇게 일찍 왔어요? = How is it possible that you came this early? 어떻게 어떻게 저렇게 많이 왔어요? = How is it possible that it rained that much? 어떻게 밥을 그렇게 만히 먹을 수 있어요? = How is it possible that you can eat that much? 어떻게 시험을 그렇게 잘 봤어요? = How is it possible that you did that well on the exam?

#korean #vocab

VOCAB: 즉 (In other words/i.e.)

즉 is a pretty easy word and concept, but one that most people wouldn’t understand just by looking at it. This is good to know, but it isn’t very common (especially in speaking). You may come across this when reading books or newspapers.

By placing 즉 between two sentences (either separated by a comma or a period), you can create the meaning of “in other words.” The first sentence generally describes some situation, and the second sentence usually clarifies any ambiguity being presented.

그녀는 자기 남자 친구한테 그녀의 집에서 나가라고 했어요. 즉 그들은 헤어졌어요 = She told her boyfriend to get out of her house. In other words, they broke up 날씨가 매우 추웠을 때, 즉 지난 겨울에 나무가 다 죽어버렸어요 = When the weather was very cold, by that I mean last winter, all the trees died 엄마가 전화를 갑자기 끊었어요. 즉 저랑 통화하기 싫어하는 거 같아요 = Mom suddenly hung up the phone. In other words, it seems that she doesn’t want to talk with me (on the phone)

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~(이)나, ~거나: Or

~(이)나: (Noun) or (Noun)

~(이)나 can be attached to words to create a few different meanings depending on the usage. A common usage of ~(이)나 is to indicate that it hasn’t been decided which noun/object will be acted on.

저는 빵이나 밥을 먹고 싶어요 = I want to eat bread or rice The speaker hasn’t decided if they want to eat bread or rice.

The typical English translation for ~(이)나 is “or.”

저는 술이나 콜라를 마시고 싶어요 = I want to drink alcohol or a soft drink (cola) 딸이나 아들을 낳고 싶어요? = Do you want to have (give birth to) a daughter or a son? 저 남자나 저 여자를 뽑을 거예요 = I’m going to choose/hire that man or that woman 양식이나 그런 것을 작성 안 해도 돼요? = I don’t need to fill out a form or something like that? 대학교에서 철학이나 화학을 공부하고 싶어요? = In University, do you want to study philosophy or chemistry? 오늘 학생들이랑 체육관에서 재미있는 활동이나 게임을 할 거예요 = Today I’m going to do a fun activity or game in the gymnasium with the students

In those examples, ~(이)나 is attached to the object of the sentence. It is also possible to attach ~(이)나 to the subject in order to indicate that it hasn’t been decided which subject will perform the action.

우리 엄마나 우리 아빠가 저를 차로 거기까지 데려다 줄 거예요 = Either mom or dad will take me there by car 저 선수나 이 선수가 오늘 새로운 기록을 세울 거 같아요 = Either that athlete or this athlete will probably set a new record today

In all the examples so far, ~(이)나 is used when a decision is made between two nouns. It is also possible to attach ~(이)나 to one word in a sentence and not have it followed by another word that needs to be decided on.

In these cases, the speaker would rather do something else, but is choosing the thing specified as a last resort. Here, ~(이)나 is expressing that the option specified is the best choice among all remaining options.

밥이나 먹을래? = Well… I guess we could eat rice? This could be said in a variety of situations. For example, you want pizza, but it is too late to get a delivery. As a last resort, you could say “well, shall we just eat rice?” It’s not the best option, but it’s the best among the remaining options.

It’s hard to come up with a simple English translation to illustrate this meaning. In the examples below, “(Well…)” is used, but try to focus more on the Korean:

저는 공부나 할 거예요= (Well…) I’m going to study 산책이나 할래요? = (Well…) Shall we go for a walk? 영화나 보자 = (Well…) Let’s go see a movie 그냥 줄거리나 설명해 주세요 = (Well…) Just explain the plot to me 운동이나 할래? = (Well…) Shall we exercise? 돈이나 주세요 = (Well…) Give me money

~(이)나 is attached to the nouns 거 (thing), 데 (place), and 때 (time) to form the following common constructions:

아무 거나 = anything = there’s no specific thing, but “any” thing would be okay I guess 저는 아무 거나 먹고 싶어요 = I want to eat anything (There’s no specific thing I’d like to eat – I’d eat anything)

아무 데나 = anywhere (any place) = there’s no specific place, but “any” place would be okay I guess 저는 아무 데나 가고 싶어요 = I want to go anywhere (There’s no specific place I’d like to go – I’d go anywhere)

아무 때나 = anytime = there’s no specific time, but “any” time would be okay I guess 아무 때나 좋아요 = Anytime is good (There’s no specific time)

It is also possible to attach ~나 to adverbs, or on-top of other grammatical principles that change words into adverbs.

A simple definition of an adverb is a word that identifies where, when, how, or to what degree something happens. The word 집 is a noun, but when ~에서 is attached to it, the whole construction is referred to as an adverb in Korean (because it tells us that an action occurred in the house).

When only one option is indicated (and not two), ~(이)나 is commonly attached to other grammatical principles that change words into adverbs.

중간지점에나 데려다 주는 게 어때요? = Well, how about I take you to the halfway point

However, if two options are given, it is more natural to add ~(이)나 directly to the first option without the extra grammatical principle in between.

저는 캐나다(에서)나 미국에서 일하고 싶어요 = I want to work in Canada or America

~(이)나 can be attached to ~에서, which in turn is attached to 캐나다. Notice how ~에서 is also indicated in the second option (미국). It is not necessary to add ~에서 twice, and it can be omitted from the first option.

Including or not including ~에서 is grammatically correct either way, but it is more natural and preferred to omit the grammatical principle between the noun and ~(이)나 if it is going to be attached to the upcoming noun anyways.

저는 버스(로)나 택시로 갈 거예요 = I will go by bus or by taxi

The speaker is indicating that he will go “by bus” or “by taxi.” ~(이)나 can be attached to both 버스로 and 택시로, but t is not necessary to add ~(으)로 twice and is more natural to be omitted.

농구를 체육관이나 밖에서 하고 싶어? = Do you want to play basketball in the gymnasium or outside? 선생님, 시험을 어렵게나 길게 만들지 말아 주세요! = Teacher, please don’t make the exam difficult or long 주위를 살피고 이쪽으료나 저쪽으료 가세요 = Look around (at your surroundings) and then go this way or that way

~거나: (Verb) or (Verb)

~(이)나 is attached to nouns or adverbs to indicate that something hasn’t been decided between two nouns or adverbs. By attaching ~거나 to a verb, the speaker can indicate that it hasn’t been decided which action will be completed.

여자 친구를 위해 편지를 쓰거나 선물을 사 줄 거예요 = I will write a letter, or buy a present for my girlfriend

When using ~(이)나, the focus is on which of the two nouns (or adverbs) will be acted on. When using ~거나, the focus is on which action will take place.

저는 빵이나 밥을 먹고 싶어요 = I want to eat bread or rice

It has probably already been decided that you will eat. The focus is now on what you will eat, and the decision is between “bread” or “rice.” However, when ~거나 is used, it hasn’t been decided which action will be done.

여자 친구를 위해 편지를 쓰거나 선물을 사 줄 거예요 = I will write a letter, or buy a present for my girlfriend You are not deciding between two objects, but rather two different actions.

The tense (present, past, or future) is expressed through the last verb, so the last verb has to be conjugated accordingly to show the tense of the entire sentence.

신발끈을 묶거나 신발을 벗으세요 = Tie your shoes or take them off 오래된 차를 고치거나 새로운 차를 사야 돼요 = I need to fix my old car or buy a new one 제가 하는 말에 뭔가를 덧붙이거나 수정하고 싶으면 지금 말씀하세요 = If you want to add something to what I said, or modify it, please tell me now

~거나 can also be used with adjectives.

이 문제가 너무 어렵거나 도움이 필요하면 교무실로 오세요 = If this question/problem is too difficult or you need help, come to the office 고객님이 호텔에 계실 때 불편하거나 필요한 것이 있으면 이 번호로 연락하면 됩니다 = When you (the customer) are at the hotel, if you are uncomfortable or need something, you can contact us using this number

Many signs on buses in Korea have a warning message that uses this ~거나 grammatical principle.

문이 완전히 열릴 때까지 버스에서 내리거나 문에 기대지 마세요 = Until the door is completely opened, don’t get off the bus or lean on the door

There are other ways of saying “or” with verbs, such as ~든지 and ~든가 but more on those in other posts.

Using ~거나 multiple times in a sentence

In the examples so far, ~거나 and ~(이)나 are generally used once in each sentence to separate two actions that could be completed.

~거나 is used once in a sentence to indicate that one action will occur, or the other.

여자 친구를 위해 편지를 쓰거나 선물을 사 줄 거예요 = I will write a letter, or buy a present for my girlfriend Here, either you will write a letter, or you will buy a present

It is also possible to include ~거나 or ~(이)나 twice in the same sentence – attached to both possible actions (or options).

~거나 is used twice in a sentence (attached to both verbs) when the speaker wants to discuss the choice in and within itself. It is still possible that one action might occur or the other, but the speaker is focused more on describing the choice itself, and how they might react/feel/act as a result of this choice.

비가 오거나 안 오거나 중요하지 않아요 = It’s not important if it rains or not (doesn’t rain)

The bolded part of the sentence in parentheses is the part of the sentence that the speaker wants to discuss*. By putting ~거나 on both verbs, the speaker isn’t saying that one action will occur and another won’t, but rather wants to discuss what will happen as a result of either action occurring.

*I use the word “discuss” to broadly mean that the speaker could really say anything about the choices outlined. The speaker might say that the two options “are not important,” that he “doesn’t care about either of them,” that he “is worried” about them, and so on…

나한테 선물을 주거나 아무 것도 안 해 주거나 나는 행복해 보여야 돼 = If they give me a present or don’t do anything, I need to look happy 학생들이 수업 시간에 자거나 열심히 공부하거나 선생님들이 수업을 해야 돼요 = If students sleep or study during class time, teachers (still) need to do classes 나머지를 먹거나 버리거나 결정해야 돼요 = You need to decide if you’re going to eat the rest or throw it out 선물을 사거나 파티에 비손으로 들어가거나 어떻게 할지 고민 중이에요 = I’m not sure what/how to do it – I might go to the party with a present, or go empty handed 생선이나 고기나 모두 좋아할 거예요 = It doesn’t matter if it is fish or meat, everybody will like it 이 영화나 저 영화나 둘 다 괜찮아요 = Either this movie or that movie, both are fine 기말고사를 부지런히 공부하거나 안 하거나 시험을 잘 못 볼 거예요 = If I study diligently for the final exam or not, I’ll still do poorly on the exam 반말을 쓰거나 존댓말을 쓰거나 모든 한국 사람들이 이해할 수 있을 거예요 = Regardless of if you use informal speech or honorific speech, all Korean people will be able to understand you

In most of these types of sentences, it would be very natural to use the phrases “I don’t care if…” or “it doesn’t matter if…”.

~거나 말거나

Using ~거나 twice in a sentence like this is commonly done with the verb 말다. When the speaker wants to discuss the choices of doing an action and not doing an action, the positive action is commonly used, followed by 말다 to indicate the negative action.

~거나 말거나 is more likely to be used when the outcome of doing the action or not doing the action is irrelevant/doesn’t matter. It’s typically not used to say that one is thinking about doing one action, or not doing it. This would more likely be used with ~ㄹ/을까 말까.

대학교에 가거나 말거나 공부해야 돼요 = You need to study if you go to University or not 네가 나를 사랑하거나 말거나 나는 떠날 거야 = Regardless of if you love me or not, I’m leaving 기말고사를 부지런히 공부하거나 말거나 시험을 잘 못 볼 거예요 = If I study diligently for the final exam or not, I’ll still do poorly on the exam

Sometimes people add ~거나 to all of the phrases (Ex: 집에 가거나, 친구를 만나거나) and use 하다 ("to do") to finish the sentence.

집에 가거나 친구를 만나거나 할 거예요 = I will (either) go home or meet a friend

Neither, Nor

The general usage of ~(이)나 and ~거나 indicates that it hasn’t been decided which noun will be acted on, or which action will be performed.

저는 빵이나 밥을 먹고 싶어요 = I want to eat bread or rice The speaker hasn’t decided if they wants to eat bread or rice.

무기나 칼이 없어요 = I don’t have a weapon or a knife It’s not a decision between two objects, but rather that you don’t have either object.

여자 친구를 위해 편지를 쓰거나 선물을 사 줄 거예요 = I will write a letter, or buy a present for my girlfriend The speaker hasn’t decided if they want to write a letter or buy a present.

저는 눕거나 앉을 수 없어요 = I can’t lay down or sit down It’s not a decision between two actions, but rather that both actions can’t happen.

When ~(이)나 and ~거나 are used with negative ending sentences, the speaker is not deciding between two things/actions, but rather stating that neither of them are chosen/performed.

희미한 빛이나 소리도 없었어요 = There wasn’t even a glimmer of light or sound 기말고사를 볼 때 말을 하거나 밥을 먹어서는 안 돼요 = You shouldn’t talk or eat while writing the final exam 등교를 늦게 하거나 하교를 일찍 하면 안 돼요 = You shouldn’t come to school late or leave school early 그 남자를 보거나 생각하지 않을 거예요 = I’m not going to look at that man or think about him

아니면

~(이)나 is used with nouns and ~(거)나 is used with verbs. To say “or” between two sentences, you simply use 아니면. 아니면 can be broken down into “아니다 (= to be not) + -(으)면 (= if)”. literally means “if not” or “if that’s not the case”.

집에 갈 거예요? 아니면 친구를 만날 거예요? = Are you going to go home? Or are you going to meet a friend? 이거 살 거예요? 아니면 다른 거 살 거예요? = Are you going to buy this? Or are you going to buy something else?

You could say these sentences without 아니면, but it sounds more natural including it between the two sentences.

Instead of ~(이)나, you can also use 아니면 between nouns.

공원 아니면 영화관 = a park or a movie theater 학생 아니면 선생님 = a student or a teacher 여기 아니면 저기 = here or there

Instead of ~거나 at the end of a sentence, you can add 아니면 as well between the two actions.

집에 가거나 아니면 친구를 만날 거예요 = I will (either) go home or meet a friend

#korean #notes #prepositions

~시키다: To Make

~시키다 can be attached to the noun-form of ~하다 verbs and adjectives in replace of ~하게 하다. This creates the same meaning of adding ~게 - that is, to "make" someone one do something.

공부하다 = to study → 공부시키다 = to make (one) study 이해하다 = to understand → 이해시키다 = to make (one) understand

These constructions with ~시키다 are typically used when a subject “makes” a person do the action specified before ~시키다.

선생님은 학생들을 방과 후 수업 시간 동안 공부시켰어요 = The teacher made the students study during the after school class 경찰관은 남자에게 음주운전이 왜 위험한지를 이해시겼어요 = The police officer made the man understand why drunk driving is dangerous 그 할아버지가 저에게 뱀을 어떻게 잡는지를 많이 연습시켰어요 = That old man (grandfather) made me practice how to hold snakes a lot 제가 실업자라는 것이 어머니를 실망시켰어요 = The fact that I am unemployed disappointed my mother 제가 열심히 일해서 부장님을 만족시켰어요 = I worked very hard, so I satisfied my boss 다람쥐를 잡고 목욕시켰어요 = I got the squirrel and gave it a bath (made it have a bath)

The main difference when using ~시키다 (compared to if the word just ended in ~하다) is that the acting agent is causing/ordering/making another person (or thing) do the action. When the word just ends in ~하다, the subject is typically the acting agent who performs the action specified.

저는 방과 후 수업 시간 동안 한국어를 공부했어요 = I studied Korean during the after school class “I” am the subject, and “I” am the one who studied

음주운전이 왜 위험한지를 이해해요 = I understand why drunk driving is dangerous 뱀을 어떻게 잡는지를 많이 연습했어요 = I practiced how to hold snakes a lot 저는 실망했어요 = I was disappointed 저는 만족해요 = I am satisfied 저는 집에 가서 목욕했어요 = I went home and took a bath

There are many times where the translation of the original verb (containing ~하다) is similar to the meaning created when ~시키다 is added.

감동하다 = to (be) impress(ed) 저는 엄마의 말을 듣고 아주 감동했어요 = I listened to my mom’s words and was very impressed

감동시키다 = to (make someone) impress(ed) 저는 하루 종일 열심히 일해서 엄마를 감동시켰어요 = I impressed mom because I worked hard all day

감동하다 usually translates to “to impress.” However, “to impress” in English is used when one person impresses another. When a subject impresses another person, 감동시키다 should be used to indicate they are “making” one impressed. When a subject is impressed, 감동하다 or 감동받다 can be used. In a way, 감동하다 feels like a passive verb when translated.

As seen above, it is difficult to come up with an accurate translation to easily distinguish 감동하다 and 감동시키다. This same phenomenon occurs with many other words that ~시키다 is attached to.

There are examples for both the ~하다 and ~시키다 form of each word. When looking at each example, notice how the acting agent in the sentences using ~하다 is performing the action, but the acting agent in the sentences using ~시키다 is commanding the action.

우리가 오늘 무엇에 대해 배울지 잠깐 소개해 주겠습니다 = I will briefly introduce what we will be learning about today 저는 여자 친구를 부장님께 소개시켰어요 = I introduced my girlfriend to my boss

말을 그만하고 진정하세요 = Stop talking and calm down 저는 시험 전에 긴장하는 학생을 진정시켰어요 = Before the exam, I relaxed a nervous student (I made him relaxed)

그런 거를 하고 싶으면 특별한 훈련을 해야 돼요 = If you want to do that sort of thing, you need to do special training 제 이웃사람이 제 강아지를 잘 훈련시켰어요 = My neighbor trained my dog very well

새로운 스타워즈 영화가 곧 나올 거라는 거를 듣고 너무 흥분했어요 = I heard that the near Star Wars movie is coming out soon and got very excited 그 뉴스는 시민들을 흥분시켰어요 = That news excited the public/citizens

우리가 지난 10년 동안 서로 싫어했지만 드디어 화해했어요 = We didn’t like each other for the last 10 years, but we finally reconciled 저는 우리 어머니랑 우리 아버지를 화해시켰어요 = I made my mother and father reconcile

It is difficult to pinpoint a difference between the ~하다 and ~시키다 forms of some verbs.

저는 신입사워들을 주말에 규육했어요 = I educated the new workers on the weekend 저는 신입사워들을 주말에 규육시켰어요 = I educated the new workers on the weekend

제 남자 친구가 저를 자꾸 자극했어요= My boyfriend kept irritating me 제 남자 친구가 저를 자꾸 자극시켰어요 = My boyfriend kept irritating me

The only difference is that the usage of ~시키다 makes the sentences sound stronger – almost as if the subject is “forcing” the people to do something.

안정시키다

Another peculiar word is 안정하다, which has two meanings.

안정하다 = to be calm (to calm down)

안정하다 = to be stable (to stabilize)

Similar to 감동하다, they look like active verbs but their translations make you think they’re a passive verb. The active form of these verbs (“to calm down” and “to stabilize”) can be created by replacing ~하다 with ~시키다.

그 의사는 고통으로 울고 있는 환자를 안정시켰어요 = The doctor calmed down the patient who was crying from pain 노동자들이 무너질 거 같은 벽을 안정시켰어요 = The workers stabilized the wall that was probably going to collapse

상기시키다

상기하다 means “to recall/to remember” – therefore, by saying 상기시키다, the meaning changes to “to make somebody recall.” This is usually more naturally translated to “to remind.”

상기하다 is a difficult word in Korean and isn’t used often. Nonetheless, it can be used to mean “recalling” or “remembering,” even if it may be an uncommon way to express this meaning.

다시 한번 작년 사고를 상기하고 철저히 준비해 주세요 = Recall/remember the accident from last year again, and prepare thoroughly

~시키다 can be used instead of ~하다 in 상기하다 to indicate that one “reminds” somebody else of something.

저는 매일 여자 친구한테 제가 그녀를 사랑하는 거를 상기시켜요 = I remind my girlfriend that I love her every day 선생님은 학생들한테 숙제를 해야 되는 거를 상기시켰어요 = The teacher reminded the students that they have to do their homework

시키다 (Verb): To Make, to Order

Aside from adding ~시키다 to a noun that would otherwise have ~하다 attached to it, 시키다 can also exist as a standalone verb by itself, acting on a noun that it is not attached to.

저는 회사원들에게 일을 시켰어요 = I made/ordered the workers to do the job

The meaning of the verb 시키다 is essentially the same as the meaning of ~시키다 when attached to a noun. In addition, it is also essentially the same as the meaning of ~게 하다. When used like this, the acting agent orders/makes a person do some kind of task or work.

Notice that 시키다 is separate from the noun 일. It is usually unnatural to change an action into a noun by using ~는 것 and placing 시키다 after it. Instead, it would be more natural to simply use the noun form of the verb.

저는 학생들이 교실을 청소하는 것을 시켰어요 저는 학생들한테 교실을 청소를 시켰어요 = I made the students clean the classroom

Or, to use the imperative quoted addition ~(으)라고 to indicate that the order was spoken.

저는 학생들한테 교실을 청소하라고 시켰어요 = I made the students clean the classroom

Or, to use ~게 on the action that should be completed.

저는 학생들이 교실을 청소하게 시켰어요 = I made the students clean the classroom

그 정보가 불확실해서 직원한테 확인을 시켰어요 그 정보가 불확실해서 직원한테 확인하라고 시켰어요 그 정보가 불확실해서 직원이 확인하게 시켰어요 = That information isn’t certain, so I made the worker check

저는 아들과 아들 친구들이 소파를 저 방으로 옮기라고 시켰어요 저는 아들과 아들 친구들이 소파를 저 방으로 옮기게 시켰어요 = I made my son and my son’s friend move the sofa to that room

지금 안 하면 내가 너에게 당장 노래를 시킬 거야 지금 안 하면 내가 너에게 당장 노래하라고 시킬 거야 지금 안 하면 내가 너에게 당장 노래하게 시킬 거야 = If you don’t do it now, I will make you sing now/right away

저는 학생들한테 영어 공부를 시킬 거예요 저는 학생들한테 영어를 고부하라고 시킬 거예요 저는 학생들한테 여어를 공부하게 시킬 거예요 = I’m going to make the students study English

More examples using ~(으)라고:

저는 남편한테 쌀을 사라고 심부름을 시켰어요 = I made my husband do an errand of buying rice 다람쥐를 우리에 넣으라고 시켰어요 = I made him put the squirrel in the cage 애기를 포대기로 싸라고 시켰어요 = I made him wrap the baby in a blanket

시키다: to order (food)

시키다 can also be used when “ordering” food or drinks when at a restaurant or other places that serve food.

밥을 시켰어요? = Did you order food? 뭐 시키고 싶어요? = What do you want to order? 삼겹살을 시켰어요 = I ordered 삼겹살

띄어쓰기 (spacing) rules

A significant amount of time in Korean language classes in Korean schools goes into the correct spacing of words (and the grammatical principles surrounding words). This spacing is called 띄어쓰기.

시키다 can be used in a few different ways.

공부시켰다

공부 시켰다

공부를 시켰다

It would be hard for most Koreans to tell you which usages are correct. In (1), ~시키다 is not used as a verb, but attached to 공부. In (3), 시키다 is used as a verb acting on the noun 공부. In (2), 시키다 is not attached to 공부, and ~를/을 is not used on 공부. This usage is technically incorrect, although most people (especially in speech) might omit the object particle.

As a foreign learner of Korean, you will probably never need to distinguish which is correct and which is incorrect. However, this is something that Koreans study in their Korean language classes.

#korean #notes #grammar #verb endings

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