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The sentence is: 인터넷으로 사지 뭐하러 여기에 와?
I would paraphrase this as: 인터넷으로 사면 여기 올 필요 없으니까 왜 오려고 해?

Is this right? i think the 지 has some sort of connecting function, like 고 or 서.. but i couldn't find which grammar topic this is.

1 Answer 1

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Yes, it is right.

1) 지 can be a coordinate conjunction, for instance, "but" (contrary).

나는 축구선수지, 농구선수는 아니다.

I am a football player, but not a basketball player.

2) 지 is ending represents intimacy

엄마, 아빠는 저녁 먹고 오겠지.

Mom, I guess that father will come after dinner.

@ In dictionary, I can not find an usage like the sentence in OP.

But it seems that in real situation, mixing of 1) and 2) is widely used :

A. 니가 학생이지, 교수냐 ? = 니가 교수니 ? 학생이지.

You have no such right, because you are a student.

B. 인터넷으로 사지 뭐하러 여기에 와? close acquaintanceship

[add] When I hear "인터넷으로 사지 뭐하러 여기에 와?", I am unpleasant. If I translate this in English, then "You are stupid. Internet is enough"

If I say to someone, not a friend, then I will say "인터넷으로 사면 되요" or "인터넷으로 사지, 여기까지 왔니 ?"

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    Would this not be better expressed as two sentences?
    – Okoyos
    Dec 20, 2018 at 16:13
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    Thank you for your answer. I didn't know about the first usage and while I'm tempted to think this is how it's used in my sentence, the verb is not in a noun-form and 축구선수 is a noun, so that usage is probably not the same. I'm familiar with 지 as an ending suffix. It implies many things when used like that... for example with the meaning of ~right? like confirming a fact, or when talking about something supposing the other person already knows about it. I didn't know it can be switched around and used in the middle too.[cont]
    – moniisek
    Dec 21, 2018 at 18:39
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    [cont] I tried just searching "지 뭐하러" with google and it found a few things with this structure (like in books, youtube comments..). 뭐하러 in itself is a very casual expression so I doubt anyone would use this with a person they're not super close with. So i guess if 지 can be used in the middle too, the sentence could be made into 2 as: 인터넷에서 사지 (you're buying on the internet, right?) 뭐하러 여기에 와? (so you come here to do what?) (I'm writing in butchered English to stay as close to the Korean meaning as possible-hopefully.)
    – moniisek
    Dec 21, 2018 at 18:45
  • [Add for 1)] Yes. 지 is ending. For instance, "There is only wind, but not rain 바람만 불지, 비는 안온다." (Here 지 has a role of conjunction). In 축구선수지, 나는 축구 선수이다. 그러나 농구선수는 아니다. 이다 is a verb so that 축구선수 이지 is logical. But we skip 이.
    – HK Lee
    Dec 21, 2018 at 18:53

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