Questions tagged [grammar]
Questions about the rules that govern and structure the language, and the composition of clauses, phrases and sentences. Also pertains to the syntax and morphology of the Korean language.
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When should spaces be used between words?
This was one of our definition questions. The Korean language has different uses for spaces than something like the English language, what are some of the rules for spacing in Korean?
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What does it mean when we add 이/가 on to the object of the verb?
I've seen 그 것이 알고 싶다 translated as 'that's what I want to know', and 사과가 먹고 싶어요 translated as 'It’s the apple (in particular) that I want to eat'.
In both of these sentences, it looks like 이/가 is ...
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When should I use 이/가 as a 'copular complement particle'?
I've read that 이/가 can be used as a particle to mark the complement of the particle 이다, its negative counterpart 아니다, and the verb 되다.
I have seen examples with 아니다 :
나는 아이가 아닙니다 – I am not a ...
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What constructions are considered not Korean and what's so bad about them?
Some say Korean people started to use grammatical constructions they weren't used to use as the language got influenced by many other languages, such as Japanese, Chinese, and English.
What ...
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필요하다, 필요 있다, 필요로 하다 : what's the difference in meaning and usage?
I was aware of '필요하다' '필요 있다' both meaning 'to be necessary', and on Naver Dictionary saw that the first translation of 'need' is '필요로 하다'.
What is the difference in meaning and usage, if any, ...
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Korean sentence ending that implies "Be careful! <X> might happen"?
I would like to express "Be careful. < Something > might happen" in Korean.
Is there a sentence ending or any special construct in Korean grammar that implies this?
I am sorry if the question ...
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two subjects in 당신은 이름이 뭐예요?
I have just studied Korean for a short time. I am having problem with the sentence below.
당신은 이름이 뭐예요? = What is your name?
My friend told me that there are two subjects in that sentence (당신 marked ...
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I do not understand the need of two subject particles in 사람의 이름이 생각이 안 나요
I do not understand the need of two subject particles in 사람의 이름이 생각이 안 나요.
There is only one verb but two subjects. Is it because 생각이 나다 is a fixed expression ?
TIA.
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What does 다할 from 다하다 mean and what is '-ㄹ' after '다하'?
I came across this sentence 힘이 다할 때까지 which means as I understood "until (your) strength runs out". 힘이 means power/strength, and once I looked for 다할, it says it comes from the verb 다하다.
But what ...
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Can you use -ㄹ려고 instead of -려고?
Recently, a Korean woman insisted to me that these are correct sentences:
한국어를 배울려고 했어요 (I intended to learn Korean)
카페에 갈려고 했어요 (I intended to go to a cafe)
As far as I learned, the grammar is
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지 in 제안하는지를 공부할 거예요
이렇게 오늘은 다른 사람에게 어떻게 제안하는지를 공부할 거예요 = Just like this, today will study proposing activities with other people
What is the meaning and grammar of 지를 here?
Link: https://youtu.be/zpsg4rV_uzU?t=53
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-기 vs -음 vs -은/는/을것
There doesn't seem to be a full elaboration of the nuances and uses between these three anywhere on the internet (in English for English → Korean learners). So I would like to ask here if someone more ...
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Reference frame for come and go
What is the frame of reference for "come" (오다) and "go" (가다)?
As in, if I'm outside a house, and a person I'm talking to is between myself and the house, should I tell him to "go" to the house or "...
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Difference between negating with 안 and -지 않다
There are two ways to negate Korean verbs:
By prepending 안 ("안 춥다")
By appending -지 않다 ("춥지 않다")
Are there rules for which one to use? Or does the method used change the meaning of the sentence?
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Negative form of verbs. -하지 않다 versus -치 않다
In my Korean readings, I occasionally come across the verb ending -치 않다. As I understand it, this is a shortened form of -하지 않다.
However, I have never seen this used with action verbs, only ...
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What is the difference between adjectives and verbs?
Since both adjectives and verbs all ends with 다, is there any grammatical differences between them. Is it only a difference that we introduced because in English we both have adjectives and verbs and ...
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Is it possible to make a list of the (12+?) different meanings of the 이/가 particle (and what would that list be)?
I think learners tend to get obsessed with the subject particle, and I'm no different!
This answer mentions that there are 12 or more different meanings to the 이/가 particle, but I don't recall ...
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How is 들어가다 used as a farewell greeting?
From what I understand 들어가다 means "to go inside" (with 들어오다 meaning come inside)
But I have seen conversations like this is basic Korean books:
가: 먼저 들어가겠습니다. 안녕히 계세요.
나: 안녕히 가세요. 조심히 들어가세요....
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Origin of dictionary form (-다)
What is the origin of the basic -다 "dictionary" form for verbs and adjectives? Does it have any meaning on its own? Is it ever used in actual conversations or writing? There are forms that are similar ...
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What is the meaning of the ㄴ in the V진 않다 structure?
I know that if V is a verb stem, then V지 않다 is one way to express the negation of V.
For example,
먹다: to eat --> 저는 먹어요: I eat
먹지 않다: to not eat --> 저는 먹지 않아요: I don't eat
I came across ...
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What is the difference between 때 and 에?
What is the difference between these two sentences?
1 저녁에 봐요.
2 저녁때 봐요.
Are 때 and 에 interchangeable?
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Can 있다 and 없다 be negated (with 안 or -지 않다)?
Clearly, if something is not present or does not exist, it's usually natural to say 없다, and likewise, it's usually natural to use 있다 when something exists or is there.
But my question is — is it ...
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Do we use honorifics when talking about seniors in the third person?
This is a question from the definition stage and I would like to get it discussed in the main site. What are the rules for using honorifis when we are talking about someone in the third person? For ...
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Usage of the plural -들 on adverbs and verbs
I've noticed that the plural form -들 is sometimes used in surprising places, i.e. following adverbs and verbs. For example:
어서들 와! (Come quickly [to more than one person])
잘들 했다. (Everyone did ...
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Why do I need the 이/가 particle when negating the sentence, but not when just stating it?
My textbook ( "Elementary Korean", Tuttle) features the question (where N is a noun)
이것은 N 입니까?
along with the following two answers:
네, (그것은) N 입니다
as the translation of "Yes, that is N", as well ...
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When would I use -면서 vs -며?
Both of them seem to give off a sense of "X while doing Y". I'm not sure when to use which.
Is one used for speaking only? Or, are they both the same overall?
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How to decide on which part to use honorifics?
I have seen that sometimes the honorific is used for only some part of the sentence, such as at the subject particle or verb. For example,
할머니가 식용유를 사려고 슈퍼마켓에 가셨어요.
In this sentence, the honorific ...
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하고 _는 Grammatical Structure
I started reading a 만화 and came across a sentence that looked like this:
오늘 아침도 바압 하고 우는 나초의 보챔으로 눈을 뜹니다.
I understand most of this sentence (talking about how she is waking up to the cries of her ...
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How are lists written in Korean?
In English, we create lists like what I've written below.
Things to do:
Buy a broom
Eat a sandwich
Call my brother
Is the same kind of list done in Korean? If so, how?
Edit: I'm also looking for ...
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Usage of -더니 for reason or cause
I am trying to understand how -더니 or ㅆ더니 is used for reason or cause.
I read somewhere that ㅆ더니 (as in 잤더니 below) is for talking about yourself. Is it right?
I think tense should be considered while ...
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Can the -ㅁ nominalizer ending be attached to all 용언?
As far as I understand, the -ㅁ ending can be added to a verb to make a noun representing a ‘completed’ or ‘embodied’ action. for example:
말하다 means to speak, 말씀 means speech.
만나다 means to meet;...
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What is the meaning (or meanings) of the double past construction '-었/았+었-'?
I've read that 었/았+었 is often used to talk about a state or action that was true, but is no longer true:
이모 이름을 잊었었다. 그런데 지금은 생각이 난다.
I had forgotten my aunt's name. But now I remember.
But ...
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Can I use 찮다 to express 지 않다
I refer to this question:
Etymology of '괜찮다'
So words like 귀찮다, 괜찮다, or 편찮다 are actually just the shortened form of 귀하지 않다, 괜하지 않다 and 편하지 않다. And the general rule is, 찮다 is the shortened ...
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Is there any difference in meaning between the ~더라도 and ~도 verb endings?
I think the ~더라도 and ~도 endings both mean 'if' (roughly speaking). Are there any differences in meaning? If they're not interchangeable, when would I use one or the other?
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The meaning of 있다는 것
In the following sentence:
우리가 검사를 해서 문제가 있다는 것을 깨달았어요.
근데 검사를 언제 했어요?
(The example is from the following page)
I don't understand why that sentence uses 다 between 있 and 는. If you strip it and make ...
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How to understand the -하다고 suffix?
I found myself completely unable to explain the -하다고 suffix to someone. For example,
행복하다고 느낍니까?
which means, "Do you feel that you're happy?"
Actually, no, there's a nuance there. I think ...
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Use of ~라 as a sentence ender to give a warning
This is related to the question here
The answer posted by Gaeguri seems to be what I was looking for, but I wanted some more information, and found this dictionary definition
Transcript:
...
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Is '게' exactly the same as '것이'? Is there a wider pattern or is this a specific case?
I've read that '게' is equivalent to '것이'.
Is that 100% true? are the following pairs of sentences the same?
그것이 진짜 예뻐요
그게 진짜 예뻐요
그것이 너무 무거워
그게 너무 무거워
I'm also wondering if 것이 → 게 is a case of any ...
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description of intonation variation with declarative, interrogative, propositive, imperative, exclamative, ...?
It is said that there are 5 kinds of sentences : declarative, interrogative, propositive (exhortative), imperative and exclamative sentences. But is it true ?
How can the intonation variation be ...
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How can 이상하다 be used with 네요 grammar?
I'm a little confused about how 이상하다 can be used with 네요 grammar. For example consider you want to talk about an strange child.
Is "이상한 아이네요!" a correct form?
Is "아이가 이상하네요!" correct?
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What is ~없어서는, how is it used?
This sentence seemes to say the opposite of what it "should" mean.
찬양과 예배의 삶은 신앙인들에게 없어서는 하나님과의 관계이자 생명 그 자체이다
Just to clarify, I'm not confused (hopefully) on these items:
찬양과 예배의 삶은 = a life of ...
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Is 어려워 sometimes the same as 어려워서?
I am currently learning Korean with a textbook and a certain sentence left me confused:
할머니도 어렵게 살고 계시지만 가정 형면이 어려워(!) 대학교에 다니지 못하는 학생들을 위해서 힘들게 모은 돈을 기부한 것이다.
The translation would be roughly:
Even ...
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"단어를 쓰려고 or 쓸려고 합니다" [duplicate]
I saw this sentence while surfing websites:
유의어를 짜내서라도 다른 단어를 쓸려고 합니다.
Is this sentence grammatically and orthographically correct?
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When used as particles, do 의 and 에 sound the same?
I've recently begun learning Korean and I just learned that 의 is often pronounced like 에, hence why 저의 becomes 제.
If this is the case, how can I tell the difference between 의 and 에 in speech?
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Is it possible to say "환영드립니다"?
To say "congratulations," it's possible to say 축하합니다 or 축하드립니다, the latter being more polite.
Is it possible to say 환영드립니다 instead of 환영합니다? If not, why not?
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Do I use the 해라체 for personal notes?
I know that the 해라체 is used in diaries, books, newspapers and so forth, but is it also used for casual personal notes to myself? Like "water the flowers" or statements like "password is ...
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What noun particles can be attached to negatory -지?
I have spotted a few cases where a noun particle is added on to the 지 within a -지 않다 negative construction, e.g :
저는 아무렇지도 않아요 – I’m fine ('not in any way at all')
요즘 아이들은 아이답지가 않다 – These ...
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X기 vs X는 것 - any difference in Korean gerund?
Korean has 2 ways of forming gerunds (X is a verb stem).
X기
X는 것
I wonder if there is any difference between these two usages. I think the first one is used if you want to make it to a subordinate ...
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I'm confused about subject and topic markers
As the title says, I'm confused about subject/topic markers. So I have a few questions about how they are used.
Q1. Why is 출구는 used for A1, A3-5, but 출구가 is used for A2?
A: (1)“Where should I go to ...
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Is it okay to use multiple particles in a compound?
대철과 나눴던 대화 = my dialogue with Dae-chul
대철과 나눴던 대화, 대철과의 대화, 대철이와의 대화
Question : Three share a same meaning. Here these are grammatically correct ?
의 is possessive form of noun or pronoun. For ...
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