안녕하세요～! 토미입니다!
Let’s learn Korean quickly!
Today’s grammar is
① – (으)ㄹ 따름이다 “only / just”
② -아/어 내다 “manage to / to finish ~ing”
③ -기 ”to (do) / -ing”
If you learn today’s grammar,
오늘은 한국어 1시간 공부하기
To study Korean for one hour today
Like this, you can use sentences like – 기 “to (do).”
You might use this when you put it on a sticky note so you don’t forget it!
Learn these commonly used expressions, pass TOPIK II level 4, and become a super intermediate master! You can do it!
그럼 시작할게요!
-(으)ㄹ 따름이다
Verbs • Adjectives(without a final consonant) + ㄹ 따름이다
Verbs • Adjectives(with a final consonant) + 을 따름이다
Nouns + 일 따름이다
[Past tense] Verbs + 았/었을 따름이다
The first grammar is (으)ㄹ 따름이다 “only / just.”
You can use this grammar to express that an “action or state is being just that.”
In addition, Korean people often add adverbs such as 그저, 그냥 “just” together with this grammar to emphasize that’s the only action or emotion that they feel right now.
A similar expression is (으)ㄹ 뿐이다 “only just.”
The conjugation is to attach (으)ㄹ 따름이다 for verbs and adjectives.
For example, 가다 “to go” will be 갈 따름이다 “only going.” 먹다 “to eat” will be 먹을 따름이다 “only eating.”
You can attach 일 따름이다 for nouns and 았/었을 따름이다 for the past tense.
Now let’s look at some examples.
Verb: Example 1
우리는 그저 노력할 따름이다.
We just work hard.
Here, 노력하다 is “to work hard.” You add ㄹ 따름이다 to the verb stem to make 노력할 따름이다 “just work hard.”
As you can see, 그저 “just” emphasizes the word, 따름이다. Like this example, 그저 and 따름 are often used together, so you should remember them.
Also, you can change this 따름이다 to 뿐이다, and say 그저 노력할 뿐이다.
The meaning will be the same.
The following example is a line you might tell yourself when you ask someone a strange question and he/she get angry. Let’s see it!
Verb: Example 2
내 아내는 아들이 시험에 합격했다는 소식을 듣고 기뻐할 따름이었다.
My wife was only pleased to hear the news that our son had passed his exams.
Here, 기뻐하다 is “to be pleased/to be happy.”
You add ㄹ 따름이다 to the stem to make 기뻐할 따름이다 “(my wife) was only pleased.”
In other words, it means “extremely pleased.”
Adjective: Example 3
그저 죄송할 따름입니다.
I’m just so sorry.
죄송하다 “I’m sorry” is an adjective without a final consonant, so you add ㄹ 따름이다 to make 죄송할 따름이다 “I’m just sorry.”
Noun: Example 4
이번 일은 그저 유감일 따름입니다.
This incident is simply regrettable.
유감 “regrettable” is a noun, so you add 일 따름이다 to make 유감일 따름이다 “it is only regrettable.”
Past tense: Example 5
난 그냥 물어봤을 따름인데.
I just asked.
Here, 물어보다 is “to ask.” The past tense is 물어봤다 “asked.”
You add 을 따름이다 to make 물어봤을 따름이다 “(I) just asked.”
You can sense the nuance of “I just asked because I was curious, no other weird meanings.”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
1. 제 목숨을 구해 주셨다니 그저 ( ) 따름입니다.
I’m just grateful for saving my life.
(1) 고마울 (2) 고맙을
The correct answer is number one. 고맙다 is “to be grateful/to thank.”
Since 고맙다 has ㅂ final consonant, you change ㅂ to 우. In addition, you attach ㄹ final consonant to make 고마울.
Therefore, number one is appropriate.
Number 2, 고맙을 is a wrong conjugation. So, be careful!
Now let’s read it together!
제 목숨을 구해 주셨다니 그저 (고마울) 따름입니다.
Please read it with gratitude. Take a look at the following quiz.
2. 난 그저 불려 ( ) 따름인데 거기서 춤을 추라니.
I was called and went there, but why did they ask me to dance?
(1) 갔을 (2)갈
The correct answer is number one.
From the translation “called and went,” it is appropriate to use the past tense, 불려 갔다.
You attach 을 따름이다 to the stem to make 불려 갔을 따름이다 “I was just called and went.”
Number two, 불려 갈 is the present tense. Thus, it does not match the content.
Now let’s read it together!
난 그저 불려 (갔을) 따름인데 거기서 춤을 추라니.
Please read it like I just went there, but I didn’t know I’d have to dance.
-아/어 내다
Verb + 아/어 내다
The following grammar is 아/어 내다 “manage to / to finish ~ing.” You use this expression for verbs to indicate that you accomplish the action on your own.
So, 아/어 내다 suggests that the process of the action is complicated.
Let’s see the difference between a plain sentence and a sentence with 아/어 내다.
For example, you can say
소설책을 읽었다.
It means “I read a novel.”
But if you say
소설책을 읽어냈다.
Then it means “I managed to read a novel.”
Thus, you can emphasize how difficult it was to finish reading a novel.
Can you see the difference?
In addition, if you use 아/어 내고 말다, you can emphasize more about how hard it was.
How to conjugate is that you make the 요 form first.
Then you remove 요 from 요 form. Goodbye 요. And attach 내다 with a space.
I usually give you examples of 가다 and 먹다.
But you don’t apply this grammar to these words.
Thus, I prepared 이루다 “to accomplish” and 참다 “to endure.”
Here, the 요 form of 이루다 “to accomplish” is 이뤄요.
You remove 요 from here, 再见 요, and attach 내다 to make 이뤄 내다 “to manage to accomplish.”
The 요 form of 참다 “to endure” is 참아요.
You remove 요 from here, 再见 요, and attach 내다 to make 참아 내다 “manage to endure.”
For your information, some words are already established, so you don’t have to put the space between such as 지어내다 “to fabricate,” 찾아내다 “to find out,” 해내다 “to achieve,” 밝혀내다 “to reveal,” etc.
As you can see, these are written without a space.
But it is difficult to tell the difference, so I will tell you which words are already established in each example.
Now let’s look at some examples.
Verb: Example 1
그 반지의 주인을 드디어 찾아냈다.
I finally found out the owner of the ring.
Here, 찾다 is “to find.” The 요 form is 찾아요.
You remove 요 from here and attach 내다 to make 찾아내다.
But this is an already established word.
Therefore, you don’t put the space between.
You can sense the nuance that the speaker finally found his/her 반지의 주인 “the owner of the ring” after a long and arduous search.
Then let’s look at the following example!
Verb: Example 2
그는 쉽지 않았던 시합을 이겨 내고 우승했다.
He won the match, which was not easy, and managed to win the championship.
Here, 이기다 is “to win.” The 요 form is 이겨요.
You remove 요, Sayonara~ 요, and attach 내다 to make 이겨 내다 “to win out.”
As you can see from the words, 쉽지 않았던 “which was not easy,” it emphasizes the nuance that it was difficult to win that game.
Thus, the speaker expresses it as 이겨 내고 “and managed to win” instead of simply saying 이기고 “and win.”
Can you feel the difference?
Next is an example that could be used for self-introductions or interviews.
Let’s take a look.
Verb: Example 3
저는 어떤 어려운 일이라도 포기하지 않고 잘 해냅니다.
No matter how difficult, I will never give up and accomplish it.
Here, 하다 is “to do.” The 요 form is 해요. You remove 요 from here, and attach 내다 to to make 해내다 “to accomplish.”
You can catch the nuance that it is not simply 하다 “to do,” but 해내다 “manage to do.”
In other words, “to accomplish.”
And 해내다 is an established word. So, you don’t put the space between.
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
1. 우리 팀은 ( ) 구조를 가진 건물을 건축해 냈다.
Our team managed to build a building with a complex structure.
(1) 복잡한 (2) 간단한
The correct answer is number one.
The expression 건축해 냈다 contains the nuance of “accomplishing something that is not easy,” so putting 복잡한 “complex” in number one is the appropriate context.
Number two, 간단한 “easy” is wrong because 건축해 냈다 indicates something very difficult.
Thus, it does not fit with the word “easy.”
Do you get the nuance?
Now let’s read it together!
우리 팀은 (복잡한) 구조를 가진 건물을 건축해 냈다.
Then please read it as if you’re telling your friends you’ve done such a challenging thing.
Now let’s look at the following quiz!
2. 이 수학 문제는 굉장히 어려웠지만, 나는 시간을 들여서 ( ) 수 있었어요.
This math problem was very difficult, but I took my time and managed to solve it.
(1) 풀 (2) 풀어 낼
The correct answer is number two. 풀다 means “to solve.” The 요 form is 3, 2, 1! Yes, 풀어요!
You remove 요 from here, adios 요, and attach 내다 to express 풀어 내다 “manage to solve.”
Number one, 풀, does not mean “manage to solve.”
Thus it is incorrect.
Then let’s read it together.
이 수학 문제는 굉장히 어려웠지만, 나는 시간을 들여서 (풀어 낼) 수 있었어요.
This math problem was very difficult, but I took my time and managed to solve it.
Then please read it as if you have finally done something.
-기
Verbs • Adjectives + 기
The last grammar is -기 “to (do) / -ing.”
You use this expression to turn verbs and adjectives into nouns.
You’ve also learned about -(으)ㅁ, the ending that also nominalizes verbs and adjectives, in the 60th lesson.
I went deep into the difference between -기 and -(으)ㅁ at that time, so please review if you are curious.
To conjugate this grammar, – 기, for verbs and adjectives, you add 기 to the stems.
For example, 가다 “to go” will be 가기 “to go.”
먹다 “to eat” will be 먹기 “to eat.”
Hey!! Teacher, the translation is the same!!
That’s right!! But it does not mean the same. 가다, 먹다 are just dictionary forms.
On the other hand, if you make 가기 or 먹기, these become nouns.
Do you see the difference?
Now let’s look at some examples.
Verb: Example 1
선생님은 쉽게 하는데 내가 하기에는 너무 어렵다.
The teacher does it easily, but it’s too difficult for me to do.
Here, 하다 is “to do.” You add 기 to the stem to make 하기 “to do.”
You can also attach “에는” to make 하기에는.
By doing so, you can specify your situation of doing something.
Next, let’s look at a famous proverb that has this grammar!
Verb: Example 2
누워서 떡 먹기
Lying down and eating a rice cake (≈ piece of cake)
Here, 먹다 is “to eat.” You add 기 to the stem to make 먹기 “eating.”
Lying down and eating a rice cake is such an easy thing to do.
This is like watching a movie and eating popcorn !!
Such a blissful time～！！
It means “something that you can do effortlessly.”
Put another way, it is “a piece of cake.”
Adjective: Example 3
이 글씨 크기가 적당합니다.
The size of these letters is just right.
Here, 크다 is “to be big.” You add 기 to the stem to make 크기 “being big.”
But this is an already established noun.
Thus, it means “size.” Let’s look at the following example.
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
1. 올해 안에 5kg 살 ( )
To lose five kilograms by the end of this year.
(1) 찌기 (2)빼기
The correct answer is number two. 살 빼다 is “to lose weight.”
You attach 기 to the stem to make 살 빼기 “to lose weight.”
Number one is 살 찌다 “to gain weight.” This is the opposite of 살 빼다 “to lose weight.”
Please remember these.
Now let’s read it together!
올해 안에 5kg 살 (빼기)
Please read it with earnest feeling.
Here’s another quiz on phrases you might find in an advertisement. Take a look!
2. 모두가 행복한 세상을 만들기
Creating a world where everyone is happy.
(1) 만드기 (2) 만들기
The correct answer is number two. 만들다 is “to create.”
You add 기 directly to the stem to make 만들기 “creating.”
Number one, 만드기 is wrong because you have to attach -기 directly to the stem.
Now let’s read it together!
모두가 행복한 세상을 (만들기)
Please read it while imagining a commercial.
Homework
Now, I will announce today’s saying!
Please, find today’s grammar in the sentences.
어떤 일을 달성하기로 결심했으면
그 어떤 지겨움과 혐오감도
불사하고 완수하라
고단한 일을 해낸 데에서 오는
자신감은 실로 엄청나다
–
아널드 베넷
When you have decided to accomplish something,
Do it, regardless of the boredom and the aversion.
The confidence that comes from doing hard work is truly tremendous.
– Arnold Bennett
I especially like the phrase 불사하고 완수하라!!
It sounds like a general.
By the way, did you find today’s grammar? I hope you did!!
Then let’s move on to the homework.
There are two homework assignments.
First, compose three sentences using today’s grammar.
① Firstly, let’s use (으)ㄹ 따름이다 “only / just.”
For example,
- 가난했던 어린 저를 키워 주셔서 양부모님께 감사할 따름입니다.
I can only thank my nurturing parents for bringing me up as a poor little child.
This is an example that conveys the feeling of gratitude.
② Secondly, let’s use 아/어 내다 “manage to / to finish ~ing.”
For example,
- 나는 힘든 시기를 친구와 같이 버텨 냈다.
I managed to get over difficult times with my friends.
Oh, that challenging period must be a memorable time for him or her.
③ Lastly, let’s use 기 “to (do) / -ing.”
For example,
- 떠나기 전에 이웃과 인사 나누기
To exchange greetings with my neighbor before I leave
Like this, you use this grammar when you write it down on a sticky note before you forget it.
The second homework is to memorize new words.
Please memorize the forty words from number 2481 to number 2520 on page 32 in the intermediate vocabulary list.
My website has a vocabulary quiz on the forty words, so feel free to try it.
The link is in the description box.
Thank you for your hard work today!
Hard work pays off. I am sure it will lead to good results.
그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요！ 한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅！！
