안녕하세요. 토미입니다.
Let’s have fun learning Korean!
Today’s grammar is –(으)ㄹ지, “if, whether”, -는데요 “it is ~, isn’t it?” and c “because.”
After you learn today’s grammar, when you are a big fan of a celebrity and he says to you, 왜 그렇게 저를 좋아하세요? “Why do you like me so much?”, then you can tell him something like
오빠가 너무 좋은걸요!
“Because I love Oppa so much!.”
WoW! If you reach this level, the celebrity Oppa you love would be surprised at your advanced Korean!
Let’s surprise those native speakers with advanced expressions, pass TOPIK2, and be the super master of Korean!
I’m sure you can do it!
그럼 시작할게요！
– (으)ㄹ지
The first grammar, you use -(으)ㄹ지 “if, whether” to verbs or adjectives. You use it when you assume something uncertain.
In most cases, Korean people use this grammar as -(으)ㄹ지 모르다 “to be uncertain if.” -(으)ㄹ지 걱정이다 “to be worried if” and -(으)ㄹ지 정하다 “to decide if.”
So, please put the whole phrase in your mind. In addition, Korean people pronounce 지 in -(으)ㄹ지 in tense sound as 찌, so please pay attention to that as well.
Then, let’s look at its conjugation to verbs, adjectives, and nouns.
First of all, conjugations are the same for verbs and adjectives, so we are mainly looking at verbs for now.
If a verb stem does not have a final consonant, you add -ㄹ지. For example, 가다 “to go” does not have a final consonant, so you add -ㄹ지 to make 갈지 “If I go.”
If a verb stem has a final consonant, you add -을지.
For example, 먹다 “to eat” has a final consonant, so you add -을지 to make 먹을지 “if I eat.”
For nouns, you use -일지 regardless of a final consonant.
Therefore, 무료 becomes 무료일지 “if it’s free” and 학생 becomes 학생일지 “if he/she is a student.”
Then, let’s look at some examples.
오빠가 약속 시간에 도착할지 걱정이에요.
I am worried if Oppa will arrive at the appointed time.
Here, 도착하다 “to arrive” is a verb without a final consonant, so you add -ㄹ지 to make 도착할지 “If he arrives.”
In addition, it is used with 걱정이에요, so the whole phrase becomes 도착할지 걱정이에요 “I am worried if (he) arrives”.
Let’s move on to the next example.
여름에 여행을 가려고 하는데 어디가 좋을지 어떻게 정하지?.
I am thinking of going to travel in summer, but how should I decide which place is good to go?
Here, 좋다 “to be good” is an adjective with a final consonant, so you add -을지 to make 좋을지 “If it’s good.”
In addition, after this grammar, 정하지? “decide” follows to make a phrase like 어디가 좋을지 어떻게 정하지 “how should I decide which place is good.”
Let’s see the last example.
어느 게 더 좋은 방법일지 저는 잘 모르겠어요.
I don’t know which one is a better way.
Here, 방법 a “ way(means)” is a noun, so you add -일지 to make 방법일지 “if it is a (better) way.”
In addition, 모르겠어요 “I don’t know” follows this grammar to make 방법일지 모르겠어요 “(I) don’t know which one is a better way.”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes. Which one is the correct answer?
친구한테 선물하려고 샀는데 ( ) 모르겠어.
“I bought it to give it to my friend, but I don’t know if he would like it.”
(1)마음에 들지 (2)기에 들어갈지
The correct answer is number one.
마음에 들다 is “to like.” 들다 has a final consonant of ㄹ, so you directly add 지 모르겠어 to make 마음에 들지 모르겠어 “I don’t know if (he) would like it.”
Number two is the wrong answer because 기에 들어갈지 itself is a wrong expression.
Then, let’s read it together, shrugging shoulders.
친구한테 선물하려고 샀는데 (마음에 들지) 모르겠어.
Please, read it at least three times. Then let’s move on to the next quiz.
열심히 공부했는데 시험에 ( ) 걱정되네요.
I studied hard, but I am worried about whether I will pass the exam.
(1) 합격할지 (2) 잘 될지
The correct answer is number one.
합격하다 is “to pass (an exam).” You add -ㄹ지 걱정되네요 to make 합격할지 걱정되네요 “I am worried whether I will pass.”
Number two is the wrong answer because there is no expression like 시험에 잘 되다, so please be careful.
If you chose this one, maybe you were confused with 시험을 잘 보다, which is “to turn out well on an exam.”
Then. let’s read it with a touch of anxiety!
열심히 공부했는데 시험에 (합격할지) 걱정되네요.
Please, read it at least three times. OK?
-는데(요)
Next, let’s look at the second grammar.
As I told you in the beginner class, -는데 is used as a conjunctive form, which connects sentences and means “even though / though.”
Hmm, then why are we learning about it again?
Yeah, I hear you.
What I am going to tell you this time is the ending expression, especially used in
conversation. After you master it, you will sound much more native Korean.
For today, we are learning two meanings of -는데(요).
The first one is to tell your surprise at something unexpected by saying “Wow! I am surprised by that/ it is smth, isn’t it? ”
The second one is to ask a question for some explanation like “what is the reason?” or “ why are you asking?”
In this case, Korean people often use interrogative words such as 무엇 “what,” 누구 “who,” 언제 “when” and 어디 “where.”
About the conjugation, for verbs, you use -는데(요), for adjectives, you use -(으)ㄴ데(요) and for nouns, you use -인데(요).
however, since this grammar is colloquial, Korean people often omit 이 from 인데요 to make 최곤데요 “Wow! it’s the best,” 언젠데요 “Wow! when is it?.*
Then, let’s look at some examples from pattern one; when you get surprised at something unexpected.
와, 오늘 날씨가 굉장히 더운데.
Wow, today the weather is really hot, isn’t it?
Here, you can express your feelings about the unexpected hot weather by using -(으)ㄴ데(요).
In this sentence, 덥다 “to be hot” is an adjective with ㅂ final consonant, so you add -은데.
However, for 덥다, you have to apply ㅂ irregular, don’t you?
So you will change this to 우 to make 더운데 “Wow, it’s hot, isn’t it?.”
Then, let’s look at 는데 in pattern two, asking questions.
가: 이거 좀 봐 봐.
Take a look at this.
나: 아니, 이게 뭔데요?
Um, what is this?
In this sentence, the speaker 나 is trying to ask for an explanation like “What is it?”
You treat 뭐 “what” as a noun, so you add -인데, but 이 is omitted and it became 뭔데요 “what is it?”
This is a very colloquial expression.
The next example is also in pattern two, asking questions.
가 : 난 내일 아침에 빨리 나가야 돼서 먼저 잘게.
I have to go out early tomorrow morning, so I’ll go to bed first.
나: 어, 몇 시에 나가는데?
Oh, what time are you going out?
In this sentence, you use this grammar to ask for an explanation about “what time are you going out.” Right?
Here, 나가다 “to go out” is a verb, so you add -는데 to make 나가는데 “go out?”
Quiz
Okay. Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
이 영화 정말 ( )!
This movie is really entertaining, isn’t it?
(1)재미있는데요 (2)대박난데요
The correct answer is number one.
You want to say that the movie was unexpectedly entertaining, so it’s pattern one.
재미있다 is “to be entertaining” and it is an adjective.
However, the ending of the word is -있다, so you conjugate it as a verb -는데(요).
Here, you have to speak politely, so you add 요 as well to make 재미있는데요 “(this movie) is entertaining, isn’t it?”
The number two is wrong because 대박나다 means “to be a big hit.”
But Korean people love this word, so please memorize it, too!
Then, let’s read it like you are telling your friend how entertaining the movie was!
이 영화 정말 (재미있는데요)!
Please read it at least three times. Then, let’s move on to the next quiz!
왜 아무도 없을까? 정말 ( ).
“Why is there nobody? It is quite strange, isn’t it?”
(1)이상하는데 (2)이상한데
The correct answer is number two.
It sounds like he is talking to himself, right?
Here, 이상하다 is “to be strange” and it is an adjective without a final consonant.
So, you use -ㄴ데(요).
Here, you want to say it casually with 반말, so you make the phrase 이상한데.
number one is wrong because there is no such expression as 이상하는데, so please be careful.
Then, let’s read it imagining you are a police officer who went to a crime scene.
왜 아무도 없을까? 정말 (이상한데).
Please, read it at least three times.
-는걸(요)
Let’s look at the last grammar! -는걸(요) has two different meanings.
One is to tell your surprise or admiration about something you get to know.
The other one is to tell your opinion lightly, saying “it is because ~” or to argue against someone’s opinion lightly.
This “lightly” is the important point here.
For verbs, you use -는걸(요), for adjectives, you use -(으)ㄴ걸(요), and, for nouns, you use -인걸(요).
Besides, when you speak politely with the honorific ending 요, the pronunciation always changes to 걸료, never being pronounced 거료.
Then, let’s look at the example of the first meaning: to tell your surprise or admiration for something you get to know.
날씨가 점점 추워지는걸.
The weather is getting colder and colder.
Here, you want to express your surprise at something you find new, which is about the weather getting colder.
In this sentence, 추워지다 “to get cold” is a verb, so you add -는걸 to make 추워지는걸 “it is getting colder.”
The next sentence is an example of the second meaning: to lightly tell your opinion to the other person.
Then, please look at this.
가: 혼자 다 할 수 있겠어요?
Do you think you can do all of it alone?
나 : 괜찮아요. 이 정도는 아무렇지도 않은걸요.
It’s okay. This amount of things is not a big deal.
Here, the speaker is lightly telling his/her opinion, saying “It’s not a big deal.”
아무렇지도 않다 “to be not a big deal” is an adjective with a final consonant, so you add -은걸요 to make 아무렇지도 않은걸요 “It’s not a big deal.”
And 아무렇지도 않다 is a useful expression meaning “not a big deal”, so please keep it in mind.
The next sentence also tells an opinion lightly. Let’s look at it together.
가: 도와줘서 정말 고마워요.
Thank you so much for helping me out.
나: 아니에요. 당연히 해야 할 일인걸요.
No worries. It is of course what I should do.
Here, it is used to give an opinion on what the other speaker said, saying “it’s what I should do.”
In this sentence, 일 “thing” is a noun, so you add -인걸요 to make 일인걸요 “It is a thing what I should do,” which means “It is what I should do.”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
물이 꽤 ( ).
The water is quite cold.
(1)차가운걸 (2)차가운껄
The correct answer is number one.
차갑다 is “to be cold.” 차갑다 is an adjective with a final consonant, so you use -ㄴ걸. Also, 차갑다 is a ㅂ irregular word.
So, you make 차가운걸. OK?
Number two is wrong because 차가운껄 does not even exist, so please be careful.
Then, let’s imagine you get surprised at the cold water when you go into a pool, and read the sentence together.
물이 꽤 (차가운걸).
Please read it at least three times.
Let’s move on to the next quiz, which is a dialogue.
가: 배고프지? 뭘 만들어 줄까?
You must be hungry. Do you want me to cook something for you?
나 : 괜찮아요. 냉장고 안에 먹을 게 얼마든지 ( ).
I’m okay. Because there is plenty of food in the fridge.
(1)있는걸요 (2)있는걸료
The correct answer is number one.
있다 is “there is” which has a final consonant.
As I said before, you modify 있다 as a verb.
Therefore, you attach -는걸요 to the stem to make 있는걸요 “there is smth.”
The second answer is correct in terms of its pronunciation, but we never write it in this way.
So please put that in mind.
Then, let’s read it together like you say “You don’t have to worry about me.”
냉장고 안에 먹을 게 얼마든지 (있는걸요).
Please read it at least three times. OK?
Homework
Yes! It’s about time to give you homework that you guys love!
나는요, 학생이 좋은걸!! 어떡해〜！
Because I love these students! Come on, homework!
There are two kinds of homework. First, please write three sentences in the comment section, using the grammar we learned today.
For the first sentence, please use -(으)ㄹ지 “if, whether” and write a sentence you would use when you don’t feel confident like “I don’t know if it’s correct.” For example,
태어나서 처음으로 빵을 구워 봤는데 이게 맛있게 잘 될지 잘 모르겠네요.
I baked bread for the first time in my life, but I’m not sure if this will come out tasty.
For the second sentence, please use -는데(요) “it is ~, isn’t it?” to make a sentence to tell surprise or admiration of something unexpected.
For example,
중급 공부 생각보다 쉬운데？
Studying in intermediate class is easier than expected, isn’t it?
I made this sentence, hoping you guys are thinking the same way.
For the third sentence, please use -는걸요 “because” and lightly tell your opinion to someone or tell your surprise about some fact.
For example,
학생들한테 한국어를 가르치는 일이 너무 보람찬 일인걸요!
Because the job of teaching Korean to students is something that is really fulfilling.
OK?
And, thank you guys for always submitting homework in the comment section.
The second homework is to memorize new words.
Please memorize the forty words from number 401 to number 440 on page 6 in the intermediate vocabulary list.
There is a vocabulary quiz of the forty words on my website, so just feel free to try it.
The link is in the description box.
That’s it for today.
You guys did a great job!
As a Korean teacher, every time I see your beautiful, ambitious eyes I feel great hope for your future.
So I always want to be a teacher who constantly believes in your infinite possibilities.
And, I really wish for your happiness!
그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요！
한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅！！
