[Learn Korean I12] “–는가(요)?”, “-는가 보다”, “-(으)ㄴ 들”

안녕하세요. 토미입니다.

Let’s have fun learning Korean today!

Today, I will teach three grammatical rules.

1) -는가(요)? “Do you …?”, 2) -는가 보다 “It seems that…”, and 3) -(으)ㄴ들 “even if…”

Once you learn these rules, you can understand sentences like

자네는 나이가 어떻게 되는가? “How old are you?”

You can understand there are many question forms in Korea!

Wow! You are learning a wider range of expressions!

By learning these, you can pass TOPIK2, and be the super master of Korean! I’m sure you can go through it!

그럼 시작할게요!

-는가(요)?

The first grammatical rule, -는가(요)? means, “do you …_?”

You can use this when you ask someone a question or ask something to yourself.

The characteristic of this grammar is that it is always a question form.

So, don’t forget to put the question mark!

By the way, 요 in 는가요 is in parentheses. You can use 요, when you are talking to an elder person.

If you don’t use 요, it becomes 반말, a casual language.

Now, let’s see the usage in cases of -는가(요)?, -(으)ㄴ가(요)?, and -인가(요)?

For a verb, you attach -는가(요)?

In this case, you attach -는가(요)? regardless of a final consonant.

For example, 가다 “to go” will be 가는가요? “do you go?” 먹다 “to eat” will be 먹는가요 “do you eat?”

For an adjective, you attach -(으)ㄴ가(요)?

You use -ㄴ가(요)? if a stem does not have a final consonant.

For example, 기쁘다 “to be happy” does not have a final consonant.

So, you attach -ㄴ가(요)? to make 기쁜가요? “Are you happy?”

You use -은가(요), if a stem has a final consonant.

For example, 좋다 “to be good” has a final consonant.

Therefore, you attach -은가(요)? to make 좋은가요? “Is it good?”

For a noun, you attach -인가(요)? regardless of a final consonant.

For example, 아버지 a “father” will be 아버지인가요? “Are you a father?” 학생 will be 학생인가요? “Are you a student?”

Now, let’s read a sample sentence.

회의가 몇 시에 시작되는가요?
What time does the meeting start?

Here, since 시작되다 “to start” is a verb.

You attach -는가요? to make 시작되는가요? “does (it) start?” Let’s read the next sentence.

여긴 왜 이렇게 사람이 많은가?
Why are there so many people here?

Here, 많다 “to be many” is an adjective with a final consonant.

So, you add -은가? to make 많은가? “so many people?”

As you can see, an elderly person might say this way. Let’s read the next sentence.

오늘이 누구 생일인가요?
Is today someone’s birthday?

In this sentence, 생일 “birthday” is a noun.

You attach -인가요? to make 생일인가요? “is it a birthday?”

Quiz

Now, let’s deepen our understanding with a few simple quizzes.

Which one is the correct answer?

오늘 부장님도 ( )?
Is the manager coming today as well?

(1)오신가요? (2)오시는가요?

The correct answer is (2).

오다 is “to come,” and the respectful form is 오시다.

Since this is a verb, you attach -는가요? to say 오시는가요?

Number one is wrong because 오다 is a verb, so you shouldn’t attach ㄴ가요, which is an incorrect expression.

Now, let’s read the sentence together!

오늘 부장님도 (오시는가요)?

Please read this part at least three times.

Now, let’s look at the next quiz!

지금 아드님은 ( )?
Now, how old is your son?

(1)몇 살이신가요 (2) 무슨 살이신가요

The correct answer is (1).

몇 살 means “how old.” Since this is a noun, you will attach -인가요?

However, this sentence uses the respectful form, so you will say 이신가요 instead of 인가요.

Therefore, 몇 살이신가요? is the correct answer.

Number two is wrong because there is no such expression as 무슨 살인가요. So be careful!!

Now, let’s read the sentence together!

지금 아드님은 (몇 살이신가요)?

Please read this part at least three times. OK?

-는가 보다

The second grammatical rule, -는가 보다 means, “it seems …” or “it looks like ….”

You use it when you guess something based on your experience or knowledge.

In addition, this would often come along with expressions that convey the reason such as -는 걸 보니까 “seeing that (someone) is doing …,” or -아/어서 “because ….”

Now, I will explain how to apply this grammar.

For a verb, you attach -는가 보다 regardless of a final consonant.

For example, 가다 “to go” will be 가는가 보다 “seems to go,” and 먹다 “to eat” will be 먹는가 보다 “seems to eat.”

For an adjective, you use -(으)ㄴ가 보다.

If an adjective does not have a final consonant, you attach -ㄴ가 보다 and if an adjective has a final consonant, you attach -은가 보다.

Since 기쁘다 “to be happy” does not have a final consonant, you attach -ㄴ가 보다 to say 기쁜가 보다 “seems to be happy.”

Since 좋다 “to be good” has a final consonant, you attach -은가 보다 to say, 좋은가 보다 “seems to be good.”

For a noun, you attach -인가 보다 regardless of a final consonant.

For example, 아버지 “father” will be 아버지인가 보다 “seems like a father,” and 학생 “a student” will be 학생인가 보다 “seems like a student.”

Now, let’s read a sample sentence.

사람들이 우산을 쓰는 걸 보니까 밖에 비가 오는가 봐.
Seeing that people are using umbrellas, it seems like it’s raining outside.

Here, since 오다 “to come” is a verb, you will attach -는가 보다 to say, 오는가 보다 “looks like it’s raining.”

You can also pay attention to 쓰는 걸 보니까.

By using the grammar 는 걸 보니까 “seeing that (someone) is doing smth,” this part is stating the reason, OK?

Now, Let’s read the next sample sentence.

제가 국에 소금을 너무 많이 넣어서 국이 좀 짠가 봐요.
Because I added too much salt to the soup, it seems that the soup is a little too salty.

It is not good for your health to take too much salt.

Please be careful not to consume excessive amounts of salt.

Anyway, here, since the adjective 짜다 “to be salty” does not have a final consonant, you will attach -ㄴ가 보다 to say, 짠가 보다 “it appears that (the soup) is salty.

In addition, you can pay attention to 넣어서 “because (I) added.”

By using the grammar 아/어서, you can state the reason.

Then let’s read the next sample sentence.

보람이랑 얼굴이 똑같이 생긴 걸 보니까 동생인가 봐.
Seeing that he looks similar to Poram, it appears that he is her brother.

Here, since 동생 “(younger) brother” is a noun, you will attach -인가 보다 to say, 동생인가 보다 “appears that (he is her) brother.”

As you can see, 생긴 걸 보니까 is also stating the reason.

Quiz

Now, let’s deepen our understanding by taking a few simple quizzes.

Which one is the correct answer?

오빠가 아직도 자는 걸 보니까 오늘 출근 ( ).
Seeing that my brother is still sleeping, it appears that he will not go to work today.

(1)하는가 봐 (2)안 하는가 봐.

The correct answer is (2).

안 하다 means “do not do ….” Since this is a verb, you will attach -는가 보다 to say 안 하는가 보다.

Since you only need to change it to 반말, you can say, 안 하는가 봐.

Number (1) is wrong because it is opposite to the translation.

Now, let’s read the sentence together!

오빠가 아직도 자는 걸 보니까 오늘 출근 (안 하는가 봐).

Please read this part at least three times. Now, let’s look at the next quiz!

어? 아무도 없네? 여기가 ( ).
Oh? There is no one. It looks like it’s not here.

(1)맞는가 봐요 (2)아닌가 봐요

The correct answer is (2). -이/가 아니다 means “to be not” in Korean. Since 아니다 is an adjective that does not have a final consonant, you will attach -ㄴ가 보다 to say, 아닌가 보다. Since you need to change this to 요 form, 아닌가 봐요 will be the correct answer.

The number one is wrong because 맞는가 봐요 means, “it appears that (something is) correct,” which is different from the content. Now, let’s read the sentence together!

어? 아무도 없네? 여기가 (아닌가 봐요).

Please read this part at least three times.

-(으)ㄴ들

The last but not least, I will teach you -(으)ㄴ들 “even though” or “even if.”

You use this expression when you think that the outcome will be different from your expectation or anticipation.

Korean people use this expression along with 아무리 “no matter” as in “no
matter (someone) does smth”

Now, let’s look at the use in the cases of verbs, adjectives, and nouns.

First, for verbs and adjectives, you attach -(으)ㄴ들.

If a word does not have a final consonant, you attach -ㄴ들. Since 가다 “to go” does not have a final consonant, you attach -ㄴ들 to make 간들 “even if (you) go.”

If a word has a final consonant, you attach -은들.

Since 먹다 “to eat” has a final consonant, you attach -은들 to make 먹은들 “even if (you) eat.”

For nouns, you attach -인들 regardless of a final consonant.

For example, 아버지 “father”, which does not have a final consonant, will be 아버지인들 “even if (you are) my father.”

In the same way, 학생 “a student” has a final consonant, but you attach 인들 to make 학생인들 “even if (you are) a student.” Do you get it?

Now, let’s read an example sentence!

이미 지나간 일인데 후회한들 무슨 소용이 있겠니.
What’s the use of regrets that have already passed?

This really is something an aunty in a Korean drama would say, isn’t it?

Anyway, no regrets in your life! OK?

Enough for chatting, I will teach you here. 후회하다 “to regret” is a verb that does not have a final consonant.

So you attach -ㄴ들 to make 후회한들 “even if you regret”

Let’s see the next example!

호텔이 아무리 좋은들 내 집만 못하죠.
Even if a hotel is good, it is not as good as my home.

I am not sure about this sentence actually, because I love to stay in hotels. What do you guys think?

Anyway, let’s see the grammar. Here, since 좋다 “to be good” is an adjective with a final consonant, you attach -은들 to say, 좋은들 “even if (a hotel is) good.”

Also, 내 집만 못하죠 “not as good as my home” is a good phrase. So, I will explain this as well.

“noun + 만 못하다” means “not as good as smth.”

So, 내 집만 못하죠 means “not as good as my home.”

Please remember this expression as it is! Let’s read the next sample sentence.

아무리 총명한 아이인들 아직 열 살짜리예요.
Even though he is a smart child, he is still ten.

Here, 아이 a “child” is a noun. You attach -인들 to say, 아이인들 “even though (he is) a child.”

Quiz

Now, let’s deepen our understanding by taking simple quizzes.

Which one is the correct answer?

아무리 열심히 ( ) 실천하지 않으면 아무 소용 없어.
No matter how hard you study, there is no point if you don’t put it into practice.

(1)한들 (2)배운들

The correct answer is (2).

배우다 is “to study,” which is a verb without a final consonant.

Therefore, you attach -ㄴ들 to say 배운들 “no matter how hard you study.”

The number one is wrong because 한들 “even though (you) do,” is a different meaning from the context of the sentence.

Now, let’s read the sentence as if you were a Korean!

아무리 열심히 (배운들) 실천하지 않으면 아무 소용 없어.

Please, read this part at least three times! Now, let’s read the next quiz.

아무리 맛있는 음식이 ( ) 혼자 먹으면 즐겁지 않잖아.
Even if there is plenty of delicious food, it’s not fun to eat alone, is it?

(1)많은들 (2)많는들

That’s so true!! I totally agree with this sentence.

You wanna eat food with your loving friends and family, right?

Anyway, the correct answer is (1).

많다 is “to be plenty”. Since this is an adjective, which has a final consonant, you attach -은들 to say 많은들 “even if there is plenty.”

Number two is wrong because 많는들 is the wrong expression.

Now, let’s read this sentence as if you realized something.

아무리 맛있는 음식이 (많은들) 혼자 먹으면 즐겁지 않잖아.

Please, read this part at least three times!

Homework

Ok, good job guys!! Now, I will give you a wonderful present of homework.

빨강 주황 노랑 초록 파랑 남 보라! 무지개 색깔!!
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple

Come on, homework!

I have two assignments for you.
For the first one, please write three sentences in the comment section, using the grammatical rules that you learned today.

For the first sentence, please ask a question using -는가(요)? “do you …__?”

You can also use 반말 like a character in a historical drama. For example,

여러분 중급 공부 열심히 하고 있는가?
Are you all studying hard for intermediate Korean?

This sounds like grandpa.

For the second sentence, please write a sentence using -는가 보다 “it seems, it appears….”

For example,

공항에 카메라맨들이 이렇게 모인 걸 보니까 스타가 오는가 봐요.
Seeing that there are so many camera people at the airport, it appears that celebrities are coming here.

For the third sentence, please tell me what your mother or grandmother always says by using -(으)ㄴ들 “even if ….”

For example,

돈이 아무리 많은들 행복을 살 수 있겠니?
Even if you are wealthy, can you buy happiness?

When you say this sentence, you might notice that your voice sounds somewhat like an aunty.

The second part of the homework is memorizing words.

Please memorize the 40 words from #441 to #480 on page 6 of the Intermediate Vocabulary List.

After memorizing them, please take the word quiz for these 40 words on my website.

That’s all! Great job. High five!! yay!!

I am happy to be able to study Korean with you today.

I am always here for you to wish for your happiness, success, and prosperity.

I believe that you have a bright future ahead of you!

그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요!

한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅!!

Vocabulary Test : 40 Questions

There will be 40 multiple choice questions in total displayed in random order, testing on Vocabulary #441~480 from the Intermediate Level Vocabulary List.