안녕하세요. 토미입니다.
Let’s have fun learning Korean today!
The grammatical rules for today are 1) N(으)로서 “as,” 2) -(으)며, “and,” and 3) -기가 무섭게, “as soon as ~.”
Once you learn today’s grammar, you will be able to express situations where something happened in an instant, to the point where you feel 무섭게, “scary,” such as,
콘서트장이 열리기가 무섭게 팬들이 막 들어 왔어요.
As soon as the gates opened, fans rushed into the concert hall.
By using -기가 무섭게, you can express how overwhelming it was!
Learning these interesting expressions, I am sure you can pass TOPIK 2, level 4, and become a super master of Korean!
그럼 시작할게요！
–(으)로서
The first grammatical rule, -(으)로서, means, “as.”
You add this word to nouns that describe people’s position or status.
You add -로서 to a noun that does not have a final consonant.
For example, 교사 a “teacher” does not have a final consonant, so you add 로서 to make 교사로서 “as a teacher.”
You add -으로서 to a noun that has a final consonant.
For example, 학생 a “student” has a final consonant, so you add -으로서 to make 학생으로서 “as a student.”
What makes the use of this expression confusing is that there is a similar-sounding expression, -(으)로써.
However, -(으)로써 is used for expressing a reason, method, or tools.
Let’s see an example of our first grammatical rule:-(으)로서
실력파 배우로서 그 역에 도전했다.
As a competent actor, he tried that role.
In this case, since he is a “competent actor,” which indicates a specific status, you add 로서 to make 실력파 배우로서.
Then, let’s look at -(으)로써.
그 배우는 눈물로써 연기를 잘 표현했다.
That actor acted well through tears.
Like the sample sentence, since the subject is 눈물, “tears,” which is not a person, you add 로써.
Therefore, the use of the grammatical rule will become clearer once you remember to use -(으)로서 for nouns that describe a status of a person, and -(으)로써 for nouns related to methods.
Now, let’s read a sample sentence.
친구로서 가만히 있을 수 없어요.
As a friend, I can’t keep silent.
Here, since the noun 친구 “friend,” does not have a final consonant, you add -로서 to make 친구로서 “as a friend.”
Let’s read the next sample sentence.
저는 국가대표로서 올림픽에 출전했습니다.
As a national representative, I competed in an Olympic game.
This sample sentence is so cool as it talks about a national representative for an Olympic game!
Here, since the noun 국가대표, “national representative,” does not have a final consonant, you add -로서 to make 국가대표로서, “as a national representative.”
Let’s read the next sample sentence.
그 행동은 학생으로서 올바르지 않아요.
That action is not correct as a student.
Here, 학생, a “student” has a final consonant.
So, you add -으로서 to make 학생으로서, “as a student.”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes. Which one is the correct answer?
( ) 해야 할 일을 했을 뿐입니다.
As a doctor, I did what I was supposed to do.
(1)의사로서 (2)의사로써
This is a sentence that can appear in a Korean drama.
The correct answer is number one. The noun 의사, a “doctor” does not have a final consonant.
So, you add -로서 to make 의사로서, “as a doctor.”
Number two is wrong because you use 로써 “by ~,” for tools. It’s confusing, isn’t it? Now, let’s read the sentence together!
(의사로서) 해야 할 일을 했을 뿐입니다.
Please practice several times until you can say it smoothly.
Now, let’s try the next quiz！
그는 ( ) 동생에게 한 마디 했다.
As an older brother, he said a word to his younger brother.
(1)형이니까 (2)형으로서
The correct answer is number two.
Here, since the noun 형, an “older brother” has a final consonant, you add -으로서 to make, 형으로서, “as an older brother.”
Number one is wrong because 형이니까 means “because I am the older brother,” which conveys the reason.
Now, let’s read this sentence together!
그는 (형으로서) 동생에게 한 마디 했다.
Please practice this sentence over and over again.
-(으)며
The second grammar is -(으)며. It has two meanings.
One is “during/while” and the other one is “and.”
Today, we are going to focus on the second meaning, “and.”
You can use this to show two facts simultaneously.
Here, I will tell you an important point.
Please consider -(으)며 as a classy and elegant version of -고 that you learned in the beginner’s lesson.
For example, there is a sentence like
친절하고 착한 사람
Kind and generous person.
If you want to make this sound formal and elegant, you say:
친절하며 착한 사람
Kind and generous person.
I hope this helps you grasp the idea.
Both are the same meanings in English but in Korean, 친절하며 sounds much more classy and formal.
As you can see, you use -(으)며 in formal settings such as formal documents, speeches, and news articles.
So, you usually end a sentence with ㅂ/습니다 and -한다 form, not often with 요 form.
To apply this grammar, you add -(으)며 to a verb or an adjective.
If a verb stem does not have a final consonant, you attach 며 to the stem.
For example, 가다 “to go” does not have a final consonant, so you add 며 to the stem to make 가며 “go and.”
If a verb stem has a final consonant, you add 으며 to the stem.
For example, 먹다 “to eat” has a final consonant.
So, you add 으며 to the stem to make 먹으며, “eat and.”
For nouns, you add -(이)며.
By the way, you don’t use this word in conversations with the 요 form, but you can sometimes use -(이)며 with nouns in conversations like “this one and that one and” I will explain this with an example later.
Now, are you ready for a formal sample sentence? Let’s dig in!
그 사람은 한국어도 잘하며 영어도 잘합니다.
That person is fluent in Korean as well as English.
Here, 잘하다, “to do well ” does not have a final consonant.
So, you add -며 to make 잘하며, “to do well and~.”
Let’s read the next sample sentence.
새로 이사한 집은 지하철역도 가까우며 살기 편하다.
The new house that I moved into is close to the subway station and cozy, too.
A cozy house is the best, isn’t it?
Here, since the adjective 가깝다, “to be close” applies to ㅂ irregular, you omit the final consonant, ㅂ, and add -우며 to make 가까우며, “is close and ~.”
Let’s read a sample sentence of a special case in a conversation.
동대문에 가면 옷이며 화장품이며 다 살 수 있어요.
If you go to Dongdaemun, you can buy anything, be it clothes or cosmetic products.
That’s so true.
Woo, I should go to Dongdaemun~! Oh, after this lesson.
Here, both the nouns 옷, “clothes” and 화장품 “cosmetic products” have final consonants.
So, you add -이며 to make 옷이며, “be it clothes,” 화장품이며, “be it cosmetic products.”
Generally, this (으)며 is a formal expression, but, when you use it with a noun like (이)며, (이)며 , you can use it in conversations.
Quiz
Now, it’s time for a quiz. Which one is the correct answer?
제 동료는 ( ) 멋있는 사람입니다.
My colleague is a kind and wonderful person.
(1)착하며 (2)척하며
The correct answer is number one.
The adjective 착하다, “to be kind,” does not have a final consonant.
So, you add -며 to make 착하며, “kind and ~.”
Number two is wrong because 척하다 means “to pretend.”
It looks similar but has a different meaning.
So, please be careful. Now, let’s read the sentence together!
제 동료는 (착하며) 멋있는 사람입니다.
Please read this sentence with a formal attitude.
Then, let’s try the next quiz!
( ) 카메라며 다 없어졌어요.
My wallet and camera are all gone.
(1)지갑으며 (2)지갑이며
OH, that must be very sad, right?
Here, the correct answer is number two.
지갑 is a “wallet.”
The noun 지갑 has a final consonant.
So, you add -이며 to make 지갑이며, “wallet and ~.”
Number one is wrong but close!
Please memorize the rule that you must use (이)며 with a noun and (으)며 with a verb or an adjective.
Now, let’s read the sentence with the feeling of being troubled!
(지갑이며) 카메라며 다 없어졌어요.
Please read this sentence over and over again.
-기가 무섭게
The last grammar is -기가 무섭게.
It means, “as soon as ~,” or “immediately after doing ~.”
You use this phrase to express some subsequent situation happening immediately after the preceding event.
As the expression 무섭게, “scarily,” it has a nuance to emphasize the following situation with a surprise.
It’s like, “so surprising that it happened one right after the other!”
You add -기가 무섭게 to a verb, and you apply this regardless of a final consonant.
So, it is easy peasy lemon squeezy! Now, let’s read the sample sentences to see a swift exchange of actions.
내 친구는 수업이 끝나기가 무섭게 교실을 뛰쳐나갔다.
My friend, as soon as class ended, rushed out of the classroom.
Here, 끝나다, “to end” is a verb.
So, you add -기가 무섭게 to make 끝나기가 무섭게, “as soon as (the class) ended.”
When you use this expression with a phrase like 뛰쳐나가다, “to rush out,” you can express the swiftness of the action.
The next example is also expressing the quick change in a situation.
Let’s see it together!
우리 언니는 빚을 갚기가 무섭게 돈을 다시 펑펑 쓰기 시작했어요.
My older sister, as soon as she paid back her debt, immediately started to use money wildly.
Oh, no! This type of older sister is so troublesome for the younger sister.
Here, 갚다 “to pay back” is a verb.
So, you add -기가 무섭게 to make, 갚기가 무섭게, “as soon as (she) pays back.”
Let’s read the next sentence to see the immediate change.
선거 결과가 나오기가 무섭게 국회의원들의 태도가 돌변했다.
As soon as the election result came out, the congressmen’s attitudes changed completely.
For congressmen, the election result is very, very important, right?
Here, 나오다, “to come out” is a verb.
So, you add -기가 무섭게 to make 나오기가 무섭게, “as soon as (the result) came out.”
Quiz
Now, let’s try the quizzes!
Which is the correct answer?
그 친구는 스마트폰이 ( ) 뛰쳐나갔다.
That friend, as soon as his smartphone rang, rushed out.
(1)울기가 무섭게 (2)올리기가 무섭게
I wonder if there was some emergency.
The correct answer is number two.
울리다 means “to ring. ” You add -기가 무섭게 to the stem to make, 울리기가 무섭게, “as soon as (the cell phone) rang.”
Number one was close. This word 울다 means “to cry.”
Since 핸드폰이 울다, “cell phone cries” is incorrect, 핸드폰이 울리다, “the cell phone rings,” is the correct expression.
Please memorize this correctly.
Then, let’s read the sentence with a surprising feeling!
그 친구는 핸드폰이 (울리기가 무섭게) 뛰쳐나갔다.
Please practice with your eyes wide open. Then, let’s try the next quiz!
그는 ( ) 바로 유학을 떠났다.
As soon as he graduated, he went to study abroad.
(1)졸업하기가 무섭게 (2)졸업하고 나서
The correct answer is number one.
졸업하다 means “to graduate.” You add -기가 무섭게 to the stem to make 졸업하기가 무섭게 ”as soon as he graduates.”
Number two, 졸업하고 나서, is wrong because it means, “after graduating.”
You use this grammar to state the objective order of things, such as “to do B after doing A.” Now, let’s read this sentence together!
그는 (졸업하기가 무섭게 ) 바로 유학을 떠났다.
Please master this sentence by reading it over and over again.
Homework
Now, it’s time for your favorite homework! Before the homework, I will tell you a famous saying that uses today’s grammar
역경을 견뎌내며 항복하지 않겠다는 것. 그것이 바로 힘이다.
Endure hardships and never surrender. That is strength.
아놀드 슈워제네거
Now, you can catch the Korean version of the famous words of Arnold Schwartzenegger in the movie, “Terminator.”
Did you catch today’s grammar? 견뎌내며, “Endure hardships and~.”
I hope you did.
Now, I will introduce today’s homework!
There are two parts to this homework.
First, please make three sentences using today’s grammatical rules.
For the first sentence, please use -(으)로서 “as.”
For example,
선생으로서 항상 여러분을 응원하고 있습니다.
As your teacher, I always cheer for all of you.
I want to be a teacher who continues cheering for your dreams!
For the second sentence, please use -(으)며 “and” to make a sentence that you could see in a newspaper article.
문화 센터에 가면 한국 요리도 먹을 수 있으며 한복도 입어 볼 수 있다.
When you go to the culture center, you can eat Korean food and wear Korean traditional costumes.
Like this sentence, -(으)며 makes the sentence very elegant.
For the third sentence, please use -기가 무섭게 to tell me some actions that swiftly change, to the point that it’s scary.
For example,
일이 생각나서 집에 들어오기가 무섭게 다시 나갔어요.
I remembered something, so I went out again as soon as I got home.
Wow, that was pretty swift, right?
I am looking forward to reading your imaginative sentences.
The second homework is to memorize new words.
Please memorize the forty words from number 841 to number 880 on page 11 in the intermediate vocabulary list.
There is a vocabulary quiz of forty words on my website, so just feel free to try it.
The link is in the description box.
That’s all! Great job, everyone! High five~!
Like in the previous sample sentence, I want to be a teacher who always believes in your possibilities and continues cheering for you.
그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요！
한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅！！
