안녕하세요. 토미입니다.
Let’s have fun learning Korean today!
The grammar we will learn today is, first, 더니 “I (personally saw) (he/she/it) did ~, but(and)”, second, -(ㄴ/는)다더니 “(he/she) said (he/she) would ~, and”, and finally -(ㄴ/는)다거나 “to do A or B.”
If you learn today’s grammar, you can say as
마리나 씨가 한국어를 열심히 공부하더니 이제는 한국에서 취직까지 했대요.
I saw Marina studying Korean so hard, and now she even got a job in Korea!
You can say like “I never thought that Marina would turn out like this!”, and you will be able to express your surprise in Korean!
And I’m sure you can pass TOPIKⅡ level4, and become as super intermediate master who can catch any kind of Korean! You will achieve your goal for sure!
그럼 시작할게요!
-더니
I will explain the first grammar, 더니.
Well, I know I have to teach this someday, but I’m very nervous as a teacher because it could be very confusing for Korean learners.
Why is it confusing?
Because you cannot find the exact translation in English.
That’s why. Therefore, I recommend you understand the nuance of this grammar.
Now let’s take a closer look!
You use -더니 to describe an event based on what you saw or heard personally.
It means “(I personally saw or experienced that ) (he/she/it) did~, but/and~.”
And this past event you experienced is related to someone else or something as a consequence.
But I added a big parenthesis for “(I personally saw or experienced that)” because this grammar contains its meaning, but it did not say it directly in words.
Do you understand?
Moreover, in the translation, it said (but/ and).
It means you choose but or and depending on the content. Crystal clear?
You can convey the message that the situation in the first clause has changed somehow in the second clause. Ok?
In addition, I have to tell you something extremely important!
In most cases, the subject of -더니 comes in the second or third person or an event or a thing.
So this is a grammar where the first person “I” doesn’t come often. OK?
To conjugate 더니, you use -더니 for verb and adjective stems regardless of a final consonant.
Yes!! This part is easy at least! Right？
And for nouns, you attach -(이)더니. OK?
Now, let’s read a sample sentence.
You can pay attention to the fact that the previous event was the reason for the following event.
우리 아이가 어젯밤에 늦게 자더니 아침에 늦잠을 잤어요.
(I saw) my son went to bed late last night and overslept this morning.
Here, 자다 is “to sleep/to go to bed.”
Therefore, you add -더니 to make 자더니 “he went to bed and.”
The speaker is saying that she saw her son go to bed late last night.
And it caused him to oversleep in the morning.
And you can see that the subject is “my son,” which is the third person.
That’s why you use 더니 here.
Then, let’s read the next sentence. You can see how the past situation is different from the present.
오빠, 어젠 힘이 없더니 오늘은 꽤 기분이 좋은 것 같군요.
Oppa, you weren’t feeling well yesterday, but you seem to be feeling much better today.
Here, 없다 is “to have none.” So, what do you have to add? 더니!
Yes! You attach -더니 to make 없더니 “(you) weren’t ~, but….”
In contradiction to “you weren’t feeling well yesterday” which the speaker saw, the speaker uses 더니 to tell that he seems to be feeling much better today.
And this sample sentence is a situation where you are talking to 오빠 in front of you, right?
So you can see how to use the 2nd person with this grammar.
Finally, let’s read a sample sentence when the previous event is followed by a subsequent event.
비바람이 세게 불더니 갑자기 눈이 내리기 시작했다.
It was raining heavily and the wind was blowing strongly, and then suddenly it started snowing.
Wow, I could imagine it would be pretty hard to walk in this kind of weather.
Anyway, here, 불다 is “to blow.” You attach -더니 to make 불더니 “was blowing ~, and then.”
The speaker saw “the wind was blowing strongly,” and the speaker is telling the event that it suddenly started snowing.
Do you understand?
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
어제는 ( ) 오늘은 선선하구나.
It was hot yesterday, but it’s cooler today.
(1)덥더니 (2) 더우더니
The correct answer is number 1.
Since you want to say that it’s cool today in contrast to what was hot yesterday, you can add -더니 to 덥다 “to be hot” to make 덥더니.
Number two is the wrong conjugation, so be careful!
Now, let’s read it with the thought of telling the exact opposite!
어제는 (덥더니) 오늘은 선선하구나.
Please, read out loud this sentence several times.
Let’s look at the next quiz.
상민 씨가 어제 술을 많이 ( ) 오늘은 결석했네요.
Sangmin drank a lot of alcohol yesterday, and he is absent today.
(1)마시더니 (2) 마시어더니
The correct answer is number one. You add -더니 to 마시다 “to drink” to make 마시더니 “drank ~, and.”
Number two is grammatically wrong. You cannot say like 마시어더니. It is always 마시더니. Now let’s read it together!
상민 씨가 어제 술을 많이 (마시더니) 오늘은 결석했네요.
Please try to read the sentence as many times as possible.
–(ㄴ/는)다더니
The second grammar, -(ㄴ/는)다더니 is a contraction of -(ㄴ/는)다고 하더니.
This is the indirect speech form of -(ㄴ/는)다고 하다 “(he/she) said that (he/she) would ~” with the -더니 “and/but”.
It mainly expresses the meaning of “he/she said,” but often you can translate it as “people in general said” or “it is said.”
Therefore, Korean people use this grammar to mention a proverb as well.
To apply this grammar, you attach -ㄴ/는다더니 for verbs.
If a verb stem does not have a final consonant, you attach ㄴ다더니.
For example, 가다 “to go” does not have a final consonant.
So, you attach ㄴ다더니 to make 간다더니 “(he/she)said that (he/she) would go.”
If a verb stem has a final consonant, you attach 는다더니.
For example, 먹다 “to eat” has a final consonant.
So, you attach 는다더니 to make 먹는다더니 “(he/she)said that (he/she) would eat.”
For adjectives, you attach -다더니 regardless of a final consonant. For nouns, you attach -(이)라더니.
Now, let’s read a sample sentence.
오빠가 오늘 면접을 본다더니 벌써 갔나 봐요.
My brother said he would go to have an interview today, but it looks like he’s already gone.
Here, 보다 “to have (an interview)” is a verb without a final consonant.
So, what do you have to add? -ㄴ다더니! Yes!
You add -ㄴ다더니 to make 본다더니 “he said he would go to have an interview.”
Then let’s have a look at the word 면접을 보다 “to have an interview.”
In Korean, it is a key point that you use 보다 for words like taking an exam or having an interview. So, please, remember it!
Now, let’s read the next sentence.
새로 지은 건물이라더니 정말 깨끗하네.
It is said it was a newly built building, so it’s really beautiful.
Here, 건물 a “building” is a noun that has a final consonant.
Therefore, what do you have to attach? -이라더니.
You add -이라더니 to make 건물이라더니 “It is said it was a (newly built) building.”
Let’s read the last sentence, which mentions the proverb.
열 손가락 깨물어 안 아픈 손가락 없다더니 부모에게는 모든 자식이 다 똑같이 귀여운가 봐.
Like they say “Bite ten fingers, there are no fingers that don’t hurt,” it seems like all children are equally cute to their parents.
It was a long proverb, wasn’t it?
Since 없다 “to have none” is an adjective, you attach -다더니 to the stem to make 없다더니 “they say there is no ~.”
In this case, 더니 is used to quote the proverb 열 손가락 깨물어 안 아픈 손가락 없다.
This proverb means that no matter how many sons and daughters you have, every child is lovely and precious.
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
그 친구가 책을 많이 ( ) 진짜 아는 게 많구나.
People said she read a lot of books, and she really knows many things.
(1)읽더니 (2) 읽는다더니
The correct answer is number two.
Since 읽다 “to read” is a verb that has a final consonant, you add -는다더니 to make 읽는다더니 “people said she read ~, and.”
Number one is wrong because 읽더니 doesn’t have the meaning of indirect speech.
Now let’s read them together!
그 친구가 책을 많이 (읽는다더니) 진짜 아는 게 많구나.
Please try to read it with some thoughts of admiration. Now let’s look at the next quiz!
삼계탕은 이 식당이 ( ) 정말 그렇네요.
They said this restaurant’s chicken soup is delicious, and it really is.
(1)맛있다더니 (2) 맛있는다더니
The correct answer is number one.
맛있다 “to be delicious” is an adjective.
So, you add -다더니 to make 맛있다더니 “they said ~ delicious,”
Number two is wrong because 맛있다 “to be delicious” is an adjective.
So, you attach 다더니 not 는다더니. OK? Now let’s read it with surprise!
삼계탕은 이 식당이 (맛있다더니) 정말 그렇네요.
Please practice until you can say it smoothly.
–(ㄴ/는)다거나
The last grammar, -(ㄴ/는)다거나, means “whether(if) A or B” or “either A or B” and you use it to describe various events, listing them as examples or options.
Here is how to conjugate. For verbs, you use -ㄴ/는다거나. For adjectives, you use -다거나. And for nouns, you use -(이)라거나.
Now, let’s check -(ㄴ/는)다거나 with sample sentences
그 사람과는 연락을 한다거나 만난다거나 하지 않는 게 좋겠어
I think you should not contact or meet that person.
It sounds like a mother advising her young daughter. Right?
Here, 하다 “to do” is a verb without a final consonant.
So, you attach -ㄴ다거나 to make 한다거나 “to do or.”
Also, 만나다 “to meet” is a verb without a final consonant.
So, what do you have to attach? 3,2,1!
ㄴ다거나. Yes! So, you attach -ㄴ다거나 to make 만난다거나 “to meet or ~.”
Let’s look at the next sentence.
방이 춥다거나 하면 언제든지 저한테 말씀하세요.
If the room is cold or something, you can always tell me.
It sounds like something an apartment manager would say, doesn’t it?
Here, 춥다 “to be cold” is an adjective, so what do you have to add?
-다거나! Yes!! You add 다거나 to the stem to make 춥다거나 “cold or something.”
Now let’s look at a noun’s case!
손님~, 바지라거나 치마라거나 찾는 게 있으세요?
Ma’am, are you looking for pants, a skirt, or something?
Here, 바지 “pants” and 치마 “skirt” are both nouns without a final consonant.
So, what do you have to add? 3, 2, 1, -라거나!
Yes!! You add 라거나 to make 바지라거나 “pants or” and 치마라거나 “skirt or (something).”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
먹어 보고 간이 안 맞으면 ( ) 싱겁다고 말해 줘.
If you try it and you don’t like the saltiness, just say it’s salty or light.
(1)짠다거나 (2) 짜다거나
The correct answer is number 2.
Here, 짜다 “to be salty” is an adjective, so you add -다거나 to make 짜다거나 “salty or ~.”
Number one is the wrong conjugation. So, be careful!
Now, let’s read it together with a feeling of “Tell me honestly!”
먹어 보고 간이 안 맞으면 (짜다거나) 싱겁다고 말해 줘.
You can say it out loud several times.
Now let’s look at the next quiz!
야외 공연은 비가 ( ) 하면 연기될 수도 있어요.
The outdoor performance may be postponed if it rains or something happens.
(1)온다거나 (2) 오는다거나
The correct answer is number 1.
Since 비가 오다 “it rains” is a verb without a final consonant, you add -ㄴ다거나 to make 온다거나 “if it rains or something happens”
Number two is wrong because you apply ㄴ다거나 for verbs in this grammar.
Now let’s read it together!
야외 공연은 비가 (온다거나) 하면 연기될 수도 있어요.
Please try to pronounce it properly.
Homework
Okay! It’s time for homework.
But before the homework, I will give you a wise saying.
비가 내려 춥더니 그 비 맞고 오늘은 꽃이 활짝 피었구나. 인생의 화복도 저와 같은 것이려니
정약용
It was cold and rainy, and the rain beat down on the ground.
Yet today, the flowers are in full bloom. Life’s fortunes are like this.
By Jeong Yak-yong
Jeong Yak-yong is a famous Korean philosopher. Did you understand this content?
I like this saying!
Now, let’s check on our homework.
First, let’s compose three sentences using the grammar we learned today.
The first sentence is – 더니 “(he/she) did ~, and” to make a sentence.
For example.
당신, 어제도 늦게 들어오더니 오늘도 또 늦어?
Honey, you came home late yesterday, and you are late again today?
It makes a wife worried when her husband comes home late. Don’t forget that the subject of this grammar can be in the 2nd or 3rd person!
In the second sentence, you use -(ㄴ/는)다더니 “(he/she) said (he/she) would ~, but” to make a sentence.
For example,
새 집을 짓는다더니 벌써 공사를 시작했네요.
He said he would build a new house and construction’s already started.
For the third sentence, you use -(ㄴ/는)다거나 “to do or” to make a sentence.
For example,
바쁘다거나 피곤하다고 해서 일을 자꾸 미루면 안돼요.
Don’t keep putting off work just because you’re busy or tired.
The point of this is that the content of the enumeration is a metaphor.
And to all of you who always submit your homework, thank you so much!
I always enjoy reading them.
The second homework is to memorize new words.
Please memorize the forty words from number 1281 to number 1320 on page 17 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! Thanks again for all your hard work today!
I look forward to meeting you all in real life one day and talking to you in Korean!
그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요！
한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅！！
