안녕하세요. 토미입니다.
Let’s have fun learning Korean today!
Today’s grammar is First) -더라 “I saw/experienced that ~”, Second) -더라도 “even if ~” and third) -(으)ㄹ 수가 있어야지(요) “cannot ~at all, it’s hard to ~.”
After you learn today’s grammar, you can express like
아이들이 너무 떠들어서 친구들과 차분히 이야기할 수가 있어야지요.
The kids were so loud that I could not talk with my friends peacefully.
You will be able to say 이야기할 수가 있어야죠, which means “cannot talk.”
In addition, if you constantly study with my Intermediate class, I am sure that you can pass TOPIK 2, level four.
I confidently exclaim this because I am covering all the grammar from the exam.
And my Japanese students are actually passing the exam after studying my materials.
So, it is already proven.
Therefore, let’s do our best, pass TOPIK 2, level four, and become a super master of intermediate Korean.
I’m sure you can do it!
그럼 시작할게요！
-더라
First, let’s look at the grammar, 더라 “I saw/experienced that ~, /From my personal experience, I found.”
I’m pretty sure that some of you have heard of 하더라, 했더라, 먹더라 in Korean conversations, like 더라, 더라, 더라 everywhere！
I say that Korean people use this expression often.
-더라 means to express your recollection of past events with a witness.
In other words, -더라 expresses what you experience in the past.
Hey Tammy, can you tell me the difference between the regular past tense and 더라?
Let’s compare with the plain past tense and 더라.
오늘은 되게 추워 means “Today is really cold.” It is a plain sentence, which states only a fact.
On the other hand, if you say 오늘은 되게 춥더라.
It means “(From my personal experience, I realized) Today was really cold.”
Can you see the difference?
As you can see, if you use 더라, you can emphasize your own experience.
In addition, I put the parentheses for the part, “From my personal experience, I realized.”
It is not written directly in Korean, but I put it so that you can understand the nuance of 더라.
Well, Tammy, I understood that part.
But how about the past tense like 했더라?
Yes, that’s also a good, good question.
Korean people use -더라 to recollect past events like they directly experienced something ongoing.
If they want to talk about what had been done already, they use the past tense 았/었더라.
For example,
오늘은 되게 춥더라 means “(From my personal experience, I realized) Today was really cold.”
and if you say 오늘은 되게 추웠더라, it means “(From my personal experience, I realized) Today had been really cold.”
As demonstrated, 추웠더라 is the past perfect tense.
It’s already finished completely.
Crystal Clear? Now, I’ll go back and explain more about 더라.
If you use it in a questioning tone, you can express that you are asking yourself about the past event by recalling your memory.
You combine words like 누구 “who”, 무엇 “what”, 언제 “when”, 어디 “where” or 어떻게 “how” with 더라.
For example, you can say like 누구더라 “Who was that?” or 뭐더라 “What was that?” 언제더라 “When was that?”
The usage is pretty simple. For verbs and adjectives, you can attach -더라 regardless of a final consonant. It is as simple as ABC!
For nouns, you attach -더라 if a noun does not have a final consonant, and you attach -이더라 if a noun has a final consonant.
Then, let’s read sample sentences using lots of 더라.
The first one is an example to talk about something you saw in the past by recalling the memory.
sample sentences
ㄱ: 상민 씨 못 봤어?
Didn’t you see Sang Min?
ㄴ: 아까 보니까 도서실에서 책을 찾고 있더라.
I saw him just a while ago, and he was looking for some books at the library.
Here, 찾고 있다 “to be looking for” is a verb.
So, you add -더라 to make 찾고 있더라 “was looking for.”
In this sentence, the speaker says that he witnessed Sang Min looking for books.
That’s why he is using 찾고 있더라.
I’ll show you a similar sentence using -았/었더라.
sample sentences
상민 씨가 도서실에서 재미있는 책 찾았더라.
I saw Sang Min find an interesting book at the library.
Here, 찾다 “to find” becomes 찾았다 “found” in the past tense.
So, you add 더라 to make 찾았더라 “I saw (him) find ~.”
From this sentence, you can tell that Sang Min had already found a book.
Next, let’s read a sample sentence that tells something that the speaker felt in the past.
sample sentences
새로 생긴 공원에 가 봤는데 정말 좋더라.
I went to the newly opened park, but I felt it was really good.
Here, 좋다 “to be good” is an adjective.
So, you add -더라 to make 좋더라 “I felt it was good.” OK?
I will give you the last sample sentence, which is used in a question form.
sample sentences
그 사람이 누구더라?
Who was that person?
This is a short sentence, but Korean people use it daily.
누구 “who” is a pronoun, which works the same as a noun.
And, 누구 does not have a final consonant. Therefore, you add -더라 to make 누구더라 “Who was that?”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
언니가 무슨 일이 있었는지 혼자 ( ).
I guess that there was some problem, and I saw my sister crying.
(1)흘리더라 (2) 울더라
The correct answer is number two.
Here, you want to tell that you saw her crying.
울다 means “to cry.” Therefore, you add 더라 to make 울더라 “I saw (her) crying.”
Did someone choose number one?
Number one was also very close. 흘리다 itself means “to spill.”
When you say 눈물을 흘리다, it means “to shed tears.”
In this quiz, there was only 흘리다 alone. Therefore, it cannot be the answer.
Then, let’s read it together!
언니가 무슨 일이 있었는지 혼자 (울더라).
Wow, it makes me sad. Then, let’s look at the next quiz!
그 식당 나도 몇 번 가 봤는데 되게 ( ).
I went to the restaurant several times, but it was really delicious.
①맛있더라 (2) 맛없더라
The correct answer is number one.
You want to tell how you felt about the taste.
맛있다 means “to be delicious.” So, you add -더라 to make 맛있더라 “it was delicious.”
Number two is wrong because 맛없다 means “to be unsavory.”
Then, let’s read it together!
그 식당 나도 몇 번 가 봤는데 되게 (맛있더라.)
Please read it as if you are saying it to your friend.
–더라도
The second grammar, -더라도 means “even if ~.”
아무리 “no matter” often goes together with -더라도 to mean “no matter of adjective/verb.”
In addition, there is another similar expression, 아/어도 “even if ~.”
Hey, Tammy, I have a question. Is there any difference between -더라도 and 아/어도?
Yes! Thank you for asking. These are almost the same expressions. If I had to say the difference, 더라도 has more emphasis on the preceding supposition than 아/어도.
For example,
날씨가 무덥더라도 꼭 결혼식에 참석하세요.
날씨가 무더워도 꼭 결혼식에 참석하세요.
Even if the weather is sweltering, be sure to attend the wedding.
Here, 무덥더라도 is a more stressed supposition than 무더워도.
So, a listener understands no matter how the weather is sweltering, that he/she should really attend the wedding.
About the usage, for verbs and adjectives, you always attach -더라도 regardless of a final consonant.
For nouns, you attach -이더라도 regardless of a final consonant.
Oh, No sweat!
Then, let’s read a sample sentence.
sample sentences
화가 나는 일이 있더라도 좀 참아.
Even if there is something that makes you angry, you should be patient.
Korean moms would say this. would they?
Here, 있다 “to exist, to be” is a verb, so you add -더라도 to make 있더라도 “even if there is ~.”
It also means the same if you use 있어도 just like 화가 나는 일이 있어도 좀 참아.
Then, let’s read the next sentence.
sample sentences
아무리 싫더라도 맡은 일은 다 해야지.
No matter how much you hate it, you have to do what you undertook.
Here, 싫다 “to hate” is an adjective.
So, you add -더라도 to make 싫더라도 “no matter how much you hate.”
As you can see from 아무리 싫더라도 “no matter how much you hate it,” 아무리 and 더라도 are a good pair.
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
이 그림은 누가 ( ) 칭찬할 거야.
Whoever sees this picture will complement it.
(1)보더라도 (2) 보더라
The correct answer is number one. 보다 “to see” is a verb.
So, you add -더라도 to make 보더라도 “whoever sees ~.”
Number two is wrong because 보더라 cannot be in the middle of a sentence.
It always goes to the end of a sentence.
Then, let’s read it together!
이 그림은 누가 (보더라도) 칭찬할 거야.
Please read it as if you highly praise this picture.
Then, let’s look at the next quiz.
아무리 ( ) 갑자기 집에 찾아오면 곤란해요.
Even if you are in a hurry, if you visit my home suddenly, I feel uncomfortable.
(1)급하도 (2) 급하더라도
The correct answer is number two. 급하다 “to be in a hurry” is an adjective. So, what do you have to add?
-더라도! yes!! So, you add -더라도 to make 급하더라도 “even if (you) are in a hurry.”
Number one is wrong because 급하도 is the wrong spelling.
If it was 급해도, then it would be also the correct answer.
Then, let’s read it together.
아무리 (급하더라도) 갑자기 집에 찾아오면 곤란해요.
Please read it again and again until you can express your feelings.
–(으)ㄹ 수가 있어야지(요)
Alright! Then, let’s move on to the last grammar!
-(으)ㄹ 수가 있어야지(요) is a combined grammar of -(으)ㄹ 수(가) 있다 “can ~” and -아/어야지 “should~.”
Therefore, you might think its meaning is “must be able to ~.”
However, Korean people use this grammar when they want to strongly negate something by saying the opposite thing.
So, its meaning is “cannot~at all, it’s hard to”
It could be so confusing for Korean learners for the first time.
But if you hear it often, you can gradually grasp the idea.
About the usage, as -(으)ㄹ 수(가) 있다 “can ~” only follows verbs, -(으)ㄹ 수가 있어야지(요) follows verbs as well.
If a verb does not have a final consonant, you attach -ㄹ 수가 있어야지(요), and if a verb has a final consonant, you attach -을 수가 있어야지(요).
Then, let’s read a sample sentence to see what they cannot do at all.
sample sentences
궁금증이 생겨서 견딜 수가 있어야지요.
Once you get curious, it’s hard to suppress.
This is so true. I always get curious about upcoming dramas and cannot have patience.
I hope you can use this phrase when you feel the same way.
Here, 견디다 “to suppress” does not have a final consonant.
So, what do you have to add? 3, 2, 1!! -ㄹ 수가 있어야지요?
Yes!! So, you add -ㄹ 수가 있어야지요? to make 견딜 수가 있어야지요? “it’s hard to suppress.”
If you use -ㄹ 수가 없어요 to make 견딜 수가 없어요, it has the same meaning.
But when you say 견딜 수가 있어야지요, you can add more emphasis. OK?
Then, let’s read the next sentence to see why a man is angry.
sample sentences
여자친구가 자꾸 거짓말만 하는데 믿을 수가 있어야죠.
My girlfriend keeps telling lies and I cannot trust her at all.
Here, 믿다 “to trust” has a final consonant.
So, you add -을 수가 있어야죠 to make 믿을 수가 있어야죠 “cannot trust ~ at all.”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
방이 너무 추워서 ( ).
The room is too cold, so I cannot bear it at all.
(1)참을 수가 있어야지 (2) 참을 수가 없어야지
The correct answer is number one.
참다 “to bear” has a final consonant.
So, you add -을 수가 있어야지 to make 참을 수가 있어야지 “cannot bear it at all.”
Number two is wrong because there is no grammar such as 참을 수가 없어야지.
It is always (으)ㄹ 수가 있어야지. OK?
Then, let’s read it together.
방이 너무 추워서 (참을 수가 있어야지).
You can express how cold it is from this sentence.
Then, let’s look at the next quiz!
요즘 10대들이 쓰는 말을 도통 ( ) 말이죠.
I cannot understand even a word that current teenagers use.
알아들을 수 없어야 (2) 알아들을 수 있어야
The correct answer is number two.
알아듣다 means “to understand.”
And, you add (으)ㄹ 수 있어야 말이죠 to make 알아들을 수 있어야 말이죠 “cannot understand ~.”
Just like this sentence, you can also add 말이죠 instead of 죠 to emphasize the meaning of denial.
Number one is wrong because it is always (으)ㄹ 수가 있어야지. Not 없어야지!
Then, let’s read it together!
요즘 10대들이 쓰는 말을 도통 (알아들을 수 있어야) 말이죠.
Please read it again and again until you can say it smoothly.
homework
Alright! Now it’s time for homework! But before the homework, I will give you today’s saying.
뭐가 잘 못인지 모르는 사람은
뭐가 잘하는 건지도 모르더라.
Who doesn’t know what’s wrong
doesn’t know what he was good at.
Did you spot today’s grammar, 더라?
The speaker is using 더라 to express his personal experience.
Even though it is not written in the translation.
Now, let’s make your sentences as usual!
For the first sentence, please use -더라 “from my personal experience, I found.”
For example,
아까 보니까 저 시계 고장 났더라.
I saw it just now and I found that the clock was broken.
For the second sentence, please use -더라도 “even if ~.”
For example,
아무리 시간이 없더라도 식사는 꼭 챙기셔야죠.
No matter how busy you are, don’t miss your meal.
For the third sentence, please use -(으)ㄹ 수가 있어야지(요) “cannot ~at all, it’s hard to ~.”
For example,
아이가 무엇 때문에 화났는지 알 수가 있어야지
I cannot understand at all why the kid is mad.
The second homework is to memorize new words.
Please memorize the forty words from number 1321 to number 1360 on page 17 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 is pretty much for today! You guys did a good job.
I appreciate you always studying hard. Seeing your hard work, I feel like I can do my best and be more responsible to finish the intermediate course!
그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요！
한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅！！
