안녕하세요~! 토미입니다!
Let’s enjoy learning Korean!
Today’s grammar is:
① (으)ㄹ래야 …(으)ㄹ 수 없다 “I try/plan but I can’t…/ It is so ~ that I can’t…,”
② (으)면서(도) “even though/although”
③ 에 불과하다 “just / only.”
If you learn today’s grammar,
오빠는 자기는 스마트폰으로 게임하면서 나한테는 게임하지 말래. .
My brother plays games on his smartphone, but tells me not to play games.
You will be able to make sentences like this.
This sentence expresses a contradiction.
Anyway, let’s learn the expression (으)면서(도) “even though/although” today, pass TOPIK II level 4, and become super intermediate masters!
You all can do it!
그럼 시작할게요!
-(으)ㄹ래야 …(으)ㄹ 수 없다
Verbs(without a final consonant) + ㄹ래야 -ㄹ 수 없다
Verbs(with a final consonant) + 을래야 -을 수 없다
The first grammar is (으)ㄹ래야 …(으)ㄹ 수 없다 “I try/plan but I can’t… / It is so ~ that I can’t…”
This expression indicates that the action will not be realized, no matter how hard you try.
The conjugation is you attach (으)ㄹ래야 …(으)ㄹ 수 없다 to verbs.
For example, 가다 will be 갈래야 갈 수 없다 “I try to go, but I can’t.”
먹다 will be 먹을래야 먹을 수 없다 “I try to eat, but I can’t.”
Let’s look at some examples.
Verb: Example 1
나는 그의 마지막 공연에 너무 감동해서 눈물을 참을래야 참을 수가 없었다.
I was so moved by his last performance that I couldn’t hold back my tears.
Here, 참다 is “to hold back.”
You attach 을래야 and 을 수 없다 to the verb stem to make 참을래야 참을 수 없었다 “(so moved that) I could not hold back.”
It shows a situation in which the person tried hard to hold back tears, but his/her efforts were in vain and the tears started to flow.
If you attach 가 to 수, like 수가 없다, it emphasizes the meaning of “cannot”.
Then let’s look at the following example.
Verb: Example 2
그와의 인연은 끊을래야 끊을 수 없다.
I try to cut ties with him, but I can’t.
Here, 끊다 means “to cut” or “to break.”
By adding -을래야 and -을 수 없다 to the verb stem, you form 끊을래야 끊을 수 없다, which conveys the meaning, “I try hard to cut ties, but I can’t.”
You might wonder, “What kind of ties would be so hard to break?”
However, watching K-dramas, you’ll see main characters with inseparable connections, even with bad people.
This example shows a situation in which the speaker repeatedly tried to cut ties but ultimately couldn’t.
Let’s look at the following example.
Verb: Example 3
나는 그의 어려운 상황을 다 아니까 모르는 척할래야 할 수가 없다.
Since I know all about his difficult situation, I can’t pretend not to know.
Here, 척하다 is “to pretend.”
You add ㄹ래야 /ㄹ 수 없다 to the verb stem to make 척할래야 할 수 없다 “I cannot pretend.”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes. Which one is the correct answer?
1. 여기는 내 고향이 아니니까 아는 사람이 ( ) 있을 수가 없다.
This isn’t my hometown, so I can’t possibly know anyone here.
(1)있을래야 (2)없을래야
The correct answer is number one.
To create the expression “I try to do~ but I can’t,” you use the expression (으)ㄹ래야.
Here, 있다 is “to be/there is.” You add (으)ㄹ래야 to the stem to make 있을래야.
Number two is incorrect because ㄹ래야 /ㄹ 수 없다 repeats the same verb twice like 있을래야 있을 수 없다.
You can see 있다 twice in this sentence.
Now, let’s read it together!
여기는 내 고향이 아니니까 아는 사람이 (있을래야) 있을 수가 없다.
Please read it with the feeling of “there is no way I know someone here!”
Now let’s look at the following quiz!
2. 나는 내 친구가 걱정이 돼서 병원에 ( ) 수가 없었다.
I was worried about my friend so much that I couldn’t help but go to the hospital.
(1) 갈래야 갈 (2) 안 갈래야 안 갈
The correct answer is number two.
Since the conclusion is that he ended up going to the hospital, it is appropriate to put 안 가다 “not to go”.
It indicates a situation in which the speaker was so worried that he couldn’t help going.
Number one is wrong because 갈래야 갈 수가 없었다 means “I couldn’t go.”
Now let’s read it together!
나는 내 친구가 걱정이 돼서 병원에 (안 갈래야 안 갈) 수가 없었다.
Please read it with an earnest heart.
-(으)면서(도)
Verbs • Adjectives(without a final consonant) + 면서(도)
Verbs • Adjectives(with a final consonant) + 으면서(도)
Nouns + 이면서(도)
[Past tense]Verbs + 았/었으면서(도)
The second grammar is (으)면서(도) “even though / although.”
(으)면서(도) has two meanings.
① It means “while/at the same time.”
You learned this grammar at the beginner’s level.
It is used when two or more actions or states occur simultaneously.
For example,
나는 과자를 먹으면서 게임하는 것을 좋아해요.
I like playing games while eating snacks.
Here, there are two actions: eating snacks and playing games at the same time.
② At the intermediate level, you will learn the second meaning, “even though/although.”
The expression is used when two actions or states conflict.
In this case, the speaker is expressing dissatisfaction with the inconsistency of the third party’s behavior.
It is often used with the expression 자기는 “oneself” to accuse the other person like “although you are doing this.”
So when used in this way, it has an extremely negative nuance.
To conjugate, you attach (으)면서(도) to a verb stem.
For example, 가다 will be 가면서도 “even though (someone) is going.” 먹다 will be 먹으면서도 “even though (someone) is eating.”
In addition, you attach (이)면서(도) for nouns and 았/었으면서(도) for the past tense.
Now, let’s look at examples.
Verb: Example 1
우리 오빠는 자기는 놀면서 남에게는 일을 시킨다.
Although my brother himself is playing, he makes others do the work.
Here, 놀다 is “to play.”
You add 면서 to the verb stem to make 놀면서 “although ~ playing.”
Here, you can notice two conflicting actions, 놀다 “to play” and 일을 시키다 “to make (someone) work.”
And these are connected by 면서.
So, the speaker expresses the meaning of contrastive conjunction.
And he/she is expressing a feeling of blame after seeing the contradictory behavior of “his/her brother.”
The following example is another one that would make a mother’s heart skip a beat.
Let’s take a look.
Verb: Example 2
우리 엄마는 자기는 드라마를 보면서도 우리에게는 공부하라고 한다.
Even though my mom watches dramas, she tells us to study.
I have to be careful not to be this kind of mother.
You can see in this sentence that the children are complaining, right?
Here, 보다 is “to watch.”
You add 면서도 to the verb stem to make 보면서도 “Even though she watches.”
Let’s look at the following example.
Verb: Example 3
나는 그 친구를 알고 있으면서도 모르는 척했다.
Although I knew the friend, I pretended not to know him.
In this sentence, 알고 있다 is “to know.”
You add 으면서 to the verb stem to make 알고 있으면서 “Although I knew.”
As you can see, the translation “although” is more fitting than “while.”
And 알고 있다 “to know” and 모르다 “to not know” are two opposite states connected by (으)면서.
So, it represents a contradictory conjunction.
Adjective: Example 4
우리 아버지는 시간이 많이 있으면서도 항상 바쁘다고 말한다.
Even though my dad has plenty of time, he always says he is busy.
It was an example sentence that conveyed a child’s complaint.
Here, 있다 is “there is/to have.”
You add (으)면서도 to the stem to make 있으면서도 “even though he has.”
Adjective: Example 5
형은 돈이 많으면서 선물이란 걸 한 번도 안 해 줬잖아.
My brother has a lot of money, but never given me gifts.
많다 is “a lot of.” You add (으)면서 to the stem to make 많으면서 “even though he has a lot.”
Noun: Example 6
우리 언니는 요리사이면서 집에서는 요리를 잘 안 해요.
My sister is a chef but doesn’t cook much at home.
요리사 is a “chef”, you add 이면서 to make 요리사이면서 “even though she is a chef.”
Past tense(Verb): Example 7
우리 오빠는 자기가 학생이었을 때는 맨날 게임만 했으면서 나한테는 공부하라고 잔소리하네.
My older brother nags me to study, even though he spent all his time playing games as a student.
게임만 했다 “he played games all the time” is past tense, so you add 으면서 to make 게임만 했으면서 “even though he only played games”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes. Which one is the correct answer?
1. 다 ( ) 왜 그래?
Although you know all about it, why are you doing this?
(1) 알면서 (2) 알겠으면서
The correct answer is number one.
다 알면서 means “although you know all about it.”
알다 “to know” is connected to 면서 to make 알면서 “although you know.”
Number two, 알겠으면서, is strange because you usually don’t put 겠 together with (으)면서.
Now, let’s read it together!
다 (알면서) 왜 그래?
Please read it as if you’re reading lines from a drama.
Let’s look at the following quiz!
2. 우리 삼촌은 자기는 음악을 크게 ( ) 내가 좋아하는 음악을 틀면 시끄럽다고 한다.
Although my uncle turns the music up loud, he says it’s too loud when I turn on the music I like.
(1) 틀면서 (2) 틀으면서
The correct answer is number one.
음악을 틀다 means “to turn up music.”
You add 면서 to the verb stem to make 틀면서.
Since 틀다 has a final consonant, it seems to be 틀으면서, as in number two.
However, for words with the ㄹ final consonant, you don’t add 으.
The correct conjugation is 틀면서.
Now, let’s read it together!
우리 삼촌은 자기는 음악을 크게 (틀면서) 내가 좋아하는 음악을 틀면 시끄럽다고 한다.
Please read it at least three times with the speaker’s frustrated feelings.
-에 불과하다
Nouns + 에 불과하다
The last grammar is -에 불과하다 “just / only.”
This expression is used when a particular standard is not exceeded.
The conjugation is simple. You add 에 불과하다 to nouns.
Also, since 불과하다 is an adjective, when it is changed to a noun modifier, it becomes 불과한 ~ “It is just …”
Now, let’s look at the examples.
Noun: Example 1
영원한 사랑이란 환상에 불과하다.
Eternal love is only an illusion.
It may sound right, but it was kind of a disappointing example.
I still wish there would be 영원한 사랑 “eternal love.”
Returning to the example, the noun 환상 is an “illusion.”
You add 에 불과하다 to it to make 환상에 불과하다 “only an illusion.”
Let’s look at the following example.
Noun: Example 2
단순한 소문에 불과한 말을 쉽게 믿으면 안 돼.
Don’t easily believe words that are just rumors.
Here, the noun 소문 is a “rumor.”
You add 에 불과하다 to it to make 소문에 불과하다 “just rumors.”
불과하다 is an adjective, so when you make it into the noun modifier, it becomes 불과한 and modifies the noun 말 “word.”
So it becomes 소문에 불과한 말 “words that are just rumors.”
Next, look at an example that does not exceed a particular quantity.
Noun: Example 3
지금 내 지갑에 들어 있는 돈은 몇천 원에 불과하다.
The money in my wallet now is only a few thousand won.
Here, the noun 몇천 원 means “a few thousand won.”
You add 에 불과하다 to make 몇천 원에 불과하다 “only a few thousand won.”
This indicates a situation in which the subject 지갑에 들어 있는 돈 “money in my wallet” does not exceed the quantity 몇천 원 “thousands of won.”
Quiz
Then, let’s deepen our understanding with some quizzes.
Which one is the correct answer?
1. 몇 퍼센트에 ( ) 성공 비율을 더 높여야 한다.
We must increase the success ratio to only a few percent.
(1) 불과한 (2) 불과하는
The correct answer is number one.
Since 불과하다 is an adjective, 불과한 is appropriate when used in the noun modifier.
Note that the word 불과하는 does not exist as in number two.
Now let’s read it together!
몇 퍼센트에 (불과한) 성공비율을 더 높여야 한다.
Please try to read it at least three times! Now let’s look at the following quiz!
2. 나는 그 사고 현장에 우연히 ( ) 불과하다.
I just happened to be at the scene of the accident by chance.
(1) 있었음에 (2) 있었을
The correct answer is number one, 있었음에.
Since a noun must come before the particle 에, you nominalize 있었다 “to have been” by (으)ㅁ.
Then it becomes 있었음. You add 에 to it to make 있었음에.
Number two, 있었을, is the wrong grammar. So, please don’t use it!
Now, let’s read it together!
나는 그 사고 현장에 우연히 (있었음에) 불과하다.
Please read it at least three times as if you are explaining.
Homework
OK. I will tell you today’s saying.
나이는 숫자에 불과하다.
Age is just a number.
Today’s saying is very simple.
This phrase is often used when people want to express that age doesn’t matter for success.
By the way, did you spot today’s grammar, 에 불과하다?
So here’s your homework for today!
There are two homework assignments.
First, compose three sentences using today’s grammar.
① Firstly, let’s use (으)ㄹ래야 …(으)ㄹ 수 없다 “I try/plan but I can’t…/ It is so ~ that I can’t…”
For example,
- 구내염 때문에 아파서 밥을 먹을래야 먹을 수가 없어요.
The mouth ulcer is so painful that I can’t eat my food.
Oh, such a painful sentence. I hope he/she will get better soon.
② Secondly, let’s use (으)면서(도) “even though / although” and compose a sentence full of complaints.
For example,
- 아버지는 자기는 소파에서 빈둥거리면서 우리한테는 운동하라고 한다.
Although my dad is chilling on the couch, he tells us to exercise.
Oh, my god!! That’s quite contradictory!
I understand why this speaker is mad at his/her father.
③ Lastly, let’s use 에 불과하다 “just / only,” and express something that doesn’t meet specific standards.
For example,
- 계획이 없는 목표는 그저 꿈에 불과하다.
A goal without a plan is just a dream.
Yes. Having a plan is very important for success.
The second homework is to memorize new words.
Please memorize the forty words from number 2401 to number 2440 on page 31 of the intermediate vocabulary list.
My website has a vocabulary quiz of forty words, so feel free to try it.
The link is in the description box.
Memorizing vocabulary is coming to an end!
Memorizing the words will help you express yourself much better, so hang in!
That’s all!
Thank you for your time today!
Your passion is more important than age to start learning a language!
Let’s continue to study Korean with a burning desire together!
그럼 오늘도 행복 가득, 웃음 가득한 하루 되세요！ 한국어 화이팅, 화이팅, 화이팅！！
