Korean Grammar - Making Nouns
Korean Grammar - Making Nouns
I. …기 …ing (… is the infinitive stem of the verb or adjective)
- The syllable “기” is added to the infinitive stem of a verb or adjective to nominalize it, especially when listing actions or categorizing. It is also commonly used to express general actions and is more often found in written Korean, formal or abstract contexts, or fixed grammatical patterns.
Making a list of Nouns
Ex)
운동: 달리기, 테니스 치기, 탁구 치기, 축구하기, 야구하기, 농구하기
취미: 요리하기, 바느질하기, 요가하기, 독서하기, 영화보기
활동: 말하기, 듣기, 읽기, 쓰기
Exercise 1) Translate the following sentences into English.
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새해 목표 new year’s resolutions |
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문장 Sentences |
번역 Translation |
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1. 새로운 사람을 많이 만나기 |
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2. 새로운 것을 배우기 |
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3. 여행하기 |
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4. 외국어를 공부하기 |
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5. 책을 많이 읽기 |
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- The noun form “...기” is often used in fixed grammatical patterns. Below are some common examples of “...기” expressions.
The expression: “…기 Verb” = Verb to…
Ex)
1) …기 희망하다 wish to …
그들을 다시 보기 희망합니다. I wish to see them again.
2) …기 시작하다 start to…
그 아이는 울기 시작했어요. The kid started to cry.
The expression: “…기 Adjective” = It is Adjective to …
Ex)
1) …기 재미있다 It is fun to …
만들기 재미있어요. It is fun to make.
2) …기 어렵다 It is difficult to…
교통이 불편해서 가기 어려워요. It is difficult to go because the traffic is inconvenient.
3) …기 좋다 It is good to…
한국은 살기 좋은 곳이에요. (곳 place)
Korea is a good place to live.
4) …기 싫다 hate to…, dislike to…
혼자 놀기 싫어요. I hate to play alone.
5) …기 쉽다 It is easy to…
이 문제를 해결하기 쉬워요. (해결하다 to solve, 문제 problem)
It is easy to solve this problem.
6) …기 어렵다 It is difficult to…
길을 찾기 어려워요. (길을 찾다 to find the direction) It is difficult to find the direction.
새로운 사람(들)을 만나기 어려워요. It is difficult to meet new people.
7) …기 힘들다 It is hard/tough to…
아파서 오늘 등산하기 힘들어요. (등산하다 to hike)
It is tough to hike today because I’m sick.
8) …기 두렵다 It is afraid to…
벌레 잡기 두려워요. (벌레 잡다 to catch a bug)
I am afraid of catching a bug.
II. …는 것 (or) …는 거: …ing
(… is the infinitive stem of the action verb)
- Both are noun forms of verbs. “...는 거” is a more colloquial form of “...는 것”
- “…는 것” or “…는 거” is a nominalizer that often expresses the experience or process of performing an action, emphasizing personal experience. It is commonly used in spoken and informal contexts to describe ongoing actions or experiences, whereas “…기” is generally reserved for fixed grammatical constructions.
- “…는 것” or “...는 거” is more flexible and widely used in everyday Korean than “…기”. While “…는 것/거” often replaces “…기” in many situations, especially in spoken language, it typically does not replace fixed grammatical expressions like “…기(에) 좋다,” “…기로 하다,” “…기 시작하다,” etc., where the use of “…기” is required by grammar.
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Infinitive verb |
Infinitive verbs stem + 는 것 |
A gerund is the noun form of a verb |
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하다 to do
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하 do + 는 것ing |
하는 것 doing |
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먹다 to eat
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먹 eat + 는 것ing |
먹는 것 eating |
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놀다 to play/to hang out
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놀 play → 노 + 는 것ing *** The final consonant ㄹ is dropped when it is followed by a syllable beginning with the consonant ㄴ. |
노는 것 playing |
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듣다 to listen/to hear |
듣 listen/hear + 는 것ing
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듣는 것 listening/hearing
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받다 to receive |
받 receive + 는 것ing
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받는 것 receiving
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줍다 to pick up something from ground |
줍 pick up + 는 것ing
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줍는 것 picking it up |
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입다 to wear |
입 wear + 는 것ing
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입는 것 Wearing
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Exercise 2) Translate the following sentences into English or vice versa.
1. 그녀는 요리하는 것을 좋아해요 → describe ongoing actions or experiences
그녀는 요리하기를 좋아해요. → express general actions, in formal or abstract contexts
→ .
2. 집에 혼자 있는 것이 싫어요. → describe ongoing actions or experiences
집에 혼자 있기 싫어요. → fixed grammatical expressions
→ .
3. 당신의 집을 찾는 것이 쉬웠어요. → describe ongoing actions or experiences
당신의 집을 찾기 쉬웠어요. → fixed grammatical expressions
→ .
4. 청소하는 것을 싫어해요. → describe ongoing actions or experiences
청소하기를 싫어해요. (청소하다to clean) → express general actions, in formal or abstract contexts
→ .
5. 영어로 말하는 것 대신에 한국어로 말해 주세요. (Noun 대신에 instead of Noun)
(or) 영어로 말하기 대신에 한국어로 말해 주세요.
→ .
6. 그녀가 진실을 말하는 것이 아니에요. (진실 truth) → describe ongoing actions or experiences
→ .
7. 한국어가 노래하는 것처럼 들려요. → describe ongoing actions or experiences
(Noun처럼 들려요 sounds like Noun)
→ .
8. 책 읽는 것을 좋아해요. (or) 책 읽기를 좋아해요.
→ .
9. 영화 보는 것과 음악 듣는 것을 좋아해요. (or) 영화 보기와 음악 듣기를 좋아해요.
→ .
10. Becoming a good mom is not easy. (쉽다 to be easy, 되다 to become)
→ .
11. I like to travel. (여행하다 to travel)
→ .
12. She likes eating. And she also likes drinking a cup of coffee at a coffee shop.
(커피 한 잔 a cup of coffee, 커피숍 coffee shop)
→ .
13. He likes reading. And he also likes teaching. (가르치다 to teach)
→ .
14. I like sleeping the most.
→ .
15. I don’t like crying.
→ .
Exercise 3) Translate the following sentences into English or vice versa.
1) 새로운 언어를 공부하기 어려워요. (새로운 언어 new language) → fixed grammatical expressions
→ .
2) 새로운 친구를 사귀기 쉽지 않아요. → fixed grammatical expressions
→ .
3) 제 취미는 노래하기예요. (취미 hobby) → express general actions, in formal or abstract contexts
→ .
4) Reading books is enjoyable. (즐겁다 to be enjoyable)
→ .
5) It is not easy to wake up early.
→ .
6) Swimming is good for your health. (건강에 좋다 to be good for your health)
→ .
7) Cooking Korean food is fun.
→ .
8) The Korean restaurant is a good place to eat healthy food.
[한식당 Korean restaurant, 건강한 음식 healthy food, 곳 place, …기(에) 좋은 곳이에요it is a good place to...]
→ .
9) The coffee shop is a good place to study.
(커피숍 coffee shop, It is a good place to……기(에) 좋은 곳이에요)
→ .
10) Travelling to another country is fun. (다른 나라 to another country)
→ .
III. …ㅁ/음: …ness
(… is the infinitive stem of the verb or adjective)
- If the infinitive stem of the verb or adjective ends with a vowel, the consonantㅁ is added under the infinitive stem to make a Noun form.
- If the infinitive stem of the verb or adjective ends with a consonant, 음 is added after the infinitive stem to make a Noun form.
- …ㅁ/음 is used for some adjectives or for some verbs. Also, you can add the past tense indicator ㅆ in front of the Noun form of 음 → ㅆ음to indicate the action happened in the past. For example, 웃었음means “laughing” in the past, and 했음 denotes “doing/done” in the past.
Ex)
슬프다 to be sad 슬픔 sadness
모으다 to collect 모음 collection
보내다 to send, to spend time 보냄 sending
고치다 to fix 고침 a repair
모이다 to gather 모임 gathering
울다 to cry 울음 a cry
웃다 to smile 웃음 a smile
바쁘다 to be busy 바쁨 busy
느끼다 to feel 느낌 feeling
나누다 to share 나눔 sharing
돕다 to help 도움 a help
아끼다 to spare 아낌 sparing
기쁘다 to be glad 기쁨 joy
추다 to dance 춤 dancing
꾸다 to dream 꿈 a dream
알리다 to inform 알림 a notice
자다 to sleep 잠 a sleep
그리다 to draw 그림 drawing
거짓이다 to be false 거짓임 being false
숨기다 to hide 숨김 hiding
신선하다 to be fresh 신선함 freshness
끌리다 to be attracted (by) 끌림 attraction
떨리다 to tremble, shiver 떨림 trembling, shivering
무섭다 to be scary, frightening, terrifying 무서움 scare, fright
두렵다to be afraid (of), scared (of) 두려움fear, dread
이야기했다 to talk in the past 이야기했음 talking (in the past)
이다 To Be verb 임 being
이다 To Be verb 이었음 being (in the past)
Exercise 4) Translate the following sentences into English or vice versa.
1) 그 아이의 이야기가 거짓임을 알아차렸어요. (알아차리다 to realize)
→ .
2) 그 사람은 항상 웃음과 행복이 가득해요. (웃다 to smile, 가득하다 to be full of)
→ .
3) 그들은 뭔가를 숨기고 있음에 틀림없어요. (뭔가 something, 틀림없다 to be obvious)
- …ㅁ/음에 틀림없다 It is obvious that…
→ .
4) 가족과 기쁨과 슬픔을 나눌 수 있어요. (나누다 to share)
→ .
5) 그녀는 울음과 웃음이 많은 사람이에요.
→ .
6) 그림을 잘 그리네요! (잘 well)
- …네요 is an exclamatory marker which is used when you are surprised or when you discover something new
→ .
7) 그들은 춤을 잘 춰요.
→ .
8) 그 사람에게서 좋은 느낌을 받았어요.
→ .
9) 그 아이는 슬픔 때문에 울었어요. (A때문에 due to A)
→ .
10) Participate in the sharing event! (나눔 행사 sharing event, A에 참여하다 to participate in A)
→ .
11) How did you feel about the man from the blind date?
(느낌 feeling, 소개팅 남a man from the blind date, A에 대한 about A, 어때요? How is it?)
→ .
12) Participate in the joy of sharing! (A에 참여하다 to participate in A)
→ .
13) I think I will come home late because I have a company meeting.
(회사 모임 company meeting, 늦게 late)
- …ㄹ 것 같아요 I think that… (future) = …ㄹ 거라고 생각해요 I think that… (future)
→ .
14) The kid gives happiness and joy to people.
→ .
15) He has a talent in dancing and drawing. (A에 재능이 있다 to have a talent in A)
→ .
16) It is obvious that she went there. (…ㅁ/음에 틀림없다 It is obvious that)
→ .
17) Learning a new language helps prevent dementia.
(치매 예방 dementia prevention, a에 도움이 되다 be helpful for a, 배우다 to learn)
→ .