Korean Grammar - Making Nouns

Korean Grammar - Making Nouns

 

I. … …ing

     (… is the infinitive stem of a verb or adjective)

 

  • The syllable 기 is added after the infinitive stem of a verb or adjective when we make a list of nouns such as enumeration and categorization. Also the Noun form of ‘…기’ is applied in a sentence where another verb or adjective that presents within the same sentence. Following are some examples of the ‘…기’ expressions.

 

 

JVerb: It is 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.

 

 

 

 

 

  1. 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 I hate to …

 

    혼자 놀기 싫어요.    Playing alone is hateable. = 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’am sick.

 

 

8) …기 두렵다 It is scary to…

 

    벌레 잡기 두려워요. (벌레 잡다 to catch a bug)

     I am afraid of catching a bug.

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 1) Translate the following sentences into English or vice versa.

 

1) 새로운 언어를 공부하기 어려워요. (새로운 언어 new language)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

2) 새로운 친구를 사귀기 쉽지 않아요. (사귀다 to make friends/to date someone)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

3) 제 취미는 노래하기예요. (취미 hobby)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

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, it is a good place to... …기(에) 좋은 곳이에요]

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

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)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

Exercise 2) Translate the following sentences into English.

 

 

새해 목표  

new year’s resolutions

문장

Sentences

번역

Translation

1. 새로운 사람을 많이 만나기

 

2. 새로운 것을 배우기

 

3. 다이어트하기

 

4. 돈을 많이 벌기

 

5. 취직하기

 

6. 외국어를 열심히 공부하기

 

7. 책을 많이 읽기

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

II. …/  (… is the infinitive stem of a verb or adjective)

 

  • If the infinitive stem of a verb or adjective ends with a vowel, the consonantㅁ is added under the CV unit to make a Noun form.

 

  • If the infinitive stem of a verb or adjective ends with a consonant, 음 is added to make a Noun form.

 

  • …ㅁ/음 is used for certain adjectives or for certain verbs. Also, you can add the past tense indicator ㅆ in front of the Noun form of ㅁ/음 to indicate that the action happened in the past. For example, 웃었음 means “laughing” in the past, and 했음 denotes “doing” 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

아끼다 to spare                                       아낌 sparing

기쁘다 to be glad                                     기쁨 joy

추다 to dance                                          춤 dancing

그리다 to draw                                                 그림 drawing

거짓이다 to be false                                거짓임 being false

숨기다 to hide                                                   숨김 hiding

이야기했다 to talk in the past                         이야기했음 talking (in the past)

이다 To Be verb                                      임 being

 

 

 

 

Exercise 3) 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 그리시네요! (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. (Noun때문에 = due to Noun)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

10) Participate in the sharing event! (나눔 행사 sharing event, A에 참여하다 to participate in A)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

11) How was your feeling about the man from the blind date?

    (느낌 feeling, 소개팅남a man from the blind date, A에 대한 about A (A is a person or subject pronoun, 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)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

 

 

III.  …는 것 (or) …는 거  …ing   (… is the infinitive stem of a verb or adjective)

 

 

  • …는 것 or …는 거 is more flexible than …기 or …ㅁ/음; therefore, …는 것 or …는 거 is widely used instead of …기, …ㅁ/음, or the following fixed expressions: “…기(에) 좋다” (to be good to…), “…기(를) 바라다” (to wish...), “…기(를) 희망하다” (to hope…), “…기(를) 기원하다” (to wish…), “…기 시작하다” (to start to…), “…기로 하다” (to plan to…), “…기로 약속하다” (to promise to…), etc.

 

 

Infinitive verb

Infinitive verbs stem + 는 것

…ing (Gerund = Noun form)

하다

to do

 

하 + 는 것

하는 것

doing

먹다

to eat

 

먹 + 는 것

먹는 것

eating

놀다

to play/to hang out

 

 

놀 → 노 + 는 것

*** The bottom consonant ㄹis dropped when the consonant ㄴ follows

노는 것

playing

듣다

to listen/to hear

듣 + 는 것

 

듣는 것

listening/hearing

 

받다

to receive

받 + 는 것

 

받는 것

receiving

 

줍다

to pick up something from ground

줍 + 는 것

 

줍는 것

picking it up

입다

to wear

입 + 는 것

 

입는 것

wearing

 

 

 

 

Exercise 4) Translate the following sentences into English or vice versa.

 

1. 그녀는 요리하는 것을 좋아해요 (or) 그녀는 요리하기를 좋아해요.

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

2. 집에 혼자 있는 것이 싫어요. (or) 집에 혼자 있기 싫어요. (혼자 alone)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

3. 당신의 집을 찾는 것이 쉬웠어요. (or) 당신의 집을 찾기가 쉬웠어요.

      (찾다 to find/look for)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

4. 청소하는 것을 싫어해요. (or) 청소하기를 싫어해요. (청소하다to clean)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 5) Translate the following sentences into English or vice versa.

 

1) 영어로 말하는 것 대신에 한국어로 말해 주세요. (Noun 대신에 instead of Noun)

 

 →                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

2) 그녀가 사실을 말하는 것이 아니에요. (사실 fact)

 

 →                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

3) 한국어가 노래하는 것처럼 들려요. (Noun처럼 들려요  sounds like Noun)

 

 →                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

4) 책을 읽는 것을 좋아해요.

 

 →                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

5) 영화를 보는 것과 음악을 듣는 것을 좋아해요.

 

 →                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

6) Becoming a good mom is not easy. (쉽다 to be easy, 좋은 엄마 good mom, 되다 to become)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

7) I like to travel. (여행하다 to travel)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

8) She likes eating. And she also likes drinking a cup of coffee at a coffee shop.

    (커피 한 잔 a cup of coffee, 커피 숍 coffee shop)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

9) He likes reading. And he also likes teaching. (가르치다 to teach)

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

10) I like sleeping the most.

 

→                                                                                                                                           .

 

 

 

11) I don’t like crying.  

 

→                                                                                                                                           .