#easy korean grammar

All of these particles can be used to show that something is being done or given to someone. The difference between these three particles is:

❥ 에게 is used mainly in written communication or formal situations (although it may also be used conversationally sometimes).
❥ 한테 is used mainly in conversation.
❥ 께 is used when talking to or about someone who requires respect (eg. elder/teacher/boss).

These particles come after the recipient, rather than before as they do in English. Here are some examples of their usage:

I gave a present to my friend yesterday.
어제 친구에게 선물을 줬어요.

I send a birthday card to my friend every year.
저는 매년 언니에게 생일 카드를 보냅니다.

My friend gives a watch to their boyfriend.
동생이 남친한테 시계를 줘요.

I want to ask (to) my friend.
저는 친구한테 물어보고 싶어요.

I call (to) my grandma.
할머니께 전화 드려요.

I will give this book to my teacher.
이 잭이 선생님께 드릴 거예요.

Something that is important to note with this grammar is that although it means ‘to’, it can also be used to mean ‘from’. Obviously, this can be confusing, and it can be difficult for learners to figure out how to use this in conversation. When listening to others, however, you can understand which meaning is intended by the context. By listening to native speakers, it becomes easier to understand and use this grammar.

By analysing the Game Administrator’s words, we can grasp which version he is intending to use. He begins with 다시 말씀드리지만 (let me explain again), then states 여러분에게 기회를 드리는 겁니다 or 여러분에게(to you)기회를(an opportunity)드리는(to give) 것입니다(this is). By context, we can understand that he is using the ‘to’ usage. He is saying to the players ‘we are giving you an opportunity’ or ‘this is an opportunity’ with an emphasis on the charitable aspect. Here, 에게 is being used instead of 한테 to indicate the formality of the situation, even though it is being used in spoken conversation.

In this scene, I find that the translation is a little off. ‘Let me remind you’ comes off as passive aggressive and indicates a kind of hostility towards the players which I feel isn’t present in the Korean version. The Game Administrator is still using honorifics, and although his tone is always cold, he actually speaks very politely towards the players. I feel like this would have been translated better as ‘please understand, we are giving you an opportunity’, as this carries the same tone as the Korean version, although it strays slightly from the exact meaning.

거든(요) in a second clause

This grammar principle is placed at the end of a clause to indicate the reason for something or provide an explanation. Most of the time, you’ll see 거든(요) used at the end of a fragment or incomplete sentence as a tag on explanation to what has previously been said. Here are some examples of this:

These days, I go to bed too late. It’s because I have so much work.
저는 요즘에 너무 늦게 자요. 일이 많거든요.

Come to our house this Friday night. We moved house recently (so we’re having a party).
이번 주 금요일에 우리 집에 저녁 드시러오세요. 얼마 전에 새집으로 이사했거든요.

Will you come to our house for dinner tomorrow? It’s my birthday.
내일 저희 집에서 식사 함께 하실래요? 내일이 제 생일이거든요.

It is also possible to use 거든(요) in full sentences, like so:

It’s because if I get the chance, I’d like to try working at a Korean company in the future.
나중에 기회가 되면 한국 회사에서 일해 보고 싶거든요.

거든(요) in a first clause

거든(요) has a slightly different meaning when used in the first clause instead of the second clause of an explanation. If used at the end of the first clause, 거든(요) indicates that you are providing information which will help the listener to make sense of the next clause. Here are some examples of how this can be used:

I haven’t done the work yet, so I’ll probably have to go to the office to do it.
일을 아직 안 했거든요. 그래서 오늘 회사에 사거 해야 될 것 같아요.

I marked it in our calendar. Don’t forget, and make sure that you come on the day.
우리가 언제 달력에 표시했거든요. 깜빡하지 말고 그 날에 꼭 와야 돼요.

This is the way in which Han Mi-Nyeo uses 거든(요). She is telling the Game Administrator that she has a baby to allow her to then explain that she hasn’t named it yet so she couldn’t register the birth of her baby. This is one of the first scenes that hints towards Han Mi-Nyeo’s intelligence and manipulative abilities. She most likely doesn’t have a baby, but pleads desperately with the Game Administrator to let her go to be with her child. This is very smart, considering that Korea has a very low birth rate. The rarity of children has caused people to value them a lot, and you will often find people trying to interact with childrenandgiving them freebies like sweets or yakult drinks wherever they go. In normal circumstances, Mi-Nyeo would have been sent away immediately.

아/어(서)

As you may have already learned, 아/어(서) is used to connect two clauses in order to indicate that one thing happened after another. When using 나/어(서) in this way, 서 is optional. 

I’m going to sit down and relax.
나는 앉아서 쉴 거야.

I’m going to go to school and study.
저는 학교에 가서 공부할 거예요.

아/어서

Another usage of 아/어서 is to indicate how or by what means the second action happens. In this usage, 서 cannot be omitted.

I solved the problem using the new computer.
새로운 컴퓨터를 써서 문제를 풀었어요.

I explained it by using many types of examples.
몇 가지 예를 사용해서설명했어요.

They used the globe to draw a map.
지구본을 사용해서 지도를 그렸어요.

As you may already know, when 하다 and 어 are combined, they create 해. Therefore, 해서 is used when 아/어서 is added to a verb ending in 하다. As mentioned in the 아/어(서) section however, the 서 can be omitted sometimes, so you may simply see 해 as the connective. A variation of 해 is 하여, which is seen most commonly in written Korean. This is simply the original version of 해 without the two particles joining together. 

This is what we see in the above example. The full sentence said by the Front Man is ‘456명 중의 255명이 탈락하여, 첫 번째 게임을 끝마친 참가자는 201명입니다’. Here, the connector 아/어(서) is being used to indicate that out of 456 players, 255 players have passed, and the number of players who finished playing in the first game is 201. The 서 has simply been omitted and the variation 하여 has been utilised instead. 

것 같아(요)

것같아(요) is the combination of the 는 것 principle and the verb 같다, meaning to be similar or the same. There are a few different ways that it can be translated: it might, it seems like, I think, or probably. The main idea that combines all of these translation is that an assumption is being made based on pre-existing information.

The conjugation rules of this form are:
Past tense               ㄴ/은 것 같다
Present tense          는 것 같다
Future tense            ㄹ/을 것 같다

It seems like it will rain.
비가올 것 같아요.

We’ll probably be late.
우리는 늦을 것 같아.

It seems like he’s on his break.
그를 휴식을 하는 것 같아요.

I think mom is waiting.
엄ㅁ아는 기다리고 있는 것 같아.

Teacher, I think you probably studied a lot.
선생님이 열심하 공부한 것 같아요.

I think the boss already did all of the work.
부장님이 그 일을 이미 다 한 것 같아요.

Another thing to note is that although this form is always written as 것 같아(요), you may hear people say it as 같애(요). This is still exactly the same form, and it actually a more natural way of saying it.

ㄴ/는 거예요

This principle is the combination of the topic particle ㄴ/는 with a shortened version of 것이에요. This principle requires a good understanding of the topic marker to be able to understand exactly how it functions, so if you feel like you don’t understand the nuances of 은/는, it’s definitely important to go over them again before learning this principle.

This principle uses the topic marker to highlight what is being said. It literally means THIS is the thing. Because of this, it is frequently used when asking for clarification, or when clarifying something yourself. 

가: What are you doing? Are you playing games.
가: 뭐하는 거야? 게임을 하는 거야?
나: No, I’m studying.
나: 아니, 저는 지금 공부하는 거야.

가: Is there anything you are looking for / Can I help you?
가: 뭐 찾으시는 거 있으세요?
나: I’m just looking.
나: 그냥 구경하는 게예요.

In the usage given in this scene, Kyu-sik is asking Do-yeon for clarification as to whether or not Dae-young was made to pay all of the settlement money eventually.  

Since it’s asking for clarification, this principle can also be used if you are accusing someone of something, or if you want them to explain their actions (maybe if they’ve upset you or acted rudely). Here is an example, where a store assistant accuses a customer of stealing.

가: Quickly, put this necklace in your pocket.
가: 빨리, 너의 주머니에 이 목걸이를 넣어.
나: What are you doing? / Are you stealing? / Please explain yourself.
나: 뭐 하시는 거에요?