-(ㄴ/는)다 Ending

Hello, learners of Korean!

Welcome to another exciting lesson that will deepen your understanding of the Korean language. Today, we are going to focus on a critical aspect of Korean grammar – the verb ending -(ㄴ/는)다. This ending is often referred to as the ‘plain form’ or ‘dictionary form’ of the verb.

As you become more fluent in Korean, you will come across this verb ending very often. It is extensively used in various situations, especially in written Korean and formal speech, such as in news broadcasts, academic presentations, formal letters, literature, and so on.

But fear not! While it might seem a bit daunting initially, with consistent practice and by the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand and use the -(ㄴ/는)다 ending comfortably. Not only will this improve your Korean communication skills, but it will also open a whole new world of Korean literature, news, and other forms of media for you.

So, are you ready to get started? Let’s dive into the beautiful complexity of the Korean language and master the use of -(ㄴ/는)다.

화이팅! (Fighting! – a phrase of encouragement)

Conjugation

Action verbs

Verb stem + ㄴ/는다

1. Take a verb i.e. 가다
2. Drop “다” i.e. 가
3. Add appropriate ending based on the below rules (in this case it is 간다)

• If the verb stem ends in a vowel, add -ㄴ다
• If the verb stem ends in a consonant, add -는다

• 먹다 –> 먹 + 는다 –> 먹는다 (eat)
• 보다 –> 보 + ㄴ다 –> 본다 (see)
• 하다 –> 하 + ㄴ다 –> 한다 (do)
• 듣다 –> 듣 + 는다 –> 듣는다 (hear)
• 웃다 –> 웃 + 는다 –> 웃는다 (laugh)
• 걷다 –> 걷 + 는다 –> 걷는다 (walk)

Descriptive verbs (Adjectives)

Verb stem + 다

Since all the verbs end with 다 and in this case you “take it off and add again” they don’t change.

• 크다 –> 크다 (big)
• 예쁘다 –> 예쁘다 (pretty)
• 빠르다 –> 빠르다 (fast)
• 어렵다 –> 어렵다 (difficult)
• 쉽다 –> 쉽다 (easy)
• 좋다 –> 좋다 (good)
• 춥다 –> 춥다 (cold)

Understanding the -(ㄴ/는)다 Ending

Speaking

The -(ㄴ/는)다 ending is a declarative sentence in its plain form that neutrally presents a factual statement. Often, it reflects the speaker’s observation or thought process. It is kind of like talking to yourself or no one in particular. It doesn’t carry any type of feeling for example friendliness.

PLEASE NOTE: You should not be using this form when talking to someone older than you as it would not be considered polite.

Talking in this way usually can refer to two usages:

• Using it as an exclamation statement
• Informing others about a certain action or activity you will do

Using it as an exclamation statement

• 아 여기 너무 좋다! – Ah it’s so good here.

You might say this sentence when you are visiting some place with your friends or family and you just make a statement “Ah it’s so good here!” or “Ah it’s so nice here!”. It places an emphasis on the verb “좋다” and the fact you like it here.

• 이거 너무 예쁘다! 어디서 샀어? – This is so pretty! Where did you buy it?

You meet a friend and you notice her necklace. You think it’s really pretty so you use this expression to emphasize that you think the necklace is pretty.

• 너무 춥다! – It’s so cold!

Let’s say you went to sauna with your friends so you feel nice and warm but you step outside and suddenly you feel cold because it’s winter in Korea. And winter in Korea is COLD! You can use this expression to emphasize that it’s cold. It is not used only in extreme situations but I am just using this as an example to convey the meaning.

This does not mean that these sentences carry some sort of meaning. It’s just an exclamation or a statement.

Informing others about a certain action or activity you will do

• 먼저 간다. – I am going first.

This is a very commonly used expression. Let’s say you are out with your friends but you are planning to go home first. So, you can say “먼저 간다” or just “간다”. This statement just informs the others of your intentions and just acts as a narrative to let others know.

• 저기 온다. – There he/she comes.

In this example you are waiting for a friend to come with another friend. You notice her before your other friend so you can say “저기 온다” as a narrative to let your other friend know that your other friend is coming.

Writing

This type of speech is often used in writing such as newspapers, academic papers, formal speeches, and literature. It represents a neutral narrative voice that describes series of actions.

Activity 1

Convert the following verbs into the ㄴ/는다 form.

1. 먹다 (to eat) ___________
2. 가다 (to go) ___________
3. 보다 (to see) ___________
4. 배우다 (to learn) ___________
5. 만나다 (to meet) ___________

Activity 2

Translate the following sentences to English.

1. 학생들이 책을 읽는다.
2. 그녀는 노래를 듣는다.
3. 우리는 많이 배운다.
4. 선생님은 문제를 설명한다.
5. 날씨가 좋다.

Activity 3

Translate the following English sentences into Korean using the -(ㄴ/는)다 form.

1. The dog is sleeping.
2. The teacher is teaching.
3. The students are studying.
4. I am running.
5. We are eating.

Activity 1 Answers

1. 먹다 (to eat) –먹는다
2. 가다 (to go) – 간다
3. 보다 (to see) – 본다
4. 배우다 (to learn) – 배운다
5. 만나다 (to meet) – 만난다

Activity 2 Answers

1. 학생들이 책을 읽는다. – The students are reading a book.
2. 그녀는 노래를 듣는다. – She is listening to a song.
3. 우리는 많이 배운다. – We are learning a lot.
4. 선생님은 문제를 설명한다. – The teacher explains the problem.
5. 날씨가 좋다. – The weather is good.

Activity 3 Answers

1. The dog is sleeping. – 개는 잔다.
2. The teacher is teaching. – 선생님은 가르친다.
3. The students are studying. – 학생들은 공부한다.
4. I am running. – 저는 달린다.
5. We are eating. – 우리는 밥을 먹는다.

Activity 4

Comment and Share!

Share a sentence using the “ㄴ/는다” structure in the comments below.

Review a Partner’s Work!

Once you’ve shared your own sentence, take a moment to review someone else’s. Provide them with constructive feedback and encouragement. Remember, we’re all here to learn together!

Engaging with others in an interactive way like this can greatly enhance your understanding and retention of new language concepts. Don’t be shy—join in the fun!

그럼 다음에 또 봐요!