Hello, Korean language explorers! Welcome back to our ongoing linguistic safari, where we hunt for hidden meanings and uncover the magic behind Korean sentence structures. Today, we’re embarking on an adventure in the land of “ㄹ/을 만하다”. I hope you’ve got your explorer hats on!
Now, you might be wondering, “ㄹ/을 만하다? What is that? Some kind of secret Korean handshake?” Well, not quite, my friends, but I assure you, it’s no less interesting!
“ㄹ/을 만하다” is a very useful grammar point in Korean that expresses worthiness or the idea that something is “worth doing”. It’s like the Korean way of saying, “Hey, that’s worth a shot!” or “Wow, that’s really worth doing!”. So, from tasting the spiciest Korean dish to climbing the highest mountain in Seoul, this structure has got you covered!
Today, we’re going to dive deep into the world of “ㄹ/을 만하다” – we’re going to understand it, dissect it, and make it our new best friend in our Korean conversations. By the end of this lesson, you’ll be proclaiming, “Wow, learning this was totally worth it!” in Korean, of course!
So, buckle up and prepare for takeoff! We’re about to make our Korean even more worthwhile. Are you ready? Let’s jump right into it!
Conjugation
VERB STEM + ㄹ/을 만하다
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop 다
- Add the appropriate ending based on the rules below (in this case it becomes 갈 만하다 – worth going)
- If the verb ends in a vowel, add ㄹ 만하다
- If the verb ends in a consonant, add 을 만하다
- If the verb ends in a consonant “ㄹ” add 만하다
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 을 만하다 –> 먹을 만하다 (worth eating)
- 보다 –> 보 + ㄹ 만하다 –> 볼 만하다 (worth seeing)
- 사다 –> 사 + ㄹ 만하다 –> 살 만하다 (worth buying)
- 놀다 –> 놀 + 만하다 –> 놀 만하다 (worth playing)
Understanding the meaning of ㄹ/을만 하다
“ㄹ/을 만하다”, a very useful phrase when it comes to expressing the worth or value of doing something. This phrase is often used in everyday conversations, so gaining a good grasp of it will certainly level up your Korean skills!
Here’s how it works:
“ㄹ/을 만하다” is attached to the stem of a verb and is used to convey the idea that something is worth the effort or worth doing. The verb ending will change depending on whether the verb stem ends with a vowel (ㄹ 만하다) or a consonant (을 만하다).
For example, if you’re watching a really good Korean drama and you want to tell your friend that it’s worth watching, you could say “이 드라마는 볼 만해요”, which literally translates to “This drama is worth watching.”
In another scenario, if you want to express that a book is worth reading, you could say “이 책은 읽을 만해요”, meaning “This book is worth reading.”
Do note that “ㄹ/을 만하다” is not used to express worth in terms of monetary value. It’s about the value or worthiness of an action or experience.
Overall, “ㄹ/을 만하다” is a valuable expression to have in your Korean vocabulary arsenal, as it can be used in various contexts to express your opinion about the worthiness of doing something. By understanding and using “ㄹ/을 만하다”, you can bring a new depth to your Korean conversations. So, learning this expression is certainly “배울 만해요” – worth learning.
Past tense
You can express the past tense by the last verb of the sentence which will be 하다.
- 그 영화는 볼 만해요.” – That movie is worth watching.
- 그 영화는 볼 만했어요.” – That movie was worth watching.
- 이 책은 읽을 만해요.” – This book is worth reading.
- 이 책은 읽을 만했어요.” – This book was worth reading.
- 이 강의는 들을 만해요. – This lecture is worth listening to.
- 이 강의는 들을 만했어요. – This lecture was worth listening to.
Examples
- 이 신발은 살 만했어요. These shoes were worth buying.
- 그 음악은 들을 만해요. – That music is worth listening to.
- 이 페스티벌은 참석할 만해요. – This festival is worth attending.
- 이 여행은 돈을 쓸 만해요. – This trip is worth spending money on.
- 이 컴퓨터는 사용할 만해요. – This computer is worth using.
Activity 1
Fill in the blanks.
- 그 우산은 _________________. – That umbrella is worth taking.
- 한국은 _________________. – It’s worth travelling to Korea.
- 이 운동은 _________________. – This exercise is worth trying.
- 그 놀이동산은 _________________. – That amusement park was worth visiting.
- _________________. – It was worth going.
Activity 1 Answers
- 그 우산은 가져갈 만해요. – That umbrella is worth taking.
- 한국은 여행할 만해요. – It’s worth travelling to Korea.
- 이 운동은 시도할 만해요. – This exercise is worth trying.
- 그 놀이동산은 방문할 만했어요. – That amusement park was worth visiting.
- 갈 만했어요. – It was worth going.
Wrap up
Well folks, it seems we’ve reached the end of our wild adventure through the terrain of “ㄹ/을 만하다”. I hope you’re leaving this lesson feeling like it was “할 만했어요” – was worth doing!
With this magical grammar point, you can now confidently declare in Korean that anything from the latest K-pop hit to the spiciest kimchi is worth the time and effort. And of course, we hope you think our language lessons are “배울 만해요” – worth learning!
Now you are armed and ready to go forth, sprinkling your conversations with a dash of “ㄹ/을 만하다” here and there, adding that special flavor that shows you really know your stuff. Whether you’re climbing mountains, trying new foods, or watching the latest dramas, you can confidently say it’s worth it… in Korean!
But remember, language learning isn’t a solo journey. We’re a community here, so we’d love to hear how you’re getting on. Got a great sentence using “ㄹ/을 만하다”? Managed to confuse your dog by declaring his antics “볼 만해요” – worth watching? Let us know in the comments below!
Finally, remember – you’re doing a fantastic job. Language learning is a journey and every step, no matter how small, is worth progressing. Until next time, keep speaking, keep laughing, and keep finding things that are “ㄹ/을 만하다”! See you soon, language explorers!
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