Hello everyone! Get ready for a surprise, because today we’re diving into an amazing grammatical pattern in Korean: “-(는)군요”, which we use to express surprise, realization, or confirmation in a conversation.
Wondering why you need to learn this? Well, imagine this: a friend shows off their new miniature pig. Your perfect response? “Oh, you’re raising a pig, huh!” Then, the next time your friend mentions raising a pig, you can flash a knowing smile and say, “Yes, I knew about that.”
This pattern is also handy for acknowledging or displaying empathy towards others’ feelings. If a friend says, “I’m really tired today”, you can respond with “You’re tired, huh.” as a way to acknowledge and empathize with their feelings. Oops, I forgot to mention that these examples have all been using our “(는)군요” pattern for the day!
So, what’s our goal for this lesson? I’ll guide you to naturally use and understand “(는)군요” by the end of this session. So the next time someone says to you, “Wow, you’re really good at Korean!” you can confidently respond with a grin, “I see, thank you!” Ready to get started? Let’s do this! 화이팅!
Conjugation
VERB STEM + -는군요
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add -는군요 i.e. 가는군요
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 는군요 –> 먹는군요
- 사다 –> 사 + 군요 –> 사는군요
- 주다 –> 주 + 군요 –> 주는군요
- 보다 –> 보 + 군요 –> 보는군요
Understanding the meaning of -(는)군요
The Korean grammatical pattern “-는군요” is a sentence ending that is often used to express surprise, realization, or confirmation in a conversation. It’s a way to show that you’ve learned something new or that what you’ve just heard is somewhat unexpected.
Let’s break it down:
Surprise
If you hear or see something unexpected, you might use “-는군요” to express your surprise. For example, if you find out that a friend of yours is moving to another country, you might say, “외국으로 이사하는군요!” (So, you’re moving abroad!). The “-는군요” at the end of the sentence signals that this information is new to you and somewhat surprising.
Realization
When you suddenly understand or realize something that you didn’t before, you can use “-는군요”. For example, after spending a long time trying to solve a riddle and finally figuring it out, you might say, “아, 이렇게 풀면 되는군요!” (Ah, so this is how you solve it!).
Confirmation
If you’ve heard something before and then hear it again, you can use “-는군요” to express that you were already aware of the information. It’s a bit like saying “I see” or “I knew that” in English. For example, if a friend tells you for the second time about their plan to study in the US, you might say, “미국에서 공부하려고 하는군요” (I see, you plan to study in the US).
Now, note that “-는군요” is typically used in more formal or polite contexts. It’s not usually used between close friends of the same age, where informal language is more common.
For 반말, it is 는구나.
- 집에 가는구나. – I see you are going home.
- 저녁 먹는구나. – Ah, you’re eating dinner.
Understanding and using “-(는)군요” properly can greatly enhance your expressiveness in Korean. As we go through examples and exercises, you’ll become more comfortable with this pattern. Let’s move on to see “-(는)군요” in action!
Past tense
VERB STEM + -았/었/였군요
- Take a verb i.e. 가다
- Drop “다” i.e. 가
- Add appropriate ending based on the below rules i.e. 갔군요
- If the last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, add 았군요.
- If the last vowel is not one of the above, add 었군요.
- Only 하 is followed by 였군요 and becomes 했군요 (always the case).
- 먹다 –> 먹 + 었군요 –> 먹었군요
- 사다 –> 사 + 았군요 –> 샀군요
- 주다 –> 주 + 었군요 –> 줬는군요
- 보다 –> 보 + 았군요 –> 봤는군요
Examples
- 우리 집에 왔군요! – Oh, you came to my house!
- 커피를 좋아하는군요! – So, you like coffee!
- 지금 집에 가고 있는군요! – So, you’re going home now!
- 한국에 이사하는군요! – Oh, you are moving to Korea!
- 이미 알고 있었군요! – I see you knew already!
Activity 1
Fill in the blanks.
- 책을 많이 _____________! – You read a lot of books!
- 요즘 한국어를 _____________! – So, you study Korean these days!
- 아침에 조깅하는 습관이 _____________! – So, you have a habit of jogging in the morning!
- 어제 늦게 _____________! – So, you fell asleep late last night!
- 저녁으로 피자를 _____________!- So, you’re having pizza for dinner!
Activity 1 Answers
- 책을 많이 읽는군요! – You read a lot of books!
- 요즘 한국어를 공부하는군요! – So, you study Korean these days!
- 아침에 조깅하는 습관이 있는군요! – So, you have a habit of jogging in the morning!
- 어제 늦게 잠들었군요! – So, you fell asleep late last night!
- 저녁으로 피자를 먹는군요!- So, you’re having pizza for dinner!
Wrap up
Well folks, we’ve come to the end of our “-는군요” adventure, and I must say, I am incredibly proud of the progress you’ve made today.
Remember, if you’re taken by surprise, have a realization, or need to confirm some piece of information, “-는군요” is your new best friend. Just don’t go throwing it around every time you learn something like “Kimchi is spicy,” because I’m pretty sure most of us already knew that, right? But hey, if you stumble upon a secret recipe that makes it sweet, then by all means, surprise us all with a big “달게 만드는 김치 요리법을 알고 있는군요!” (So, you know a recipe to make Kimchi sweet!).
But don’t forget, practice makes perfect! Or, in our case, practice makes you sound like a well-versed Korean speaker. Keep trying to use “-는군요” in your daily conversations, even if it’s just with your pet or a mirror. They’re excellent listeners, believe me! Or leave a comment down below!
And lastly, keep this in mind: even though our lesson has ended, the journey with “-는군요” has just begun. So don’t rush, take it slow, and remember that learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint. Unless, of course, you’re being chased by a tiger. Then, by all means, sprint.
Great job today everyone, and I look forward to seeing you in our next lesson! But until then, keep practicing, stay curious, and most importantly, keep having fun with Korean!