Example Sentences#

1. 옛날에 한 노인이 있었습니다.¹
   Once upon a time, there was an old man.
   • 있다 means ‘to exist’ or ‘to be’.
   • 었 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
2. 저는 인류 전체를 사랑할수록 특정 사람을 덜 사랑하게 됩니다.²
   The more I love humanity, the less I come to love any particular person.
   • 되다 means ‘to become’, and here functions as an auxiliary verb in the -게 되다 construction, expressing that the state or situation in the preceding statement comes to be.
   • -게 되다 is a construction expressing that something comes to be in the state or situation mentioned in the preceding statement, often due to circumstances rather than deliberate intention.
   • ㅂ니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
3. 옛날에 장주라는 사람이 있었습니다.³
   Long ago, there was a person named Zhuang Zhou.
   • 있다 means ‘to exist’.
   • 었 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
4. 세상에서 가장 다행스러운 것은 인간의 마음이 모든 것을 연결하지 못하는 능력이라고 생각합니다.⁴
   I think the most fortunate thing in the world is the human mind’s inability to connect everything.
   • 생각하다 means ‘to think’.
   • ㅂ니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
5. 고요한 마을에는 타로라는 성실한 돌을 다듬는 사람이 살고 있었습니다.⁵
   In a quiet village, there lived a diligent stone carver named Taro.
   • 있다 means ‘to exist’ or ‘to be’.
   • -고 있다 is a grammar pattern used to indicate a continuous or ongoing action.
   • 었 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
6. 옛날에 산 아래 작은 마을이 있었습니다.⁶
   Once upon a time, there was a small village at the foot of a mountain.
   • 있다 means ‘to exist’ or ‘to be’.
   • 었 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
7. 어느 날 그의 말이 도망갔습니다.¹
   One day, his horse ran away.
   • 도망가다 means ‘to run away’ or ‘to escape’, formed from 도망 (escape) and 가다 (to go), conveying a neutral and descriptive sense of escape, focusing on the movement or direction away from something.
   • 았 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
8. 꿈속에서 저는 종종 인류를 위해 봉사할 계획을 세우곤 합니다.²
   In my dreams, I often make plans to serve humanity.
   • 하다 means ‘to do’.
   • ㅂ니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
9. 어느 날 그는 꿈속에서 나비가 되었습니다.³
   One day, in a dream, he became a butterfly.
   • 되다 means ‘to become’.
   • 었 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
10. 우리는 끝없는 검은 바다 한가운데 있는 고요한 무지의 섬에 살고 있으며, 멀리 나가는 것은 우리에게 맞지 않았습니다.⁴
    We live on a quiet island of ignorance in the middle of an endless black sea, and it was not meant for us to venture far.
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • 았 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
11. 그는 매일 열심히 일했지만, 더 많은 힘과 부를 가진 사람들을 부러워했습니다.⁵
    He worked diligently every day, but envied those with more power and wealth.
    • 부러워하다 means ‘to envy’. It is derived from the adjective 부럽다 (to be envious) using the pattern -어하다, which transforms adjectives into verbs to describe the feeling or perception of an emotion from an external viewpoint.
    • 였 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
12. 산에는 무서운 호랑이가 살고 있었습니다.⁶
    In that mountain lived a fearsome tiger.
    • 있다 means ‘to exist’ or ‘to be’.
    • -고 있다 is a grammar pattern used to indicate a continuous or ongoing action.
    • 었 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
13. 마을 사람들은 그에게 큰 불행이라고 말했습니다.¹
    The villagers said to him it was a great misfortune.
    • 말하다 means ‘to say’.
    • 였 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
14. 아마 실제로 십자가형을 당해야 하는 상황이 온다면, 저는 그것을 이겨낼 수 있을 것입니다.²
    Perhaps if a situation were to come where I had to actually be crucified, I would be able to overcome it.
    • 것 is a bound noun meaning ‘thing’, often used with modifiers to nominalize the preceding clause or phrase.
    • 이다 is the verb ‘to be’.
    • The pattern ㄹ 것이다 is commonly used to express future tense in Korean. In this speculative context, it translates to ‘would’ instead of ‘will’.
    • ㅂ니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
15. 나비가 된 장주는 가볍게 날아다녔습니다.³
    As a butterfly, Zhuang Zhou flew around lightly.
    • 날아다니다 is a compound verb formed from 날다 (to fly) and 다니다 (to move around), meaning ‘to fly around’.
    • 었 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
16. 과학은 각자 다른 방향으로 나아가고 있으며, 지금까지는 우리에게 큰 해를 끼치지 않았습니다.⁴
    Each science is progressing in different directions and has not caused us great harm until now.
    • 않다 is an auxiliary verb that makes the clause negative.
    • 았 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
17. 어느 저녁, 그는 오래된 나무 아래에서 쉬고 있을 때, 나뭇잎 사이로 신비한 목소리가 들려왔습니다.⁵
    One evening, while he was resting under an old tree, he heard a mysterious voice through the leaves.
    • 들려오다 is a compound verb consisting of 들리다 meaning ‘to be heard’ and 오다 meaning ‘to come’. Together, they mean ‘to be heard’, with the nuance that the sound is coming towards the listener.
    • 았 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
18. 호랑이가 크게 울면 마을 사람들은 모두 떨었습니다.⁶
    When the tiger roared loudly, all the villagers trembled.
    • 떨다 means ‘to tremble’ or ‘to shake’.
    • 었 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
19. 그러나 노인은 단지 “좋을 수도 있고, 나쁠 수도 있습니다”라고 대답했습니다.¹
    However, the old man just answered, “It could be good, or it could be bad.”
    • 있다 means ‘to exist’ or ‘to be’.
    • ㄹ 수 있다 forms a grammar pattern that expresses ability or possibility. Adding 도 implies this possibility exists alongside others, shifting the nuance from ‘can’ to ‘might’.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.
    • -라고 is a quotative marker marking the preceding phrase as a direct quotation.
20. 하지만 저는 다른 사람과 함께 방 안에서 이틀 동안 지내는 것조차 견딜 수 없습니다.²
    But I can’t even endure staying with other people in a room for two days.
    • 없다 means ‘to not exist’.
    • ㄹ 수 없다 forms a grammar pattern that expresses inability or impossibility.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.