Example Sentences#

1. “아, 이럴 수가,” 쥐가 말했다.¹
   “Ah, how could this be,” the mouse said.

   • 말하다 means ‘to say’ or ‘to speak’.
   • 였 is a past tense marker.
   • 다 is a plain narrative form used in writing to state facts or narrate events.

2. 체셔 고양이: “그건 네가 어디로 가고 싶은지에 달려 있어,” 고양이가 말했다.²
   Cheshire Cat: “That depends on where you want to go,” said the cat.

   • 말하다 means ‘to say’.
   • 였 is a past tense marker.
   • 다 is a plain narrative form used in writing to state facts or narrate events.

3. 옛날에 한 노인이 있었습니다.³
   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.

4. 태민: 나는 나의 아저씨가 진짜 좋았어.⁴
   Taemin: I really liked ‘My Mister’.

   • 좋다 means ‘to be good’.
   • 았 is the past tense marker.
   • 어 is a casual ending used in informal speech.

5. 하지만 특정 사람을 미워할수록 인류 전체를 더욱 사랑하게 되는 것은 언제나 그래왔습니다.⁵
   But the more I hate any particular person, the more I come to love humanity as a whole, and it has always been so.

   • 그렇다 means ‘to be so’ or ‘to be like that’.
   • -어 오다 is a grammatical construction where 오다 (to come) is used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that an action or state has been continuing up to the present.
   • 았 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.

6. 어느 날, 라사로와 맹인은 알모록스라는 마을에 도착했다.⁶
   One day, Lazaro and the blind man arrived in a village called Almorox.

   • 도착하다 means ‘to arrive’.
   • 였 is a past tense marker.
   • 다 is a plain narrative ending used in writing to state facts or narrate events.

7. 우리는 끝없는 검은 바다 한가운데 있는 고요한 무지의 섬에 살고 있으며, 멀리 나가는 것은 우리에게 맞지 않았습니다.⁷
   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.

8. 두 명의 스님, 한 명은 나이 든 스님이고 다른 한 명은 젊은 스님이 함께 여행하고 있었다.⁸
   Two monks, one old and one young, were traveling together.

   • 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.
   • 다 is a plain narrative form used in writing to state facts or narrate events.

9. 고요한 마을에는 타로라는 성실한 돌을 다듬는 사람이 살고 있었습니다.⁹
   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.

10. 서준: 알았어.¹⁰
    Seojun: Got it.

    • 알다 means ‘to know’ or ‘to understand’.
    • -았- is a past tense marker.
    • -어 is a casual ending used in informal speech.

11. 처음에는 너무 넓어서 두려웠고, 계속 달리기만 했어.¹
    At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, and I kept running and running.

    • 두렵다 means ‘to be afraid’.
    • 었 is a past tense marker.
    • -고 is a connective ending used to link two actions or states, meaning ‘and’, or to join the main verb to auxiliary verbs.

12. 앨리스: “어디든 상관없어요—” 앨리스가 말했다.²
    Alice: “I don’t care where—” said Alice.

    • 말하다 means ‘to say’.
    • 였 is a past tense marker.
    • 다 is a plain narrative form used in writing to state facts or narrate events.

13. 어느 날 그의 말이 도망갔습니다.³
    One day, his horse ran away.

    • 도망가다 means ‘to run away’.
    • 았 is a past tense marker.
    • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.

14. 큰 사건도 없는데, 사람들 이야기가 너무 진짜 같고, 그래서 더 감동적이었어.⁴
    Even though there’s no big event, the people’s stories seem so real, so it was more touching.

    • 감동적 means ‘touching’ or ‘moving’. It’s composed of 감동 (strong feelings or deep emotion) and the suffix -적, which turns a noun into a descriptive term meaning ‘relating to’ or ‘having the properties of’.
    • 이다 is the copula meaning ‘to be’.
    • 었 is the past tense marker.
    • 어 is a casual ending used in informal speech.

15. 그곳에서 한 농부가 맹인에게 포도 한 송이를 건네주었다.⁶
    There, a farmer handed a bunch of grapes to the blind man.

    • 건네주다 means ‘to hand over’ or ‘to pass’. It is formed by combining 건네다 (to hand over) with the pattern -어 주다, where 주다 (to give) adds the nuance of doing the action for someone else.
    • 었 is a past tense marker.
    • 다 is a plain narrative ending used in writing to state facts or narrate events.

16. 과학은 각자 다른 방향으로 나아가고 있으며, 지금까지는 우리에게 큰 해를 끼치지 않았습니다.⁷
    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 날 그들은 강 옆에 도착했는데, 그곳에는 젊고 아름다운 여자가 강을 건너려 하다가 어려움을 겪고 있었다.⁸
    One day, they arrived beside a river, where there was a young and beautiful woman having difficulty trying to cross the river.

    • 도착하다 means ‘to arrive’.
    • 였 is a past tense marker.
    • -는데 is a connective ending that provides background information or sets the scene for what follows. It can also express contrast, surprise, or hesitation.

18. 그는 매일 열심히 일했지만, 더 많은 힘과 부를 가진 사람들을 부러워했습니다.⁹
    He worked diligently every day, but envied those with more power and wealth.

    • 일하다 means ‘to work’.
    • 였 is a past tense marker.
    • 지만 is a connective ending meaning ‘but’, used to contrast two clauses.

19. 오른쪽과 왼쪽 멀리서 벽이 보이기 시작했을 때 기뻤어.¹
    I was glad when I saw walls far away to the right and left.

    • 시작하다 means ‘to start’.
    • 였 is a past tense marker.
    • 을 is a modifier that makes the preceding statement function as an adnominal phrase describing the following noun, conveying assumption, intention, or possibility, including potential future actions.

20. 체셔 고양이: “그럼 어느 쪽으로 가든 상관없어,” 고양이가 말했다.²
    Cheshire Cat: “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.

    • 말하다 means ‘to say’.
    • 였 is a past tense marker.
    • 다 is a plain narrative form used in writing to state facts or narrate events.