Example Sentences#

1. 민준: 자전거 좋지!¹
   Minjun: Biking sounds good!

   • 좋다 means ‘to be good’.
   • -지 is a sentence-ending particle that conveys the speaker’s presumption of shared understanding or agreement with the listener. In the declarative mood, it expresses certainty or strong affirmation, often used to assert something believed to be obvious or mutually understood. In the interrogative mood, it seeks confirmation, softening the question’s tone and making it less direct. In the imperative mood, it softens the command, making it less forceful.

2. 그건 인정하지?”²
   You agree with that, right?”

   • 인정하다 means ‘to concede’ or ‘to acknowledge’.
   • 지 is a casual ending used in informal speech, commonly when the speaker expects the listener to confirm or agree with the statement.

3. 지수: 그치, 그 두 사람 다 상처가 많았는데, 그냥 옆에 있어 주는 것만으로도 힘이 되는 게 보여서 좋았어.³
   Jisoo: Right, both of those people had many wounds, but it was good to see that just being by their side was enough to give them strength.

   • 그치 is a casual contraction of 그렇지, which derives from 그렇다 (to be so) and the confirmative ending -지, an informal sentence ending used to seek confirmation or agreement, often softening the question or implying the speaker’s belief that the listener agrees, similar to how ‘right?’ or ‘isn’t it?’ is used in English.

4. 약속하지?”⁴
   You promise?”

   • 약속하다 means ‘to promise’.
   • -지 is a sentence-ending particle that conveys the speaker’s presumption of shared understanding or agreement with the listener. In the declarative mood, it expresses certainty or strong affirmation, often used to assert something believed to be obvious or mutually understood. In the interrogative mood, it seeks confirmation, softening the question’s tone and making it less direct. In the imperative mood, it softens the command, making it less forceful.

5. 그건 간식이지.⁵
   That’s a snack.

   • 간식 means ‘snack’ or ‘light meal’.
   • 이다 is the copula ‘to be’.
   • -지 is a sentence-ending particle that conveys the speaker’s presumption of shared understanding or agreement with the listener. In the declarative mood, it expresses certainty or strong affirmation, often used to assert something believed to be obvious or mutually understood. In the interrogative mood, it seeks confirmation, softening the question’s tone and making it less direct. In the imperative mood, it softens the command, making it less forceful.

6. 그럼 모두 만족이겠지?¹
   Then everyone will be satisfied, right?

   • 만족 means ‘satisfaction’.
   • 이다 is the copula ‘to be’.
   • -겠- indicates future action, supposition, or conjecture from the speaker’s perspective, often based on their current observation or subjective feeling.
   • -지 is a sentence-ending particle that conveys the speaker’s presumption of shared understanding or agreement with the listener. In the interrogative mood, it seeks confirmation, softening the question’s tone and making it less direct.

7. 태민: 응, 말 없이도 서로 힘이 되어 주는 게 진짜 감동이었지.³
   Taemin: Yes, it was really touching that they could be a source of strength for each other even without words.

   • 감동 means ‘strong feelings’ or ‘deep emotion’.
   • 이다 is the copula ‘to be’.
   • 었 is the past tense marker.
   • -지 is a sentence-ending particle that conveys the speaker’s presumption of shared understanding or agreement with the listener. In the declarative mood, it expresses certainty or strong affirmation, often used to assert something believed to be obvious or mutually understood. In the interrogative mood, it seeks confirmation, softening the question’s tone and making it less direct. In the imperative mood, it softens the command, making it less forceful.

8. 이 정도면 괜찮지?⁵
   Sound good?

   • 괜찮다 means ‘to be okay’ or ‘to be fine’.
   • -지 is a sentence-ending particle that conveys the speaker’s presumption of shared understanding or agreement with the listener. In the declarative mood, it expresses certainty or strong affirmation, often used to assert something believed to be obvious or mutually understood. In the interrogative mood, it seeks confirmation, softening the question’s tone and making it less direct. In the imperative mood, it softens the command, making it less forceful.

9. 태민: 봤지!³
   Taemin: I watched it!

   • 보다 means ‘to see’ or ‘to watch’.
   • 았 is the past tense marker.
   • -지 is a sentence-ending particle that conveys the speaker’s presumption of shared understanding or agreement with the listener. In the declarative mood, it expresses certainty or strong affirmation, often used to assert something believed to be obvious or mutually understood. In the interrogative mood, it seeks confirmation, softening the question’s tone and making it less direct. In the imperative mood, it softens the command, making it less forceful.

10. 둘 다 다르지만, 사람 마음에 오래 남는 그런 드라마지.³
    Both are different, but they’re the kind of dramas that remain in people’s hearts for a long time.

    • 드라마 is a loanword from English meaning ‘drama’.
    • 이다 (to be) is omitted here, making 드라마지 a shortened form of 드라마이지.
    • -지 is a sentence-ending particle that conveys the speaker’s presumption of shared understanding or agreement with the listener. In the declarative mood, it expresses certainty or strong affirmation, often used to assert something believed to be obvious or mutually understood. In the interrogative mood, it seeks confirmation, softening the question’s tone and making it less direct. In the imperative mood, it softens the command, making it less forceful.