Example Sentences#

1. 근데 난 한강 가면 치맥이 먼저 생각나는데?¹
   But when I go to the Han River, chicken and beer comes to mind first, doesn’t it?

   • 생각나다 is a compound verb meaning ‘to come to mind’ or ‘to remember’, formed from 생각 (thought) and 나다 (to emerge, appear, or occur).
   • -는데 is a connective ending that links clauses by providing circumstances or context for the following statement. Used as a sentence-final ending, it leaves the statement open-ended, prompting the listener to infer an unspoken message or respond, often conveying surprise, hesitation, subtle contrast, or exclamation, making the statement less direct and facilitating polite, interactive communication.

2. “개는 화가 나면 으르렁거리고, 기쁘면 꼬리를 흔들어.²
   “When a dog gets angry, it growls, and when it’s happy, it wags its tail.

   • 나다 means ‘to emerge’, ‘to appear’, or ‘to occur’.
   • 화가 나다 is an idiomatic expression meaning ‘to become angry’.
   • 면 is a conditional ending meaning ‘if’ or ‘when’.

3. 발자국 위로 빛나는 뭔가³
   Something shining above my footprints

   • 빛나다 is a compound verb formed from 빛 (light) and 나다 (to emerge, appear, or occur), meaning ‘to shine’.
   • 는 is a present tense modifier that makes the preceding statement function as an adnominal phrase describing the following noun.

4. 깊은 시간 속 깨어난 멜로디⁴
   A melody awakened in the depths of time

   • 깨어나다 is a compound verb meaning ‘to wake up’, formed from 깨다 (to wake or break from sleep) and 나다 (to emerge, appear, or occur), emphasizing complete emergence from deep sleep, unconsciousness, or figurative states, typically used in formal or literary contexts.
   • ㄴ is a past tense modifier that makes the preceding statement function as an adnominal phrase describing the following noun.

5. 그러나 언젠가 이 떨어져 있는 지식들이 모이면, 현실의 무서운 모습을 드러내고, 그 속에서 우리의 무서운 위치를 알게 되어 우리는 그 사실로 인해 미쳐버리거나 그 빛을 피해 새로운 어두운 시대의 평화와 안전 속으로 도망칠 것입니다.⁵
   However, someday, if these separate pieces of knowledge come together, they will reveal the fearful reality, and in that, we will come to know our terrifying position and either go mad or flee into the peace and safety of a new dark age, avoiding the light.

   • 드러내다 means ‘to reveal’ or ‘to expose’. It is the causative counterpart of 드러나다 (to be revealed or to be exposed), where 나다 (to emerge, appear, or occur) forms an intransitive verb marking spontaneous or passive occurrence, while 내다 (to cause or bring about) forms a transitive causative verb.
   • -고 is a connective ending used to link two actions or states, meaning ‘and’, or to join the main verb to auxiliary verbs.

6. 닫힌 문 앞에서 화가 났어⁶
   Standing before closed doors, I felt anger.

   • 나다 means ‘to emerge’, ‘to appear’, or ‘to occur’.
   • 화가 나다 is an idiomatic expression meaning ‘to become angry’.
   • 았 is a past tense marker.
   • 어 is a casual ending used in informal speech.

7. 다음 날 아침, 그는 큰 집에서 깨어났습니다.⁷
   The next morning, he woke up in a big house.

   • 깨어나다 is a compound verb meaning ‘to wake up’, formed from 깨다 (to wake or break from sleep) and 나다 (to emerge, appear, or occur), emphasizing complete emergence from deep sleep, unconsciousness, or figurative states, typically used in formal or literary contexts.
   • 았 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.

8. 그런데 나는 기쁠 때 으르렁거리고, 화가 나면 꼬리를 흔들어.²
   But I growl when I’m happy, and I wag my tail when I’m angry.

   • 나다 means ‘to emerge’, ‘to appear’, or ‘to occur’.
   • 화가 나다 is an idiomatic expression meaning ‘to become angry’.
   • 면 is a conditional ending meaning ‘if’ or ‘when’.

9. 이 모든 게 이어져, 끝나지 않는 춤³
   All of this connects, a never-ending dance

   • 끝나다 means ‘to end’ or ‘to finish’ in an intransitive sense. It is formed from 끝 (end) and 나다 (to emerge, appear, or occur), indicating that the action happens by itself without an external agent.
   • -지 않다 is a negation pattern, with 지 attached to the verb stem and 않다 as an auxiliary verb for negation.

10. 끝난 시간을 넘어 시작되는 순간들⁴
    Moments arising beyond the end of time

    • 끝나다 means ‘to end’ or ‘to finish’ in an intransitive sense. It is formed from 끝 (end) and 나다 (to emerge, appear, or occur), indicating that the action happens by itself without an external agent.
    • ㄴ is a past tense modifier that makes the preceding statement function as an adnominal phrase describing the following noun.