Example Sentences#

1. 민준: 나 친구들이랑 노래방 갈까 생각 중이야.¹
   Minjun: I’m thinking about going to a karaoke room with my friends.

   • 친구 means ‘friend’.
   • 들 is a plural marker.
   • 이랑 is a particle meaning ‘with’ or ‘and’, used to connect nouns in informal speech.

2. 하지만 이 긴 벽들이 너무 빨리 가까워져서 이제는 마지막 방에 있고, 저기 구석에 내가 달려가는 덫이 있어.”²
   But these long walls closed in so quickly that now I am in the last room, and over there in the corner is the trap I am running towards.”

   • 벽 means ‘wall’.
   • 들 is a plural marker.
   • 이 is a subject marker.

3. “여기에는 어떤 사람들이 살고 있나요?”³
   “What kind of people live here?”

   • 사람 means ‘person’.
   • 들 is a plural marker.
   • 이 is a subject marker.

4. 마을 사람들은 그에게 큰 불행이라고 말했습니다.⁴
   The villagers said to him it was a great misfortune.

   • 사람 means ‘person’.
   • 들 is a plural marker.
   • 은 is the topic marker.

5. 큰 사건도 없는데, 사람들 이야기가 너무 진짜 같고, 그래서 더 감동적이었어.⁵
   Even though there’s no big event, the people’s stories seem so real, so it was more touching.

   • 사람 means ‘person’.
   • 들 is a plural marker.

6. 사람들이 가까이 오면 저는 즉시 싫어하게 됩니다.⁶
   When people get close to me, I immediately start to dislike them.

   • 사람 means ‘person’.
   • 들 is a plural marker.
   • 이 is a subject marker.

7. 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.⁷
   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.

   • 지식 means ‘knowledge’.
   • 들 is a plural marker, indicating multiple pieces or aspects of knowledge.
   • 이 is a subject marker.

8. 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.

   • 그 is a pronoun meaning ‘he’.
   • 들 is a plural marker.
   • 은 is a topic marker.

9. 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.

   • 사람 means ‘person’.
   • 들 is a plural marker.
   • 을 is the object marker.

10. 앨리스: “하지만 저는 미친 사람들 사이에 가고 싶지 않아요,” 앨리스가 말했다.³
    Alice: “But I don’t want to go among mad people,” said Alice.

    • 사람 means ‘person’.
    • 들 is a plural marker.

11. 마을 사람들은 이번에는 큰 행운이라고 말했습니다.⁴
    The villagers said this time it was a great fortune.

    • 사람 means ‘person’.
    • 들 is a plural marker.
    • 은 is the topic marker.

12. 다들 힘들게 사는데, 서로 도와주고 이해하면서 조금씩 변해가는 게 너무 좋았어.⁵
    While everyone lives with difficulty, I really liked how they help each other, understand each other, and gradually change.

    • 다 means ‘all’.
    • 들 is a plural marker.

13. 여자는 스님들에게 강을 건너는 것을 도와달라고 부탁했다.⁸
    The woman asked the monks to help her cross the river.

    • 스님 means ‘monk’.
    • 들 is a plural marker.
    • 에게 is a particle indicating the indirect object, meaning ‘to’.

14. 마을 사람들은 이번에는 큰 불행이라고 말했습니다.⁴
    The villagers said this time it was a great misfortune.

    • 사람 means ‘person’.
    • 들 is a plural marker.
    • 은 is the topic marker.

15. 그들은 여자를 만지지 않기로 다짐했기 때문이다.⁸
    They had promised not to touch a woman.

    • 그 is a pronoun meaning ‘he’.
    • 들 is a plural marker.
    • 은 is a topic marker.

16. 얼마 지나지 않아 전쟁이 일어났고, 젊은이들이 군대로 갔습니다.⁴
    Not long after, war broke out, and the young men went to the army.

    • 젊은이 is a compound noun made up of 젊다 (to be young) and the noun-forming suffix -이, meaning ‘young person’.
    • 들 is a plural marker.
    • 이 is the subject marker.