Example Sentences#

1. 맨날 카페만 가면 지겹지 않아?¹
   Aren’t you tired of always going to cafes?

   • 카페 is a loanword from French, meaning ‘cafe’.
   • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.

2. 처음에는 너무 넓어서 두려웠고, 계속 달리기만 했어.²
   At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, and I kept running and running.

   • 달리다 means ‘to run’.
   • -기 is a nominalizing suffix that turns the verb into a noun form, allowing for the use of particles like 만.
   • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.

3. 앨리스: “—어디든 가기만 하면 돼요,” 앨리스가 덧붙였다.³
   Alice: “—so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added.

   • 가다 means ‘to go’.
   • -기 is a nominalizer, turning the verb into a noun form.
   • -만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.

4. 우리 둘만의 비밀처럼⁴
   Like a secret just between the two of us

   • 둘 is the native Korean number for ‘two’.
   • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.
   • 의 is a possessive marker.

5. 지수: 그치, 그 두 사람 다 상처가 많았는데, 그냥 옆에 있어 주는 것만으로도 힘이 되는 게 보여서 좋았어.⁵
   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.

   • 것 is a bound noun meaning ‘thing’, often used with modifiers to nominalize the preceding clause or phrase.
   • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.
   • 으로 is an instrumental particle meaning ‘with’ or ‘by’.
   • 도 is a particle meaning ‘even’ or ‘also’.
   • -는 것만으로도 indicates that simply doing the action in the preceding clause alone is enough to produce the result mentioned in the following clause.

6. 내가 하나 먹으면, 너도 하나만 먹는 거야.⁶
   If I eat one, you also eat one.

   • 하나 is the native Korean number for ‘one’.
   • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’.

7. 밥 먹으러 와서 떡볶이만 먹을 거야?⁷
   You came out to eat, and you’re only going to have tteokbokki?

   • 떡볶이 is a compound noun made up of 떡 (rice cake) and 볶다 (to stir-fry), with -이 as a noun-forming suffix that nominalizes the verb, referring to a popular Korean dish made of chewy rice cakes simmered in a spicy-sweet gochujang (Korean chili paste) sauce with fish cakes and often garnished with ingredients like boiled eggs and scallions.
   • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.

8. “방향만 바꾸면 돼,” 고양이가 말했고, 쥐를 잡아먹었다.²
   “You only need to change your direction,” said the cat, and ate it up.

   • 방향 means ‘direction’.
   • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.

9. 체셔 고양이: “오, 넌 분명히 갈 곳이 있을 거야,” 고양이가 말했다, “오래 걷기만 하면 돼.”³
   Cheshire Cat: “Oh, you’re sure to find a place,’ said the cat, ‘as long as you walk long enough.”

   • 걷다 means ‘to walk’.
   • -기 is a nominalizer, turning the verb into a noun form.
   • -만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.

10. 조금만 더 내게 다가와 봐⁴
    Come a little closer to me

    • 조금 means ‘a little’.
    • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.

11. 서준: 불고기만 먹으면 좀 느끼할 것 같아.⁷
    Seojun: I think eating only bulgogi might be a bit too greasy.

    • 불고기 is a compound noun made up of 불 (fire) and 고기 (meat), referring to a popular Korean dish made of thin, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, grilled on a barbecue or on a stovetop.
    • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.

12. 나만 바라보고 싶은 너의 미소⁴
    Your smile, which I want to keep to myself

    • 나 is the informal first-person pronoun meaning ‘I’.
    • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.

13. 천천히, 부드럽게, 우리만의 리듬⁴
    Slowly, softly, in a rhythm all our own

    • 우리 means ‘we’.
    • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.
    • 의 is a possessive marker.

14. 우리만의 이야기로⁴
    As our own story

    • 우리 means ‘we’.
    • 만 is a particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’.
    • 의 is a possessive marker.