Example Sentences#

1. 하린: 아직 별다른 건 없는데…¹
   Harin: Nothing in particular yet…

   • 건 is a contraction of 것은, where 것 is a bound noun meaning ‘thing’, often used to nominalize a clause, and 은 is the topic particle.

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.

   • 처음 means ‘the first time’ or ‘beginning’.
   • 에 is a particle indicating a point in time.
   • 는 is a topic marker.

3. 체셔 고양이: “그건 네가 어디로 가고 싶은지에 달려 있어,” 고양이가 말했다.³
   Cheshire Cat: “That depends on where you want to go,” said the cat.

   • 그 means ‘that’.
   • 건 is a contraction of 것은, where 것 means ‘thing’ and 은 is a topic 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. 바람은 살짝 불어와⁵
   A gentle breeze is blowing

   • 바람 means ‘wind’.
   • 은 is the topic marker.

6. 태민: 나는 나의 아저씨가 진짜 좋았어.⁶
   Taemin: I really liked ‘My Mister’.

   • 나 is the informal first-person pronoun meaning ‘I’.
   • 는 is a topic marker.

7. 저는 인류 전체를 사랑할수록 특정 사람을 덜 사랑하게 됩니다.⁷
   The more I love humanity, the less I come to love any particular person.

   • 저 is the formal first-person pronoun meaning ‘I’.
   • 는 is a topic marker.

8. 어느 날, 라사로와 맹인은 알모록스라는 마을에 도착했다.⁸
   One day, Lazaro and the blind man arrived in a village called Almorox.

   • 맹인 means ‘blind person’.
   • 은 is a topic marker.

9. 세상에서 가장 다행스러운 것은 인간의 마음이 모든 것을 연결하지 못하는 능력이라고 생각합니다.⁹
   I think the most fortunate thing in the world is the human mind’s inability to connect everything.

   • 것 is a bound noun meaning ‘thing’, often used with modifiers to nominalize the preceding clause or phrase.
   • 은 is a topic marker.

10. 두 명의 스님, 한 명은 나이 든 스님이고 다른 한 명은 젊은 스님이 함께 여행하고 있었다.¹⁰
    Two monks, one old and one young, were traveling together.

    • 명 is a dependent noun used to count people.
    • 은 is a topic marker.

11. 고요한 마을에는 타로라는 성실한 돌을 다듬는 사람이 살고 있었습니다.¹¹
    In a quiet village, there lived a diligent stone carver named Taro.

    • 마을 means ‘village’.
    • 에 is a particle indicating location.
    • 는 is a topic marker.

12. 그건 간식이지.¹²
    That’s a snack.

    • 그 is a demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘that’.
    • 건 is a contraction of 것은, where 것 is a bound noun meaning ‘thing’ and 은 is the topic particle.

13. 넌?¹
    How about you?

    • 넌 is a contraction of 너는, where 너 is the informal second-person pronoun meaning ‘you’ and 는 is the topic particle.

14. 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.”

    • 이제 means ‘now’, indicating a change from a previous state or emphasizing a current state after a transition. It can also convey the sense of ‘from now on’.
    • 는 is a topic marker.

15. 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.”

    • 넌 is the contracted form of 너는, where 너 means ‘you’ and 는 is a topic marker.

16. 그러나 노인은 단지 “좋을 수도 있고, 나쁠 수도 있습니다”라고 대답했습니다.⁴
    However, the old man just answered, “It could be good, or it could be bad.”

    • 노인 means ‘old man’.
    • 은 is the topic marker.

17. 너는?⁶
    How about you?

    • 너 is the informal second-person pronoun meaning ‘you’.
    • 는 is a topic marker, here used to shift the focus of the conversation.

18. 꿈속에서 저는 종종 인류를 위해 봉사할 계획을 세우곤 합니다.⁷
    In my dreams, I often make plans to serve humanity.

    • 저 is the formal first-person pronoun meaning ‘I’.
    • 는 is a topic marker.

19. 포도가 너무 잘 익어서 가방에 넣을 수 없었기에, 맹인은 그 자리에서 라사로와 함께 포도를 나누어 먹기로 결심했다.⁸
    The grapes were so ripe that they couldn’t be put in the bag, so the blind man decided to share them on the spot with Lazaro.

    • 맹인 means ‘blind person’.
    • 은 is a topic marker.

20. 우리는 끝없는 검은 바다 한가운데 있는 고요한 무지의 섬에 살고 있으며, 멀리 나가는 것은 우리에게 맞지 않았습니다.⁹
    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.

    • 우리 means ‘we’.
    • 는 is a topic marker.