Example Sentences#

1. 눈 감으면 들려오는 멜로디¹
   A melody that plays when I close my eyes
   • 들려오다 is a compound verb formed from 들리다 (to be heard), the passive form of 듣다 (to hear), and 오다 (to come). Together, it means ‘to be heard coming’, with the nuance that the sound originates from a distance and is perceived as moving toward the listener.
   • -는 is a present tense modifier that turns the preceding statement into a phrase describing the following noun.
2. 어느 저녁, 그는 오래된 나무 아래에서 쉬고 있을 때, 나뭇잎 사이로 신비한 목소리가 들려왔습니다.²
   One evening, while he was resting under an old tree, he heard a mysterious voice through the leaves.
   • 들려오다 is a compound verb consisting of 들리다 meaning ‘to be heard’ and 오다 meaning ‘to come’. Together, they mean ‘to be heard’, with the nuance that the sound is coming towards the listener.
   • 았 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니다 is a formal polite ending used in declarative sentences.