Example Sentences#

1. 표 구하기 힘들다던데?¹
   I heard it’s really hard to get tickets?
   • 힘들다 means ‘to be hard’ or ‘to be difficult’.
   • -다던데 is a connective ending contracted from -다고 하던데, composed of -다고, a quotative marker indicating reported speech; 하다 meaning ‘to say’; -더-, a retrospective suffix conveying the speaker’s recollection of a past personal experience or observation; and -ㄴ데, a connective ending that links clauses by providing context for the following statement, which, when used as a sentence-final ending, 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. 다들 힘들게 사는데, 서로 도와주고 이해하면서 조금씩 변해가는 게 너무 좋았어.²
   While everyone lives with difficulty, I really liked how they help each other, understand each other, and gradually change.
   • 힘들다 means ‘to be difficult’ or ‘to be hard’.
   • 게 is an adverb-forming suffix.
3. 근데 간신히 도착했더니 비까지 오고, 줄도 정말 길고 입구 찾기도 힘들었어.¹
   But when I finally managed to get there, it even started raining, the line was super long, and even finding the entrance was hard.
   • 힘들다 means ‘to be difficult’ or ‘to be hard’.
   • -었- is a past tense marker.
   • -어 is a casual ending used in informal speech.