Example Sentences#

1. 어느 날 그들은 강 옆에 도착했는데, 그곳에는 젊고 아름다운 여자가 강을 건너려 하다가 어려움을 겪고 있었다.¹
   One day, they arrived beside a river, where there was a young and beautiful woman having difficulty trying to cross the river.
   • 건너다 means ‘to cross’.
   • -려 is a contraction of -려고, a connective ending used to express intention or purpose, similar to ‘in order to’.
2. 여자는 스님들에게 강을 건너는 것을 도와달라고 부탁했다.¹
   The woman asked the monks to help her cross the river.
   • 건너다 means ‘to cross’.
   • -는 is a present tense modifier that turns the preceding statement into a phrase describing the following noun.
3. 그때 나이 든 스님은 아무 말 없이 여자를 들어 강을 건너게 도와주고, 다른 쪽에 내려놓은 후 다시 길을 떠났다.¹
   At that moment, the old monk picked up the woman without a word, helped her cross the river, set her down on the other side, and resumed the journey.
   • 건너다 means ‘to cross’.
   • -게 is a connective ending that turns the preceding clause into an adverbial modifier, indicating the purpose, result, manner, or degree of the action or state described in the following clause. Its meaning varies with the construction that follows, such as causation with -게 하다 or a change of state with -게 되다.
4. “스님, 우리는 여자를 만지지 않기로 했는데, 어떻게 그 여자를 들어 건너셨습니까?”¹
   “We promised not to touch a woman. How could you carry her across the river?”
   • 건너다 means ‘to cross’.
   • -시- is an honorific marker used to show respect toward the subject of the verb, typically when referring to or addressing someone of higher social standing, or when politely addressing the listener in requests, questions, or commands.
   • 었 is a past tense marker.
   • 습니까 is a question ending in formal speech.