Example Sentences#

1. 하지만 이 긴 벽들이 너무 빨리 가까워져서 이제는 마지막 방에 있고, 저기 구석에 내가 달려가는 덫이 있어.”¹
   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.”
   • 길다 means ‘to be long’.
   • -ㄴ is a modifier that turns the preceding statement into a phrase describing the following noun.
2. 근데 간신히 도착했더니 비까지 오고, 줄도 정말 길고 입구 찾기도 힘들었어.²
   But when I finally managed to get there, it even started raining, the line was super long, and even finding the entrance was hard.
   • 길다 means ‘to be long’.
   • -고 is a connective ending used to link two actions or states, meaning ‘and’, or to join the main verb to auxiliary verbs.
3. 그러나 그의 승리는 길지 않았습니다.³
   However, his victory did not last long.
   • 길다 means ‘to be long’.
   • -지 않다 is a negation pattern, with 지 attached to the verb stem and 않다 as an auxiliary verb for negation.
4. 줄이 길었는데도 5분 만에 다 들어가고, 직원들이 진짜 잘 안내해 줬어.²
   Even though the line was long, everyone got in within 5 minutes, and the staff guided us really well.
   • 길다 means ‘to be long’.
   • -었- is a past tense marker.
   • -는데도 is a connective ending indicating that the following situation occurs despite the preceding circumstances. It is formed by combining -는데, used to connect clauses by introducing background information or subtle contrast, and 도, meaning ‘even’ or ‘also’.