Example Sentences#

1. 도둑은 떨어지면 호랑이에게 잡아먹힐까 봐 등을 꽉 붙잡았습니다.¹
   The thief, afraid he would be eaten by the tiger if he fell off, held on tightly to its back.
   • 잡아먹히다 is a passive compound verb formed from 잡다 (to catch) and 먹다 (to eat), which together make 잡아먹다 (to catch and eat), plus the passive suffix -히-, resulting in the meaning ‘to be caught and eaten’.
   • -ㄹ까 is a sentence ending that indicates curiosity, wonder, or uncertainty about a potential event. In this context, it functions as part of the -ㄹ까 보다 pattern, expressing worry that the situation mentioned in the preceding clause might occur.