관형사형 전성 어미
Contents
Definition
명 Adjective form ending.
This is an 어미 (Verb Ending) which converts the verb into an adjective (관형사). As such, it must appear before the 체언 (substantive) that it modifies.
Endings
There are only a few endings of this sort. Read more about each in the following articles:
Comparing the endings to each other:
- The Future Tense implies uncertainty, either because "everyone knows" the fact is so (but they may be wrong), or the speaker supposes the fact is true (but he may be wrong), or because it indicates a likely future outcome or intention on the part of the speaker.
- The Past Tense implies completion, that the action has already taken place, and the thing shows evidence of the change occurring.
- The Present Tense implies ongoing change, the Present Progressive Tense. Obviously, we don't put 형용사 (Adjective Verbs) with this ending, because these represent instantaneous actions.
Translating / Understanding Adjective Phrases
People get really, really confused when they see a complicated Adjective Phrase. This is only natural for the following reasons:
- Adjective phrases are usually the most complicated construction of any language.
- Adjective phrases are never as clear as they could be, leaving a lot of open questions.
- It's somewhat difficult to tell where an adjective phrase begins.
- Korean is simply very different from English.
Allow me to share with you some of my tips.
A+(ending) B = B that A
The first thing you need to understand is that English and Korean are almost completely opposite. You have to completely reverse the phrase around.
Predicate Phrases
The above seems simple enough, but things get really confusing when you start adding predicate phrases to the verb with the adjective ending. The rule of thumb here is to combine all the phrases with the verb that follows it. In other words, Koreans won't stick predicate phrases that belong to another verb in the middle of another verb's territory. (Even they would get confused!)
Generally, the Topic Marker 는/은 will not combine with anything but the final verb.
The Modified Noun is Not Always the Subject!
Most of the time, the modified noun ends up being the subject of the verb with the Adjective Ending. But this is not always so! The modified noun may be the object, the 3rd marker, or almost anything else. This isn't any different than in English.
- He ate salad → the salad he ate
- I will study physics at the school → the school I will study physics at
So, be open to the idea that the modified noun is not the subject.
If you're having a tough time, extract the adjective phrase, complete with the modified noun, into a separate sentence. Then try the modified noun out as the subject, the object, the 3rd marker, etc... to see where it fits best.
English is Not Korean
Finally, keep in mind that Koreans really do think of things differently than we do. In order to convey the right meaning, you're going to have to really do brain surgery on the word choice and phrase order. That's just a fact of life.
Generally, Korean Adjective Phrases are shorter and more clear than their precise English translation. That's because Korean is simply a denser language than English: much more meaning is conveyed with fewer sounds and words. When you translate them to English, one word can become three or four, which completely ruins the beat and relative importance of the sentence.
In order to resolve this, artistic license is not only preferred, but necessary. Break the phrase into its own sentence, or move entire components of the phrase into their own section.
Practice
Adding ㄴ to 형용사 (Adjective Verbs) is trivial. You'll probably see the 형용사 more often with the ㄴ ending than as the verb in a sentence. Don't fall into the trap where 형용사 + ㄴ is one word, and 형용사 + regular sentence ending is something else. Keep telling yourself that they are really the same word, even though our English brains don't think so.
It is almost impossible to read more than 3 words in native Korean without encountering the Adjective Phrase in its full glory. Even children's books have complicated Adjective Phrases that would confuse an English speaker. In 1 Nephi 1:1, I count 4 of these endings. 2 of them can be considered the "simple" 형용사 + ㄴ form, but one of them threw 시다 in the mix to confuse you.
In reading Korean, identify and recognize the adjective phrase endings. Just point to them and say, "Ahh! Adjective phrase right here!".
Next, try and pull the meaning out. This is not a trivial exercise, but it is well worth the effort. Just like a student that struggles with math, eventually things will start to make sense. You may give up on more complicated phrases, but don't give up on all of them. Some of them are much easier than others.
While listening to Korean, these phrases are going to whiz by you before you have a chance to identify them. Our brains in English are wired so that we see the adjective phrase coming before it happens "the car THAT ...". Koreans aren't wired that way. They accumulate context, and then lump them into a thought with the verb at the end, just like Reverse Polish Notation in calculators (1 1 + = 2). This is actually a more efficient way to organize things, although it is not natural for English speakers.
When you get your brain wired the right way, IE, when you've mastered basic sentences, you'll start to get the sense "something's up" when an adjective phrase is encountered, and your brain will tell you that there was something very, very strange going on. At first, your brain will try to tell you that it was just a really, really weird ending, but then it will see the pattern and start to decode it for you. Combined with your practice reading Korean, you'll master this in no time.
Composing your own adjective phrases is actually fun. It's like climbing a mountain. As you spit out context, you wonder if you're ever going to see the end of the climb. Then, the verb comes, and you can see the wonderful vista from the peak. It's spooky sometimes how a phrase that took you several minutes in your mind to work out is picked up instantaneously by native Korean speakers.
