The verb as an auxiliary

This was requested a long time ago, and I ended up making it much more intensive
than I originally planned! I hope you find it useful. Please note that I put it in
general order of easiest to most difficult, so if you start getting lost, bookmark it
and come back in a few weeks or months!
As you may know, has two meanings. The first is straightforwardly to watch,
to look at, or to see.
.
Im looking at the mountains.
TV .
She watches TV every day.
However, metaphorically, it can also mean to try or to find out - more literally to
see what (something) is like. English also has this metaphor:
Lets just wait and see.
(Lit. Lets just wait and find out what happens.)
I might not be able to go, but Ill see.
(Lit. I might not be able to go, but Ill try.)
Lets look at the ways (and its passive form, ) are used as an auxiliary
verb (a helping verb):
1. ~//
2. ~//
3. ~()
4. ~
5. ~()
6. ~()
7. ~ ()
8. ~() ()
9. ~()
ETA: Im going to put this all behind a cut because HOLY CRAP ITS LONG!
Click:
1. [verb] + ~// means to try doing [verb] or to do [verb] and see
how it goes. Its used much more often than the English equivalents,
though. Generally its a way to say someone will do something even if theyre not
sure of what the results will be. In the past tense, it implies that someone has had
a certain experience or that they have done something before. In the imperative,
its a polite way to offer a suggestion.
.
Ill try to get in touch again tomorrow.
.
Ive been to Japan.
(lit. Ive tried going to Japan to see how it was.)
.
Help yourself to some of this.
(lit. Try eating this a bit.)
Some verbs have been used so often in the ~// form that they have
lost the space in between and are interpreted as individual verbs, like (to
find out) and (to ask).
For more on ~// , see TTMiK L4L12 and Korean Grammar in Use
(Beginner) p. 204.
2. [adjective] + ~// means to look [adjective].
is the passive of . So is originally to see, to watch or to look
(at something):
.
I look at that woman.
and is to be seen, to be watched, to be visible, or to look (some way):
.
I can see that woman.
(lit. That woman is visible.)
So combined with an adjective, means to be seen as *adjective+ or to look
*adjective+. Be careful not to overuse this - it literally only refers to physical
appearance, and not to guesses about how something seems based on feelings or
intuition:
.
You look really tired today.
.
My older brother looks young.
.
Her hair looked pretty.
For more on ~// , see Korean Grammar in Use (Intermediate) p. 14.
3. [adjective] + ~() means to look [adjective] or to seem
[adjective]. Unlike #2, youre not talking so much about somethings physical
appearance, but rather about a supposition or assumption based on evidence. You
can sometimes translate it as I guess that or It must be.
It seems to me like this conjugation is related to the question form ~()()?
attached to adjectives. This can either form a gentle question to someone else, or
a rhetorical question (only in ).
?
Is this exercise difficult for women?
?
Am I pretty?
?
Why are people so lonely these days?
For more on ~()()?, see Korean Grammar in Use (Beginner) p. 310 and
Korean Grammar in Use (Intermediate) p. 54.
I suspect that, combined with (which may have originally been
or ), it means something along the lines of Im trying out *this question+
or Im looking at *this question+. All together, the nuance is Im guessing or It
seems like.
I dont have any evidence for this theory other than that it makes sense to me and
to the Korean people Ive asked, so if anyone has additional grammar information
on this pattern, I would greatly appreciate it!
Here are some example sentences:
.
He seems really smart.
.
I guess these shoes are a little big for children.
.
That singer must be really good.
For more on ~() , please see TTMIK L5L5.
4. [verb] + ~ is the same as #3, but for verbs.
Again I suspect that this comes from the question form ~, attached to verbs to
form gentle or rhetorical questions:
?
When are you arriving?
?
Why do Korean men go to military service?
?
Do students HAVE to wear uniforms?
For more on ~()?, see Korean Grammar in Use (Beginner) p. 310 and Korean
Grammar in Use (Intermediate) p. 54.
Put together with , it implies a theory or guess:
.
I guess Mingyungs going to school now.
.
You seem to speak English well.
.
They must not have known.
Note that adjectives in the past tense also use ~ .
.
He seemed really smart.
.
I guess these shoes were a little big for the children.
.
That singer must have been really good.
For more on ~ , please see TTMIK L5L4.
5. [verb] + ~() is similar to #4, and is used to talk about your guesses
about what someone is about to do or what is about to happen.
The original form of this structure is ~() .
~() () is used to discuss what someone is about to do or about their
intentions for doing something. Its quite formal when used in the present tense.:
.
Im about to go to the store to get milk.
(Lit. I intend to go to the store to get milk).
.
She studied hard to speak English well.
(Lit. She studied hard with the intention of speaking English well.)
It can also be used to describe an imminent action by an inanimate object -
basically, to talk about something thats about to happen:
.
The pictures about to fall.
.
Its about to start snowing.
Note that ~() () cant be used with adjectives because you cant really
intend to be a certain way, and things cant really be about to be a certain
way. In English you can kind of say This pies about to be delicious, for example,
but you really cant say that in Korean lol.
For more on ~() (), see TTMIK L5L8 and Korean Grammar in Use
(Beginning) pp. 240 and 243.
So ~() + ~ means that it seems like someone intends to do
something, you guess that something is about to happen, etc. Its usually
shortened to ~()
Some examples:
.
Those people seem like theyre about to fight.
.
The flowers must be about to bloom.
.
I guess shes about to quit her job.
For more on ~() , see TTMIK L5L23.
6. ~() is used to explain the reason for a worry or fear. It is almost
always used in the forms ~() and ~() as a conjunction, and is
followed by the action taken as a result of that worry.
Originally, the ~() form is used to show that youre wondering about
something or suggesting that its a possibility:
?
Do you think it will rain tomorrow?
?
Shall we go see a movie together?
.
Im thinking of going on vacation.
For more on ~(), see TTMIK L3L4, Korean Grammar in Use (Beginner) pp.
201, 210, 212, and 265, and Korean Grammar in Use (Intermediate) p. 114.
Combining it with the verb means something along the lines of, I entertained
*some thought+ - literally, I tried wondering about (something). However,
please notice that over time the nuance has become negative, so a more accurate
translation for the feeling of the phrase is, I worried about (something) or I was
afraid of (something).
As far as I can tell, and are used fairly interchangeably. just connects
the two clauses neutrally, whereas has a slight nuance of causality or order of
events (like other ~// conjugations). Remember that the following clause
will be the result of that worrisome thought, even if youre literally just saying
*because of this worrisome thought+, Im worried.
All together:
.
I didnt let the child play for fear he would fall.
.
Im worried I failed the exam.
.
I didnt ask because I was afraid theyd say no.
For more on ~() , see Korean Grammar in Use (Intermediate) p. 88.
7. [verb] + ~ () is used to show that clause 2 was a discovery that
happened as a result of the action or event in clause 1.
As Im sure you know, ~ is used to join two verbs:
.
I sing and dance.
So ~ has basically the same meaning as #1, i.e. to do something and see
[what happens]. However, as it is not commonly used outside of the expression
~ (), Im choosing not to include it as a separate grammar point.
~() is used to explain that the first clause led to the discovery of the second
clause:
.
When I got home, I discovered that my cat had died.
.
After talking to my friend, I found out that that guy likes me.
For more on this meaning of ~(), see Korean Grammar in Use (Beginning) p.
235.
(Be careful not to confuse this with the other ~(), which is used to explain
the reason or cause for something)
So by combining ~ and ~(), we get ~ , which has the literal
meaning of trying (something) and seeing what happened led to the discovery of
*second clause+. More colloquially, it means Because *first clause+ happened, I
found out that *second clause+. Because this construction is used so often, the
~ at the end is often dropped.
!
I went to that guys house and found out that hes married!
!
I tried the food my friend made for me and discovered that hes a really good cook!
.
I tried the shirt on and saw that it doesnt look good on me.
Note: The grammar pattern ~// () has basically the same meaning:
.
.
.
For more on ~ (), see Korean Grammar in Use (Intermediate) p. 258.
8. [verb] + ~() () is similar to #7, except that it is used to show that
clause 2 was a discovery that happened as a result of the *continuous* action or
event in clause 1.
~() is used to show that the continuous action in the first clause was
interrupted by the second clause. It can usually be translated using while, but the
action of the first clause may or may not continue.
TV .
I fell asleep while watching TV.
.
I saw my friend while I was studying.
-or-
I was studying, and then I (stopped and) saw my friend.
.
I laughed a lot while hanging out with my friend.
For more on ~(), see TTMIK L5L9 and Korean Grammar in Use (Intermediate) p.
211.
When attached to , it forms ~() , which means that you saw
(something) as clause 1 was happening. However this expression is not really used
on its own. Instead, it is attached to ~() in the same way as #8, and so it forms
~() (). For brevity, it is almost always shortened to ~ .
All together, it literally means While *clause one+ was happening, I
saw/experienced (something) that led to the discovery of *clause 2+.
Lets look at some examples!
.
After hanging out with that friend a lot, I realized that shes a really bad person.
(Lit. While hanging out with that person a lot, I saw (something) that led to the
discovery that shes a really bad person.)
.
I exercised a lot and Im really strong now.
(Lit. While exercising often, I experienced (something) that led to the discovery that
Ive become really strong now.)
.
After trying to learn Korean, Ive realized that Ill never be able to speak it.
(Lit. While learning Korean, I experienced (something) that led to the discovery that
I dont think Ill ever be able to do it.)
For more on ~ (), see Korean Grammar in Use (Intermediate) p. 261.
9. [verb] + ~() is similar to #8, except that it is used when the action in
clause 1, if it continues, is expected to lead to the action in clause 2 in the future.
As above, ~() means that (something) is seen/experienced while clause 1
is happening.
~() is added to indicate if or when *clause 1+ happens, then *clause 2+ will
happen.
.
If you come quickly, well still be able to see the play.
Therefore, all together it forms ~() , which literally means that if clause 1
continues to happen and (something) is seen or experienced, then [clause 2] will
happen. It is almost always shortened to ~ .
Lets look at some examples:
.
If you keep seeing my girlfriend, youre going to regret it.
(Lit. If you see what happens while you meet my girlfriend, youre going to regret it.)
!
If you keep starving yourself, youre going to die!
(Lit. If you see what happens while you starve yourself, youre going to die!)
.
If you keep studying Korean, it will get easier.
(Lit. If you experience what happens while you keep studying Korean, it will get
easier.)
For more on ~ , see Korean Grammar in Use (Intermediate) p. 265.
***
Thats it!!^^ Thats all I have~ hehe. I really hope you enjoyed this and found it
useful. Please feel free to reblog or send some asks or comments my way letting
me know if you have any comments or questions. Also feel free to make any
requests if theres some aspect of Korean grammar you dont understand, and I will
do my best to help out!
PS: I have a very strong intuition that ~// is related to the verb
and the ending ~, but I cant find any grammar resources that refer to the
ending ~// (in English - Google has a buttload in Chinese, butyeah)
so I dont feel comfortable listing it here. Can anybody give me some insight on
this?
31 notes View comments Tags: auxiliary korean korea grammar
~// ~// ~() ~
~() ~() ~() () ~() ~ ()
~()()? ~()? ~() () ~()