DAY 3: Crush? Confess? Let’s Say It in Korean!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

🌸 10 Key Korean Sentences

🌸 Key Vocabulary & Expressions

🌸 Grammar Breakdown

1. ~ 때

2. Verb-stem + 았어요 / 었어요 / 했어요

3. NOUN + 였어요/이었어요

4. Verb + Noun modifier + Noun

🌸 Extra Cultural or Language Notes

DAY 3: Crush? Confess? Let’s Say It in Korean!

In this lesson, we’re diving into the language of crushes and confessions — Korean style! You’ll learn how to say things like “He confessed he liked me” or “It was my first love,” using real expressions like 짝사랑, 고백하다, and 오빠. Let’s break down grammar, cultural nuance, and some sweet (and awkward!) memories in Korean.

Hanna

Aug 1, 2025

🌸 What You’ll Learn

✅ Level: A2 – B1

In this episode, you’ll learn 10 real Korean sentences to talk about crushes, first love, and confession moments.

We’ll focus on simple past tense, descriptive verbs, and common emotional expressions in Korean.

🌸 10 Key Korean Sentences

Korean	English
저의 첫 짝사랑은 고등학교 때였어요.	My first crush was back in high school.
그 짝사랑은 제 초등학교 친구의 오빠였어요.	He was my elementary school friend’s older brother.
공부도 잘하고, 운동도 잘하는 멋진 오빠였어요.	He was smart, athletic, and totally dreamy.
그 오빠는 제가 좋아한다는 사실도 몰랐어요.	He had no idea I had a crush on him.
결국, 고백할 기회도 없었어요.	I never even had the chance to tell him.
저의 진짜 첫사랑은 대학교 1학년 때 만났어요.	My real first love came during my freshman year of college.
처음엔 또 나만의 짝사랑인가 했어요.	At first, I thought it was just another one-sided crush.
그런데 어느 날, 그 오빠가 저를 좋아한다고 고백했어요.	But then one day, he told me he liked me too.
그렇게 우리는 1년 정도 사귀게 되었어요.	And just like that, we ended up dating for about a year.
지금은 친구로 지내지만, 좋은 추억이 많이 남아 있어요.	We’re just friends now, but I still have many good memories.

🌸 Key Vocabulary & Expressions

짝사랑: one-sided love/crush

고등학교: high school

초등학교: elementary school

오빠: Used by a woman to refer to an older male (e.g. brother, friend, or boyfriend).

잘하다: to do well

멋지다: to be cool, attractive

좋다 vs 좋아하다

좋다: to be good
좋아하다: to like

사실: fact

모르다: to not know

결국: eventually / in the end

고백하다: to confess (feelings)

기회: chance, opportunity

없다: to not have / there isn’t

진짜: really / real

첫사랑: first love

대학교: university / college

1학년: first year student / freshman

만나다: to meet

그런데: but / however / by the way

어느 날: one day

그렇게: like that / so / in that way

정도: approximately / about

사귀다: to date, be in a relationship

지내다: to spend time / get along / stay

추억: memory (emotional, nostalgic)

남다: to remain / be left

🌸 Grammar Breakdown

1. ~ 때

💡

저의 첫 짝사랑은 고등학교 때였어요.

✅ Meaning:

“때” means “when” or “at the time of.”

It can follow either a noun or a noun-modifying clause to describe the time something happened.

💡 고등학교 때 → at the time of high school (in high school)

✅ Format 1: Noun + 때

Use this to say “at the time of [noun]”

✅ Example 1:

시험 때 항상 긴장돼요.

→ I always get nervous during exams.

방학 때 여행 갔어요.

→ I traveled during vacation.

✅ Format 2: Verb phrase + 때

Use this to say “when (someone) does/did something”

Tense	Rule	Example
present / future	vowel-ending stem + ㄹ 때 consonant-ending stem + 을 때	갈 때 → when (I) go 먹을 때 → when (I) eat
past	ㅏ/ㅗ vowel stem + 았을 때 other vowel stem + 었을 때 하다 verb → 했을 때	갔을 때 → when I went 먹었을 때 → when I ate 했을 때 → when I did

✅ Example 2:

내가 잘 때 비가 왔어요. → While I was sleeping, it rained.

내가 먹을 때 비가 왔어요. → While I was eating., it rained

비가 왔을 때 우리는 안에 있었어요. → When it rained, we stayed inside.

내가 어렸을 때 강아지를 키웠어요. → I raised a dog when I was young.

내가 의사였을 때 바빴어요. → I was busy when I was a doctor

내가 선생님이었을 때 바빴어요. → I was busy when I was a teacher

숙제를 다 했을 때는 밤 12시였어요. → When I finished all my homework, it was 12 a.m.

2. Verb-stem + 았어요 / 었어요 / 했어요

💡

그 오빠는 제가 좋아한다는 사실도 몰랐어요.

결국, 고백할 기회도 없었어요.

저의 진짜 첫사랑은 대학교 1학년 때 만났어요.

그런데 어느 날, 그 오빠가 저를 좋아한다고 고백했어요.

그렇게 우리는 1년 정도 사귀게 되었어요.

✅ Meaning:

Past tense ending in polite form

Used to describe actions that have already been completed

✅ Format: Verb stem + 았/었/했어요 (For 이다 verb - refer to 3 below)

Verb Type	Rule	Example
ㅏ/ㅗ vowel verb	stem + 았어요	만나다 → 만났어요 : I met
other vowel verb	stem + 었어요	입다 → 입었어요 : I wore
하다 verb	→ 했어요	고백하다 → 고백했어요 : I confessed

✅ Example:

보다 → 보았어요 → 봤어요 : I watched/saw

먹다 → 먹었어요 : I ate

공부하다 → 공부했어요 : I studied

3. NOUN + 였어요/이었어요

💡

저의 첫 짝사랑은 고등학교 때였어요.

그 짝사랑은 제 초등학교 친구의 오빠였어요.

✅ Meaning:

Past Tense of verb 이다 (to be)

Base form: 이다
Polite from (present tense): 예요 / 이에요
Polite form (past tense): 였어요 / 이었어요

Use this to say something "was" something in the past.

✅ Format:

Rule	Example
vowel-ending stem + 였어요	의사였어요
consonant-ending stem + 이었어요	학생이었어요

✅ Example:

정말 재미있는 영화였어요. → It was such a fun movie

정말 좋은 시간이었어요. → It was really a good time.

4. Verb + Noun modifier + Noun

💡

공부도 잘하고, 운동도 잘하는 멋진 오빠였어요.

그 오빠는 제가 좋아한다는 사실도 몰랐어요.

고백할 기회도 없었어요.

지금은 친구로 지내지만, 좋은 추억이 많이 남아 있어요.

✅ Meaning:

When a verb describes a noun in Korean, you need a noun modifier. Its form depends on the verb’s type and tense.

Action Verb + 는 + Noun: Used to describe something that is happening now

Descriptive Verb + ㄴ + Noun: Describes the current state or quality of something (used when verb-stem ends in vowel)

Descriptive Verb + 은 + Noun: Describes the current state or quality of something (used when verb-stem ends in consonant)

Action / Descriptive Verb + ㄹ + Noun: Describes something that will happen or might happen (used when verb stem ends in vowel)

Action / Descriptive Verb + 을 + Noun: Describes something that will happen or might happen (used when verb stem ends in consonant)

💡 운동도 잘하는 오빠 → a guy who’s also good at sports

💡 멋진 오빠 → a guy who is cool / a cool guy

💡 고백할 기회 → a chance to confess (my feelings)

💡 좋은 추억 → a memory that is good /a good memory

✅ Format:

Verb phrase + Noun modifier + Noun

✅ Extra Note:

When a verb describes a noun in Korean, you need a noun modifier — just like saying “the book that I read” or “the person who is coming” in English.

They help you turn actions or descriptions into modifiers for nouns, giving more detail about the thing or person you're talking about.

Its form depends on the verb’s type and tense. You can explore the tables below for both a simple overview and a detailed breakdown.

The table below gives you an overview of Noun Modifier

🍅 Simple Summary Table for Noun Modifiers 🍅

Ending	When to Use	Example	Meaning
~는	Present tense (Action Verbs)	먹는 음식	the food I'm eating
~ㄴ / ~은	Past tense (Verbs)	먹은 음식 / 본 영화	the food I ate / the movie I saw
~ㄹ / ~을	Future tense (Verbs)	먹을 음식 / 볼 영화	food to eat / movie to watch
~던 / ~았던 / ~었던 / ~했던	Past habit or background action	갔던 곳 / 먹었던 곳	the place I went / the place I ate
~ㄴ / ~은	Present tense (Descriptive Verbs)	큰 가방 / 작은 가방	a big bag / a small bag
~았던 / ~었던 / ~했던	Past state (Descriptive Verbs)	작았던 방 / 예뻤던 방	the room that used to be small/pretty
~ㄹ / ~을	Future guess or appearance (Descriptive Verbs)	예쁠 것 같은 옷 / 작을 것 같은 옷	clothes that look pretty/small
~인	Present (Noun + 이다)	선생님인 친구	a friend who is a teacher
~였던 / ~이었던	Past (Noun + 이다)	의사였던 친구 / 학생이었던 친구	a friend who used to be a doctor/student
~일	Future (Noun + 이다)	선생님일 나의 아내	my wife who will be a teacher

If you want to see how Noun Modifier forms change more specifically, take a look at the table below.

🍅 Detailed Pattern Table for Noun Modifiers 🍅

Verb Type	Tense	Ending	Rule	Example	Meaning
Action Verb	Present	+ 는	stem + 는	먹는 음식	the food I’m eating
Action Verb	Past	+ ㄴ/은	vowel-ending stem + ㄴ consonant-ending stem + 은	본 영화 먹은 음식	the movie I saw the food I ate
Action Verb	Future	+ ㄹ(을)	vowel-ending stem + ㄹ ㄹ-ending stem + consonant (except ㄹ)-ending stem + 을	볼 영화 놀 계획 먹을 음식	movie to watch plans to hang out food to eat
Action Verb	Temporary Habitual Action in the Past	+ 던 (-았던/었던/했던)	ㅏ/ㅗ vowel stem + 았던 other vowel stem + 었던 하다 verb → 했던	갔던 곳 먹었던 곳 공부했던 곳	the place I went to the place I ate the place where I studied
Descriptive Verb	Present	+ ㄴ/은	vowel-ending stem + ㄴ consonant-ending stem + 은	큰 가방 작은 가방	a big bag a small bag
Descriptive Verb	Temporary State in the Past	+ 던 (-았던/었던)	ㅏ/ㅗ vowel stem + 았던 other vowel stem + 었던	작았던 방 예뻤던 방	the room that used to be small the room that used to be pretty
Descriptive Verb	Future	+ ㄹ(을)	vowel-ending stem + ㄹ ㄹ-ending stem + consonant (except ㄹ)-ending stem + 을	예쁠 것 같은 옷 길 것 같은 옷 작을 것 같은 옷	Clothes that look like they’ll be pretty Clothes that look like they’ll be long Clothes that look like they’ll be small
Noun+이다 verb	Present	+ ㄴ	Noun+인	선생님인 친구	a friend who is a teacher
Noun+이다 verb	Past	+었던	vowel-ending noun + 였던 consonant-ending noun + 이었던	의사였던 친구 선생님이었던 친구	a friend who used to be a doctor a friend who was a teacher
Noun+이다 verb	Future	+ ㄹ	Noun+일	영원히 가장 소중한 친구일 나의 아내	My wife, who will forever be my most precious friend

⚠️ The ending “–일” is grammatically correct, but it’s rarely used in everyday conversation.

It sounds a bit formal or literary, and more common alternatives are usually preferred in spoken Korean.

5. Noun + 인가 하다

💡

처음엔 또 나만의 짝사랑인가 했어요.

✅ Meaning:

Noun + 인가 하다 : I wondered if it was... / I thought maybe it was...

Used to express uncertainty, inner questioning, or tentative assumption about a noun.

Often appears when the speaker is reflecting on a thought or recalling a past assumption.

💡 짝사랑인가 했어요. → I wondered if it was just a one-sided crush

✅ Format:

Noun + 이다

→ 인가 하다 (present tense, Base form)

→ 인가 해요 (present tense, polite form) ⚠️

→ 인가 했어요 (past tense, polite form)

⚠️ You can technically say “인가 해요” in the present tense, but native speakers almost never use it—it's unnatural in real conversations.

✅ Example:

그 사람이 선생님인가 했어요. → I wondered if that person was a teacher.

처음엔 장난인가 했어요. → At first, I thought it was a joke.

6. ~다고

💡

그 오빠가 저를 좋아한다고 고백했어요.

✅ Meaning:

In Korean, “-고” is used as a quote marker in indirect speech.

It connects the quoted content (what someone said, thought, or felt) to a reporting verb like 말하다 (to say), 생각하다 (to think), or 고백하다 (to confess).

In many cases, the general verb 하다 can replace those specific reporting verbs.

It marks the part of the sentence that expresses what someone said, thought, asked, or suggested, indirectly.

The form of the quote marker depends on the type of sentence being quoted:

For declarative (statement) sentences, use ~다고

💡 그 오빠가 저를 좋아한다고 고백했어요. → That guy confessed that he likes me.

✅ Format:

Verb stem + 다고 + reporting verb

However, when the quoted content ends with noun + 이다 verb, the sentence structure changes to 'noun + (이)라고 + reporting verb

Sentence Type	Type of Verb in Quoted Sentence	Sentence structure	Example	Meaning
Declarative – Verb	Verb ends in 다	Verb stem + 다고 + reporting verb	친구가 온다고 했어요.	My friend said (he) is coming.
Declarative – Noun + 이다	Vowel-ending Noun + 이다	Vowel-ending Noun + 라고 + reporting verb	그는 친구가 의사라고 했어요.	He said that his friend is a doctor.
Declarative – Noun + 이다	Consonant-ending Noun + 이다	Consonant-ending Noun + 이라고 + reporting verb	그는 친구가 학생이라고 했어요.	He said that his friend is a student.

✅ Extra Note:

For other sentence types besides declarative statements, refer to the table below to see how the quote marker changes.

🍅 Korean Quote Markers - Quick Reference 🍅

Sentence Type	Quote Marker	Example
Statement	다고	간다고 (said going)
Question	냐고/느냐고	가냐고 (asked if going)
Command	(으)라고	가라고 (told to go)
Suggestion	자고	가자고 (suggested going)

🍅 Quote Marker Patterns by Sentence Type 🍅

Sentence Type	Type of Verb in Quoted Sentence	Sentence structure	Example	Meaning
Statement – Verb	Verb ends in 다	Verb stem + 다고 + reporting verb	친구가 온다고 했어요.	My friend said (he) is coming.
Statement – Noun + 이다	Vowel-ending Noun + 이다	Vowel-ending Noun + 라고 + reporting verb	그는 친구가 의사라고 했어요.	He said that his friend is a doctor.
Statement – Noun + 이다	Consonant-ending Noun + 이다	Consonant-ending Noun + 이라고 + reporting verb	그는 친구가 학생이라고 했어요.	He said that his friend is a student.
Question - Verb	Vowel-ending stem	Verb stem + 냐고 + reporting verb	그는 내가 어디 가냐고 물어봤어요.	He asked where I go.
Question - Verb	ㄹ-ending stem	Remove ㄹ + 냐고 + reporting verb	그는 내가 어디 사냐고 물어봤어요.	He asked where I live.
Question - Verb	Consonant (except ㄹ)-ending stem	Verb stem + 느냐고 + reporting verb	그는 내가 뭐 먹느냐고 물어봤어요.	He asked what I eat
Question - Noun + 이다	Vowel-ending Noun + 이다	Vowel-ending Noun + 냐고 + reporting verb	그는 누가 의사냐고 물어봤어요.	He asked who is a doctor.
Question - Noun + 이다	Consonant-ending Noun + 이다	Consonant-ending Noun + 이냐고 + reporting verb	그는 누가 학생이냐고 물어봤어요.	He asked who is a student.
Command -Verb	ㄹ/ Vowel-ending verb	Verb stem + 라고 + reporting verb	그가 빨리 가라고 했어요. 그가 조용히 살라고 했어요.	(He) told (me) to go quickly. (He) told (me) to live quietly.
Command -Verb	Consonant (except ㄹ)-ending stem	Verb stem + 으라고 + reporting verb	그가 밥 먹으라고 했어요.	(He) told (me) to eat.
Suggestion	All verb types	Verb stem + 자고 + reporting verb	그가 같이 가자고 했어요.	(He) suggested going together.

7. ~ 게 되다

💡

그렇게 우리는 1년 정도 사귀게 되었어요.

✅ Meaning:

To end up ~ / To come to ~ / It turns out that ~

→ Used to express a change of state, or that something happened unintentionally or naturally (not by direct decision).

💡사귀게 되었어요. → We ended up dating.

✅ Format:

Verb stem + 게 되다

✅ Example:

가다 → 가게 되다 to end up going

알다 → 알게 되다 to come to know

한국에서 살게 되었어요. I ended up living in Korea.

그 친구를 다시 만나게 됐어요. I got to meet that friend again.

8. ~ 지만

💡

지금은 친구로 지내지만, 좋은 추억이 많이 남아 있어요.

✅ Meaning:

Contrast Connector

“but,” “although,” “even though”

→ Used to contrast two statements or show that the second part happens despite the first.

💡 친구로 지내지만 → We’re just friends, but…

✅ Format:

Rule	Example
verb-stem + 지만	가다 → 가지만 예쁘다 → 예쁘지만
vowel-ending noun + 지만	의사다 → 의사지만
consonant-ending noun + 이지만	학생이다 → 학생이지만

✅ Example:

저는 한국 음식을 좋아하지만 매운 건 못 먹어요.
→ I like Korean food, but I can't eat spicy things.

비싸지만 사고 싶어요.

→ It's expensive, but I want to buy it.

그 사람은 배우지만 무대에 서 본 적이 없어요.

→ He/She is an actor, but has never been on stage.

수학 선생님이지만 그림도 잘 그려요.
→ He/She is a math teacher, but also draws well.

9. ~ 아/어 있다

💡

지금은 친구로 지내지만, 좋은 추억이 많이 남아 있어요.

✅ Meaning:

"To be in a state of having been ~ed" (something is in a certain state)

Describes the state that remains after an action is completed.

The action is done, but its result is still visible or continuing.

It’s often translated as:

“is left”
“is remaining”
“is still in that state”

💡 좋은 추억이 많이 남아 있어요. → A lot of good memories are left. (I have a lot of good memories).

✅ Format:

Verb Type	Rule	Example Verb
ㅏ/ㅗ vowel stem	stem + 아 있다	앉다 → 앉아 있다
other vowels stem	stem + 어 있다	붙다→ 붙어 있다

✅ Example:

Only used with certain verbs, especially verbs of position, attachment, etc.

학생들이 의자에 앉아 있어요. → Students are sitting on chairs

사진이 냉장고에 붙어 있어요. → A photo is stuck on the refrigerator.

🌸 Extra Cultural or Language Notes

✅ The verb “고백하다” can be used in both romantic and non-romantic situations, but in Korean dramas, it almost always means a love confession.

In Korean culture, confessing your feelings (고백) is often a key step before officially dating.

It’s common to ask “고백했어요?” or “언제 고백했어?” to find out when a relationship really began.

✅ The word “오빠” doesn’t only mean “older brother.”

Women often use it for older male friends, neighborhood boys, or even a boyfriend or crush.

Depending on tone, it can sound friendly, affectionate, or even flirty.

✅ In Korean, “짝사랑” is a very specific word for one-sided love — when only one person has feelings, and the other person either doesn’t know or doesn’t feel the same.

It literally means “half-love,” and often carries a bittersweet tone.

✅ The term “첫사랑” (first love) holds deep emotional meaning in Korean.

It’s often linked with nostalgia, innocence, and unforgettable memories — especially in K-dramas, songs, and personal stories.

DAY 2: Thinking About Getting a Second Dog? Learn How to Talk About Pets in Korean! DAY 5: Nervous on Day 1? Make a K-Drama Friend at Korean Class!

Hanna

Hi there! I'm a Korean language teacher who loves making learning fun and easy. I teach Korean you can actually use in real life! Whether you're a K-pop or K-drama fan, or planning a trip to Korea, let's explore this awesome language and culture together!

DAY 3: Crush? Confess? Let’s Say It in Korean!

🌸 What You’ll Learn

🌸 10 Key Korean Sentences

🌸 Key Vocabulary & Expressions

🌸 Grammar Breakdown

1. ~ 때

2. Verb-stem + 았어요 / 었어요 / 했어요

3. NOUN + 였어요/이었어요

4. Verb + Noun modifier + Noun

5. Noun + 인가 하다

6. ~다고

7. ~ 게 되다

8. ~ 지만

9. ~ 아/어 있다

🌸 Extra Cultural or Language Notes

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