DAY 4: I Just Applied to Study in Korea… Will it Work Out?

🌸 What You’ll Learn

🌸 10 Key Korean Sentences

🌸 Key Vocabulary & Expressions

• 그냥: just / simply

• 재미있다: to be fun / interesting

• 이상이다: to be more than / beyond

• 특별하다: to be special

• 돌아오다: to return / come back

• 뿐: only / nothing but

• 학기: academic term / semester

• 시작되다 vs 시작하다
• 시작되다: to begin (passive) / to be started
• 시작하다: to begin / to start (active)

• 바로: right away / immediately

• 국제교류처: international exchange office

• 상담: consultation / advising

• 예약을 하다: to make a reservation / book

• 다행히: luckily / fortunately

• 교환학생: exchange student

• 협정: agreement / partnership

• 맺다: to form / make (an agreement)

• 담당자: person in charge

• 분: honorific for 'person’

• 점점 더: more and more / gradually

• 자신감: confidence

• 생기다: to arise / to gain / to appear

• 신청서: application form

• 작성하다: to fill out / to write up

• 서류: document(s)

• 몇 가지: a few / several (items or types)

• ~만: only / just

• 제출하다: to submit

• 모든: all / every

• 준비: preparation

• 끝나다: to be finished / to end

• 우선: first / before anything else

• 어학연수: language training (study abroad)

• 들어가다: to enter / to go into

• 내년: next year

• 가을학기: fall semester

• 다시: again

• 먼저: first (in order)

• 그다음에: and then / after that

• 실력: skill / ability

• 최대한: as much as possible

• 끌어올리다: to raise / to improve

• 매일: every day

• 조금: a little / a bit

🌸 Grammar Breakdown

1. Verb phrase + Noun modifier + 것

• Verb + noun modifier+ 것 → "the act of doing ~”

• Action verb + ㄴ/은 + 것 → the act of ~ing in the past (ㄴ/은: noun modifier, past tense)

• 💡 여행을 다녀온 것 → the act of having gone on a trip

• 어제 공부한 것이 도움이 되었어요
• Literal: The act of studying yesterday was helpful
• Natural: Studying yesterday was helpful

• 어제 남을 도운 것은 좋은 일이에요
• Literal: The act of helping others yesterday is a good thing
• Natural: Helping others yesterday was a good thing

• Different functions of 것
In Korean, ‘것’ can mean “thing,” function like an English gerund or to-infinitive, and turn entire clauses into nouns—just like “that” or “what” in English.
For more details, take a look at the table below.
🍅 Table of the Different Functions of ‘것 🍅

Function	ㅤ	Example	Literal	Natural
Noun	Demonstrative pronoun, thing	이것은 책상이에요 새로운 것을 배우고 싶어요 예쁜 것을 사고 싶어요	This thing is a desk. I want to learn new thing. I want to buy pretty thing.	This is a desk. I want to learn something new I want to buy something pretty
Verb Nominalization (works like gerunds or to-infinitives)	Turns verbs into noun phrases (like gerunds or to-infinitives in English)	운동하는 것이 취미에요 운동하는 것을 좋아해요 제 꿈은 의사가 되는 것이에요. 새로운 언어를 배우는 것은 시간이 걸린다.	Exercising is my hobby. I like exercising. My dream is to become a doctor. To learn a new language takes time.	ㅤ
Clause Wrapper (that)	Turns a full sentence into a noun clause (like ‘that…’ in English)	어제 그 사람이 그렇게 행동한 것은 정말 이상했어요 우리가 한국에 여행간 것은 좋은 경험이었어요 나는 그가 거짓말 한 것을 알아요	That he acted that way was really strange. That we went to Korea was a good experience I know that he lied	It was really strange that he acted that way. Our trip to Korea was a really good experience.
Clause Wrapper (what)	function as the relative pronoun	엄마가 만든 것이 최고예요. 어제 산 것을 보여 줄게요. 좋아하는 것을 골라보세요.	What my mom made is the best I'll show you what I got yesterday Choose what you want	ㅤ

• A verb phrase often appears before ‘것.’ When it does, you need to turn that verb into a noun modifier form.
• 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.

2. Verb + Noun modifier + Noun

• 💡 한국에 여행을 다녀온 것은 재미있는 여행 이상이었어요.:
• 다녀오(다) + ㄴ(noun modifier, past tens) + 것(noun)
• Literal: That I went to Korea was more than just a fun trip.
• Natural: My trip to Korea was more than just a fun experience.

• 💡 한국에서 보낸 시간이 너무 특별해요.
• 보내(다) + ㄴ(noun modifier, past tens) + 시(noun)
• The time I spent in Korea was so special.

• 💡 어학연수를 한 다음에
• 하(다) + ㄴ(noun modifier, past tens) + 다음(noun) + 에(time marker)
• After taking a language program

• 💡 교환학생 프로그램에 들어갈 예정이에요.
• 들어가(다) + ㄹ(noun modifier, future tense) + 예정(noun) + 이에요(to be)
• verb phrase + 예정이에요 = be planning to ~ / be supposed to ~ / be scheduled to ~
• I’m planning to join an exchange program.

• 💡 갈 수 있을 것 같아요.
• 가(다) + ㄹ(noun modifier, future tense) + 수(noun) + 있(다) + ㄹ(noun modifier, future tense) + 것(noun) + 같아요.
• verb phrase + 수 있다 = can verb = be able to verb
• verb phrase 것 같다 = It seems like… / It looks like… / I think…
• It seems like I’ll be able to go.

• 💡 교환학생으로 지낼 예정이에요.
• 지내(다) + ㄹ(noun modifier, future tense) + 예정이다
• verb phrase + 예정이에요 = be planning to ~ / be supposed to ~ / be scheduled to ~
• I’m planning to stay as an exchange student.

• 💡 공부할 거예요.
• 공부하(다) + ㄹ(noun modifier, future tense) + 거예요(shortened form of 것이에요, 것 is noun)
• verb phrase + 거예요 = will / be going to
• I’m going to study.

• 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.

3. Verb-stem + 기 전부터

• Verb stem + 기 전: before

• 기 전 turns a verb into a noun phrase like “before eating” or “before sleeping” — and is often followed by particles like 에, 에는, 의, 까지, 부터, etc.

• 시험 보기 전 날에는 항상 긴장돼요. → I always get nervous the day before the test.

• 시험 보기 전에 기도를 했어요 → I prayed before taking the test.

• Verb stem + 기 전부터: even before ~
When ‘부터’ is added to 기 전, it adds the meaning of emphasis and a clear starting point in time.
It shows that a feeling, thought, or situation had already started before the main action happened.

• 💡 돌아오기 전부터 → even before coming back

• 시험 보기 전부터 떨렸어요. → I was nervous since before taking the test (the nervousness started earlier).

• 먹다 → 먹기 전 → before eating

• 보다 → 보기 전 → before watching

• 하다 → 하기 전 → before doing

• 출발하기 전부터 설렜어요. → I felt excited even before leaving.

• 비 오기 전부터 하늘이 어두웠어요. → He sky was dark even before it started raining.

4. ~아/어야겠다

• ~아/어야겠다: I guess I should… / I think I have to…

• This grammar pattern is used to express a realization, strong intention, or sudden decision to do something.

• It’s often used after a moment of reflection or emotion, especially when the speaker feels that doing something is necessary.

• 💡 다시 가야겠다 → I should go back

• Verb stem + 아/어야겠다

• 이제 자야겠다. → I should go to bed now.

• 운동을 시작해야겠다. → I should start exercising

5. ~자마자

• ~자마자: As soon as ~

• 💡 새 학기가 시작되자마자: As soon as the new semester started

• 집에 오자마자 잤어요. → I slept as soon as I got home.

• 수업이 끝나자마자 밥을 먹었어요. → I ate right after class.

6. ~고 있었어요

• Base form: Verb stem + 고 있다.

• Polite form (present progressive tense): Verb stem + 고 있어요.

• Polite form (past progressive tense): Verb stem + 고 있었어요.

• Past Action in Progress
= was in the middle of doing something
= was/were ~ing

• This is the most common use of ~고 있었어요.

• You use it when you want to say that someone was doing something at a specific moment in the past.

• 수업을 듣고 있었어요. → I was taking a class.

• 친구를 기다리고 있었어요. → I was waiting for my friend.

• 비가 오고 있었어요. → It was raining.

• Ongoing State After an Action
= had done something, and that state was continuing
= was in a state of ~ / had done ~ and was still ~

• Sometimes 고 있었어요 doesn’t mean “doing,” but rather that something had already been done, and its resulting state continued.

• This often happens with verbs like “to sign an agreement,” “to be in a relationship,” or “to be in contact.”

• 학생이 빨간 셔츠를 입고 있었어요. → He was wearing a red shirt

• 선생님이 안경을 쓰고 있었어요. → The teacher was wearing clothes

• 그 사실을 이미 알고 있었어요. → I already knew that fact

• 그의 이름을 기억하고 있었어요. → I remembered his name

• 💡 교환학생 협정을 맺고 있었어요 in this context doesn’t mean they were in the middle of signing the agreement,
but rather that the agreement had already been signed and they were in an ongoing partnership.
So it fits Meaning #2 — a state that continued after something was already done.
Therefore, the meaning is:
They were already in an exchange agreement.

7. ~ (으)면서

• Connector for Simultaneous Actions

• Use ~(으)면서 to say that two actions are happening at the same time.

• It means “while doing…” or “as (someone) does…” in English.

• 💡 상담을 받으면서, 자신감이 생기기 시작했어요. → While getting counseling, I started to gain confidence.

• 도시에서 살면서 많은 걸 배웠어요. (살 + 면서)
→ I learned a lot while living in the city.

• 학교에 가면서 음악을 들어요. (가 + 면서)
→ I listen to music while going to school.

• 밥을 먹으면서 TV를 봐요. (먹 + 으면서)
→ I watch TV while eating.

8. ~ㄹ/을 수 있다

• Can / be able to ~

• This pattern is used to express ability or possibility.
It shows that someone has the skill, permission, or opportunity to do something.

• 💡 할 수 있다 → can do / be able to do

• Verb stem + ㄹ/을 수 있다

• 한국어를 읽을 수 있어요. → I can read Korean.

• 저는 수영할 수 있어요. → I can swim.

9. ~겠다

• Verb-stem+ 겠다

• A guess or assumption about the future (It seems like... / I think it will...)

• 곧 비가 오겠다. → It looks like it will rain soon.

• 힘들겠다. → That must be hard. / I bet it's tough.

• 재미있겠어요! → That sounds fun!

• 💡 할 수 있겠다 → It seems like (someone) can do it

• The speaker’s strong intention or decision (I will / I’m determined to...)

• 열심히 하겠습니다! → I will do my best!

• 조심하겠습니다. → I will be careful.

• 다음부터는 늦지 않겠습니다. → I won’t be late next time.

10. ~다는 + Noun

• Noun modifier

• “~다는 + Noun” is a structure that turns a declarative sentence (statement) into a noun phrase.

• It transforms a statement into a descriptive phrase that describes or explains a noun.

• 💡 할 수 있겠다는 자신감 → The confidence that I can do it

• Verb stem + 다는(noun modifier) + Noun

• Noun + (이)라는 + Noun

• 그녀가 곧 돌아온다는 소식이 있어요. → There’s news that she’s coming back soon.

• 그 사람이 천재라는 소문을 들었어요. → I heard a rumor that he’s a genius.

• 수지라는 친구가 있어요. → I have a friend named Suji.

• 이게 정답이라는 확신이 있어요. → I have confidence that this is the right answer.

11. ~ 중이다

• Noun + 중이다

• These nouns usually come from verbs (ex. 공부하다 → 공부, 회의하다 → 회의)

• Noun + 중이다: Used when the action has a noun form, and you want to say you're in the middle of that activity.

• 💡 신청서를 작성 중이다. → “I’m in the middle of filling out the application form.

• 공부 중이에요. → I’m in the middle of studying.

• 회의 중이에요. → I’m in a meeting.

• 점심 식사 중이에요. → I’m having lunch.

• Verb stem + 는 중이다:
Used when there's no common noun form or when you want to add an object/subject.

• Means “currently doing something” or “in the process of ~ing”.

• Similar to “am ~ing” in English, but slightly more formal or structured.

• Emphasizes that the action is actively in progress.
• Example:
지금은 쉬는 중이에요. → I’m resting right now.
숙제 하는 중이었어요. → I was doing homework.

12. ~고

• “~고” is a connector that links two verbs or clauses.

• It can mean “and,” “and then,” or show that two actions/states are happening in sequence or at the same time.

• 💡 지금은 교환학생 신청서를 작성 중이고, → At the moment, I’m filling out the exchange student application and

• Verb stem + -고

• 책을 읽고 숙제를 했어요. → I read a book and did my homework.

• 밥을 먹고 나갔어요. → I ate and then went out.

13. ~(으)면

• Condition Connector

• Use ~(으)면 to talk about conditions. It’s like saying “if” or “when” in English.

• 💡 서류를 제출하면 → if I submit the documents

• 비가 오면 우산을 써요. (오 + 면)
→ If it rains, I use an umbrella.

• 창문을 열면, 시원해요. (열 + 면)
→ If you open the window, it feels cool.

• 학생이면, 할인돼요. (이 + 면)
→ If you’re a student, you get a discount.

• 시간이 있으면 도와줄게요. (있 + 으면)
→ If I have time, I’ll help you.

14. ㄴ/은 다음에

• “~(으)ㄴ 다음에” means “after doing (something)” or “once (something) has happened)”.

• It’s used to show that one action happens after another in time.

• 숙제를 한 다음에 → after doing homework

• 수업이 끝난 다음에 → after class ends

15. ~ㄹ/을 예정이에요

• Use this to say “I’m planning to ~” (formal).

• 💡 교환학생 프로그램에 들어갈 예정이에요. → I’m planning to join an exchange student program

• 내일 친구를 만날 예정이에요. → I plan to meet a friend tomorrow.

• 이 옷을 입을 예정이에요. → I plan to wear these clothes.

• 이 곳에서 놀 예정이에요. → I plan to have fun at this place.

16. Noun + 대로라면

• Noun + 대로라면

• If things go according to [noun]...

• If [noun] go as expected...

• 💡 계획대로라면 → If things go according to the plan

• 예정대로라면 → If things go according to schedule

• 말씀대로라면 → If things go according to what you said

• 원래대로라면 → If things go according to the original plan

17. ~것 같다

• Action verb stem + 을 + 것 같다” is used to say that something is likely to happen or will probably happen — it expresses a future guess or assumption.

• Meaning of ~ 것 같다:
• Use ~것 같다 to express your guess, opinion, or impression based on what you see, hear, feel, or know.
You’re not 100% certain — you're making a judgment based on a situation or observation.
• It's like saying:
• "It seems like..."
• "It looks like..."
• "I think..."
• Base form: ~것 같다
Polite form (present tense): ~ 것 같아요
• In casual speech, it’s often pronounced “거 같아요”
• Why do we add ‘을’ to ‘갈 수 있’?
We add ‘-을’ because the sentence is talking about something that might happen in the future.
In Korean, when you say “I think I’ll be able to go,” you need to use the future modifier ‘-을’ before ‘것 같아요’ to show that it’s a guess about the future.

• 💡 한국으로 다시 갈 수 있을 것 같아요 → I think I’ll be able to go back to Korea.

• Action Verb stem + 을 (noun modifier)+ 것 같다

• 비가 올 것 같아요. → I think it will rain.

• 곧 출발할 것 같아요.→ I think they’ll leave soon.

• 오늘은 바쁠 것 같아요. → I think I’ll be busy today.

• 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.

18. ~ㄹ/을 거예요

• ~ㄹ/을 거예요: will / going to

• Use this to talk about the future

• 💡 공부할 거예요: I will study

• 한국어를 공부할 거예요. → I will study Korean.

• 이 옷을 입을 거예요 → I will wear this outfit.

• 서울에 살 거예요. → I will live in Seoul.

19. ~기 위해(서)

• ~기 위해(서) is used to express purpose or intention behind an action.

• It’s similar to saying “in order to…” or “for the purpose of…” in English.

• Verb stem + 기 위해(서)

• (서) is optional — adding it is slightly more formal or emphatic

• 친구에게 주기 위해 선물을 샀어요. → I bought a gift to give to my friend.

• 시험을 잘 보기 위해 열심히 공부하고 있어요. → I’m studying hard to do well on the test.

• Verb stem + 기: Turns the verb into a noun (noun form of the action)

• 위해(서): For the sake of / in order to

🌸 Extra Cultural or Language Notes

• In Korea, exchange students (교환학생) are typically assigned to dormitories, and it's common for them to share these spaces with Korean students.

• They receive Korean language support and are invited to school festivals and cultural trips.

• Most universities have active "buddy programs" that pair international students with local Korean students, providing a great opportunity to make local friends and practice Korean naturally.

• If you're going to Korea as an exchange student, don't miss out on activities offered by student groups, such as MT (Membership Training), K-pop dance clubs, and night market food tours

• Semester System: Most universities in Korea run on a March–June (Spring) and September–December (Fall) semester calendar.

• Language Classes: Language institutes typically offer 20+ hours of Korean per week, with TOPIK-focused options.

• Visa Tip: If you're doing language study and exchange, you may need to switch from a D-4 (language student visa) to a D-2 (exchange student visa) — your school will guide you.

• Every university in Korea has a dedicated International Affairs Office to support international students.

• The staff here play a crucial role by providing comprehensive assistance for students' overall campus life, helping with everything from visa issues and dormitory guidance to cultural adaptation.