DAY 5: Nervous on Day 1? Make a K-Drama Friend at Korean Class!

🌸 What You’ll Learn

🌸 10 Key Korean Sentences

🌸 Key Vocabulary & Expressions

• 수업: class / lesson

• 긴장: nervousness / tension

• 일찍: early

• 교실: classroom

• 들어가다: to enter / go into

• 자리: seat

• 앉다: to sit

• 어떤: what kind of / a certain / some

• 여학생: female student / girl student

• 옆: beside / next to / side

• 듣다: to take (a class), to listen

• 묻다: to ask

• 그렇다: to be so / to be like that

• 자기: oneself

• 인사: greeting

• 밝다: to be bright / cheerful

• 재미있다: to be fun / interesting

• 금방: soon / quickly / right away

• 친해지다: to become close / to get friendly

• 캐니다: Canada

• 수준: level

• 비슷하다: to be similar

• 처럼: like

• 한국 드라마: Korean drama

• 아주: very / quite

• 좋아하다: to like

• 배우: actor / actress

• 얘기: talk / conversation / story

• 시작하다: to start / begin

• 끝: end / finish

• 첫날: first day

• 만나다: to meet

• 정말: really, truly

• 행운이다: to be lucky

• 앞으로: in the future

• 한국 생활: life in Korea

🌸 Grammar Breakdown

1. ~의

• You may already know that 의 usually shows possession — like in 민수의 책 (Minsu’s book).

• But in Korean writing, 의 is also used after adverbial phrases (like 에서, 에, 부터, or 으로) to turn them into noun modifiers.

• In this usage, 의 expresses contextual relationships such as origin, location, time, or direction, and is often translated as “of,” “in,” “from,” or “toward.”

• This structure is more common in written or formal Korean, such as in essays, reports, or blogs.

• 💡 한국에서의 첫 수업 → my first class in Korea

• 💡 앞으로의 한국 생활 → my future life in Korea

• Noun + Particle + 의 + Noun

• 미국으로의 이민 → immigration to the U.S.

• 2000년대부터의 변화 → changes since the 2000s

• 이민자로서의 삶 → life as an immigrant

• 정보에의 접근 → access to information

• 한국에서의 생활이 아직도 그리워요. → I still miss my life in Korea.

• 여행에서의 기억이 아직도 생생해요. → The memories from the trip are still vivid

• 회사에서의 첫 주는 정말 힘들었어요. → The first week at work was really tough.

2. ~ 던

• "던" is a retrospective modifier — it looks back at a past action or state and connects it to a noun.

• ~던 is used to describe:
• Past habitual actions - things that someone used to do regularly
• Background actions/states - ongoing situations or conditions in the past
• Past experiences that set the scene for something else
It's often translated as:
• used to...
• was/were doing...
• the time when...

• 💡 첫 수업이 있던 날이었어요. → Today was the day I had my first class in Korea

• Verb stem + 던 + 명사

• 대학생일 때 살던 집이에요. → It's the house I used to live in when I was a university student.

• 비가 오던 날이었어요. → It was a day when it was raining.

• 한국어를 배우던 시절이 그리워요. → I miss the time when I was learning Korean.

3. ~ 아/어 있다

• "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”

• Base form: ~아/어 있다
Polite form (present tense): ~ 아/어 있어요.
Polite form (past tense): ~ 아/어 있었어요.

• 💡 자리에 앉아 있었어요. → I was sitting at my seat

• 학생들이 의자에 앉아 있어요. → Students are sitting on chairs

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

4. ~는데 / ~ㄴ데 / ~은데 / ~인데

• Context Connector

• Context connectors (~는데 and its variations) are Korean grammar patterns that provide background information or set up context before the main clause.
Think of them as Korean's way of saying "by the way," "so," "but," or "and" depending on the situation.

• 💡자리에 앉아 있었는데, → I was sitting in my seat, and then
💡그 친구는 캐나다에서 온 학생이었는데 → She was a student from Canada, and

• In the present tense, different verb types use different connector endings:

• 비가 올 줄 알았는데, 날씨가 정말 좋았어요.
→ I thought it would rain, but the weather turned out to be great.

• 이 옷은 예쁜데 좀 비싸요. (예쁘다 → 예쁜데)
→ This outfit is pretty, but a bit expensive.

• 여기는 식당인데 사람이 없어요.

• For more details on how to use context connectors, see below.
🍅 Three Main Ways to Use Context Connectors 🍅
1. Background + Contrast (like "but")
• Pattern: [Background info] + 는데 + [contrasting main point]
• Example:
• 날씨가 좋은데 집에만 있고 싶어요
→ The weather is nice, but I just want to stay home.
2. Background + Suggestion/Question (like "so")
• Pattern: [Background info] + 는데 + [suggestion/question]
• Example:
• 커피가 떨어졌는데 사러 갈까요?
→ We're out of coffee, so should we go buy some?
3. Background + Additional Info (like "and")
• Pattern: [Background info] + 는데 + [related information]
• Example:
• 새로운 카페를 발견했는데 커피가 맛있어요
→ I discovered a new cafe, and the coffee is delicious.

• The table below gives you an overview of context connectors.
🍅 Simple Summary Table for Context Connectors 🍅

Context Connectors	When to Use	Example
~는데	Action verbs (Present tense)	비가 오는데 우산이 없어요. (It’s raining, but I don’t have an umbrella.)
~ㄴ데 / ~은데	Descriptive verbs (Present tense)	이 옷은 예쁜데 비싸요. (This outfit is pretty, but expensive.)
~인데	Noun + 이다 (Present tense)	저는 학생인데 한국어를 배워요. (I’m a student, and I’m learning Korean.)
~ㄹ 건데 / ~을 건데	Action or Descriptive verbs (Future tense)	내일 갈 건데 같이 갈래요? (I’m going tomorrow — want to come?)
~일 건데	Noun + 이다 (Future tense)	그 사람은 선생님일 건데요. (He’s probably a teacher.)
~았는데 / ~었는데	Action or Descriptive verbs (Past tense)	많이 먹었는데 아직 배고파요. (I ate a lot, but I’m still hungry.)
~였는데 / ~이었는데	Noun + 이다 (Past tense)	작년에는 학생이었는데 지금은 직장인이에요. (Last year I was a student, but now I work.)
~했는데	하다 verb (Past tense)	운동했는데 피곤하지 않아요. (I worked out, but I’m not tired.)

• If you want to see how context connector forms change more specifically, take a look at the table below.
🍅 Detailed Pattern Table for Context Connectors 🍅

Type	Tense	Format & Rule	Example	Meaning
Action Verb	Present	Verb stem + 는데	가다 → 가는데	I go, but…
ㅤ	Past	ㅏ/ㅗ vowel stem → 았는데 Other vowels → 었는데 하다 → 했는데	가다 → 갔는데 먹다 → 먹었는데 공부하다 → 공부했는데	I went, but… I ate, but… I studied, but…
ㅤ	Future	Vowel-ending stem + ㄹ 건데 Consonant-ending stem + 을 건데	가다 → 갈 건데 먹다 → 먹을 건데	I’ll go, but… I’ll eat, but…
Descriptive Verb	Present	Vowel-ending stem → ㄴ데 Consonant-ending stem → 은데	크다 → 큰데 작다 → 작은데	It is big, but… It is small, but…
ㅤ	Past	ㅏ/ㅗ vowel → 았는데 Other vowels → 었는데 하다 → 했는데	예쁘다 → 예뻤는데 춥다 → 추웠는데 깨끗하다 → 깨끗했는데	It was pretty, but… It was cold, but… It was clean, but…
ㅤ	Future	Vowel-ending stem + ㄹ 건데 Consonant-ending stem + 을 건데	예쁘다 → 예쁠 건데 작다 → 작을 건데	It will be pretty, but… It will be small, but…
Noun + 이다	Present	Noun + 인데	학생인데	He/She is a student, but…
ㅤ	Past	Vowel-ending noun + 였는데 Consonant-ending noun + 이었는데	의사였는데 학생이었는데	ㅑ was a doctor, but… I was a student, but…
ㅤ	Future	Noun + 일 건데	선생님일 건데	I will be a teacher, but…

5. ~더니

• ~더니 is connector which means that:
• Connects past observations to their consequences or follow-up actions
• Shows cause and effect based on what the speaker witnessed
• Indicates sequence of events where the first action leads to the second
• Emphasizes the speaker's direct observation of the first action

• It carries the idea of:
• “and then” (sequence of actions)
• “after doing that”
• or “so then”, based on what the speaker saw or experienced

• Note:
• The subject of the ~더니 clause must be someone other than the speaker (3rd person), because it describes what the speaker observed others doing.
• The speaker must have directly witnessed the first action. You can't use ~더니 for things you heard about or assumed.

• 💡 어떤 여학생이 제 옆에 앉더니 → A girl came over and sat beside me, and then…

• 💡그렇다고 했더니, → I said yes, and then…

• Verb stem + 더니

• Sentence structure: [Past observation] + 더니 + [Consequence/Follow-up action]

• 비가 오더니 날씨가 추워졌어요. → It rained and then the weather got cold.

• 아이가 계속 울더니 잠들었어요. → The child kept crying and then fell asleep.

6. ~냐고

• 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 questions, use ~냐고

• 💡 여기 수업 듣냐고 묻는 거예요 → She asked if I was taking the class here.

• Verb stem + 냐고 + reporting verbs

• 그는 그녀에게 시간 있냐고 물어봤어요. → He asked her if she had time.

• 그녀는 나에게 그 영화 봤냐고 물어봤어요. → She asked me if I had seen the movie.

• 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. ~ 는 거에요

• Statements (Explanatory tone):
• 숙제하는 거예요. → I'm doing homework. (explaining what I'm doing)
• 친구 기다리는 거예요. → I'm waiting for a friend. (explaining why I'm here)
• 한국어 공부하는 거예요. → I'm studying Korean. (explaining my activity)

• Questions (Casual curiosity):
• 뭐 하는 거예요? → What are you doing? (friendly question)
• 어디 가는 거예요? → Where are you going? (casual inquiry)
• 맞는 거예요? → Is that right? (seeking confirmation)
• 괜찮은 거예요? → Is it okay? (checking if something is fine)

8. ~ 다면서

• ‘~다면서’ is a contraction of ‘~다고 하면서’, which literally means ‘while saying that…’

• This grammar pattern is used to:
• Report what someone else said (indirect speech)
• Often implies that the speaker has some doubt about the truth of the statement

• 💡 이 수업을 듣는다면서 → while saying/claiming that (he) takes this class too

• Verb stem + 다면서

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

9. ~아서 / ~어서 / ~해서

• Reason Connector & Sequence Connector

• Gives a reason or Connects two actions (“so” / “and then”)

• 💡 긴장이 되어서 → Because I was nervous

• 💡 재미있어서 → ...because she was fun

• 💡 이런 친구를 만날 수 있어서 → Because I was able to meet a friend like this

• 날씨가 좋아서 산책했어요.. → The weather was nice, so I took a walk.

• 늦어서 미안해요. → I’m sorry I’m late.

• 운동해서 건강해요. → I’m healthy because I work out.

10. ~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.

• Base form: ㄹ(을) 수 있다
Polite form (present tense): ㄹ(을) 수 있어요
Polite form (past tense): ㄹ(을) 수 있었어

• 💡친해질 수 있었어요. → we were able to become close

• Verb stem + ㄹ/을 수 있다

• 한국어를 읽을 수 있어요. → I can read Korean.

• 저는 수영할 수 있어요. → I can swim.

11. ~ 와/과

• And - Listing/Connecting Nouns
• 사과와 바나나를 샀어요. → I bought apples and bananas.
• 친구와 가족이 왔어요. → Friends and family came

• With - Accompaniment
• 친구와 영화를 봤어요. → I watched a movie with my friend.
• 선생님과 상담했어요. → I consulted with my teacher.

• Comparison (similar to, compared with)
• 제 친구와 성격이 비슷해요. → My personality is similar to my friend's.
• 작년과 달라요. → It's different from last year.
• 💡 한국어가 제 수준과 비슷했어요.→ Her Korean was similar to mine.

12. ~ (으)니

• “(으)니” is a connector used to link two clauses —
typically expressing a reason, background, discovery, or condition.

• It’s often used to describe something the speaker directly observes or realizes, or to set up a situation for the next clause.

• 💡 얘기를 시작하니 → once we started talking

• 문을 열어보니 아무도 없었어요. → I opened the door and (found that) no one was there.

• 밖에 나가보니 비가 오고 있었어요 → When I went outside, it was raining.

• 사람이 많으니 조금 이따 오세요. → Since it’s crowded, please come back later.

13. ~것 같다

• Noun + 이다 verb + ㄴ + 것 같다” is used to say that something seems to be or appears to be a certain noun.

• 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 ‘ㄴ’ to ‘행운이’?
We add ‘ㄴ’ to ‘행운이’ (from 이다, “to be”) to turn the clause into a noun modifier before 것 같다, which means “it seems like…” or “I think…”.
Since the speaker is describing something as luck in the present tense, we use ‘ㄴ’ (→ 인) as the present-tense noun modifier for 이다.
• 💡 정말 행운인 것 같아요.→ Literal: It seems like it’s really lucky to… / Natural: It seems like I’m really lucky

• Noun + 이다 verb + ㄴ(noun modifier, present tense) + 것 같다

• 그 사람은 의사인 것 같아요. → I think he’s a doctor.

• 이게 가장 좋은 방법인 것 같아요. → I think this is the best way.

• 저 가수는 외국인인 것 같아요.→ That singer seems to be a foreigner.

• 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.

14. ~이/가 돼다

• “~이/가 돼요” is the contracted form of “~이/가 되어요.”
It’s a shortened version commonly used in both spoken and written Korean.

• ~이/가 돼요:
• Used when something transforms or becomes something else
• Shows a change of state or transformation
• The result of the change becomes the subject with 이/가

• 💡 아침부터 좀 긴장이 되다.
→ Literal: From the morning, a bit of nervousness arises.
→ Natural: I’ve been feeling a little nervous since this morning
💡 앞으로의 한국 생활이 더 기대가 돼요.
→ Literal: My future life in Korea becomes even more anticipation
→ Natural: I'm even more excited about my future life in Korea.

• Noun + 이/가 + 돼요

Noun Type	Rule	Example	Meaning
Vowel-ending noun	Noun + 가 돼요	문제가 돼요	become a problem
Consonant-ending noun	Noun + 이 돼요	도움이 돼요	become helpful

• 혼자 사는 엄마가 걱정이 돼요.
• Literal:
  My mom who lives alone becomes worry.
• Natural:
  I'm worried about my mom living alone.

• 내일 시험 결과가 걱정이 돼요.
• Literal:
  Tomorrow's test results become worry.
• Natural:
  I'm worried about tomorrow's test results.

• 매일 아침 커피 마시는 게 습관이 됐어요.
• Literal:
  Drinking coffee every morning became a habit.
• Natural:
  Drinking coffee every morning has become a habit.

🌸 Extra Cultural or Language Notes