DAY 8: Language Exchange Success! Making Korean Friends & Planning Adventures!

🌸 What You’ll Learn

🌸 10 Key Korean Sentences

🌸 Key Vocabulary & Expressions

• 온라인: online

• 언어 교환: language exchange

• 자주: often / frequently

• 가르쳐 주다: to teach (someone)

• ~는 식이다: that's how it was/that's the way it worked

• 어학연수: language study program

• 시작하다: to start / to begin

• 계속하다: to continue

• 그런데: but / however / by the way

• 어느 날: one day

• 가 보다: to try going / to have been to

• 기회: opportunity/chance

• 생각하다: to think

• 어제: yesterday

• 처음으로: for the first time

• 오프라인: offline/in-person

• 프로그램: program

• 너무 vs 너무나
• 너무: too / very
• 너무나: so much / extremely (more emphatic than 너무)

• 재미있다: to be fun / to be interesting / to be enjoyable

• 총: total/in total

• 신기하게도: strangely/surprisingly

• 케미가 맞다: to have good chemistry/to click with someone

• 단순히: simply/merely

• 넘다: to exceed / to go over

• 진짜: really / truly / real

• 친구가 되다: to become friends

• 느낌이 들다: to feel like/to have a feeling that

• 다음 주말: next weekend

• 다 같이: all together / everyone together

• 등산: hiking/mountain climbing

• 등산을 가다: to go hiking

• 덕분에: thanks to/because of

• 한국 생활: life in Korea / living in Korea

🌸 Grammar Breakdown

1. 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.

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

• 💡 한국에 오기 전부터 → Even before coming to Korea

• 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.

2. ~아/어 주다

• ~아/어 주다: to do something for someone (as a favor)

• Shows kindness, help, or doing something beneficial for another person

• Let's look at the example sentences and check out the meaning difference.
• 어머니가 청소했어요.
• English: "My mother cleaned." / "My mother did the cleaning."
• Meaning: A simple statement of fact - mother performed the action of cleaning (factual, neutral)
• Focus: Just on the action itself
• Neutral tone: No special emphasis on who benefited
• 어머니가 청소해 주었어요.
• English: "My mother cleaned for me/us." / "My mother did the cleaning for me/us."
• Meaning: Mother cleaned as a favor or act of kindness for someone else (usually the speaker)
• Focus: On the beneficiary and the caring nature of the action
• Grateful/appreciative tone: Shows that the speaker feels thankful

• 친구가 숙제를 도와줬어요. → My friend helped me with homework.

• 어머니가 요리를 만들어 주셨어요. → My mother cooked for me.

3. ~는 식이다

• ~는 식이다: that's how it was / that's the way it worked / that's the style/manner

• Used to describe a pattern or way of doing things

• 💡 그 친구는 저에게 한국어를 가르쳐 주는 식이었죠.
→ It was like that friend taught me Korean in return.

• 번갈아 가면서 하는 식이에요. → We take turns — that's how we do it.

• 각자 돈을 내는 식으로 했어요. → We each paid our own way — that's how we arranged it.

4. ~지요/죠

• you can think of ~죠 as the spoken shortcut for ~지요

• ~지요 is the formal and polite form,
~죠 is the casual, shortened version used in spoken Korean.

• Try ending your polite sentences with ~지요/죠 when:
• you’re unsure and want confirmation
• you want to sound friendly and natural
• you’re making light small talk or giving a gentle explanation
• It makes your Korean feel more interactive and native-like! 😊

• 이요/죠? : With question mark, intonation goes up at the end — like you're curious or checking.

• 이요/죠. With period, intonation goes down at the end — calm and confident tone.

• 💡 그 친구는 저에게 한국어를 가르쳐 주는 식이었죠.
→ It was like that friend taught me Korean in return. (a gentle explanatory tone)

• Verb/Adjective stem + 죠

• Noun + (이)죠

Verb Type	Rule	Example	Meaning
Action verbs	stem + 죠	가다 → 가죠	(someone) goes, right?
Descriptive verbs	stem + 죠	예쁘다 → 예쁘죠	(it's) pretty, isn't it?
하다 verbs	→ 하죠	공부하다 → 공부하죠	(someone) studies, right?
Noun + 이다 verb	Vowel-ending Noun + 죠	의사 → 의사죠	someone's) a doctor, right?
Noun + 이다 verb	Consonant-ending Noun + 이죠	학생 → 학생이죠	(someone's) a student, right?

• 한국어가 어렵죠? → Korean is difficult, isn't it?

• 한국어가 어렵죠.→ Korean is difficult (as you’ve probably noticed)

• 오늘 금요일이죠? → Today is Friday, right?

• 서울은 정말 복잡하지요. → Seoul is really crowded, as you know.

5. ~고 있다

• “be doing” something — ongoing or current action (present progressive tense).
  It shows that an action is happening right now.

• 💡 온라인 언어 교환은 계속하고 있었어요. → I was still doing online language exchanges.

• Base form: Verb stem + 고 있다.

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

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

• 가다 → 가고 있어요 (going)

• 보다 → 보고 있어요 (watching/looking)

• 이야기하다 → 이야기하고 있어요 (talking)

• 공부하고 있어요. → I’m studying.

• 밥을 먹고 있어요. → I’m eating a meal.

• 친구를 기다리고 있어요. → I’m waiting for a friend.

6. ~다고 / 자고

• 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 / (이)라고
• For suggestive (let’s…) sentences, use ~자고

• 💡 친구가 언어 교환하는 카페가 있다고 하면서 같이 가 보자고 하는 거예요.
→ Literal: A friend said that there is a language exchange café and said let’s try going together.
→ Natural: A friend told me there’s a language exchange café and asked if I wanted to go with her
💡 전 한국 사람과 친구가 될 수 있는 좋은 기회라고 생각했어요.
→ I thought it’d be a great chance to actually make some Korean friends.

• 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 🍅

Quoted 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. ~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 있었어요

• 💡한국 사람과 친구가 될 수 있다 → I will be able to make Korean friends.

• Verb stem + ㄹ/을 수 있다

• 한국어를 읽을 수 있어요. → I can read Korean.

• 저는 수영할 수 있어요. → I can swim.

8. ~는데요

• ~는데요 is a polite Korean connector that provides background information before making your main point, similar to saying "by the way," "so," or "and" in English.

• Adding "요" makes it conversational and perfect for sharing experiences or starting stories in a friendly, polite way.

• Three Main Ways to Use ~는데요:
• Background + Contrast (like "but"):
• Pattern: [Background info] + 는데요 + [contrasting main point]
• Example: 한국어를 배우고 있는데요, 아직 어려워요. → I'm learning Korean, but it's still difficult.
• Background + Suggestion/Question (like "so"):
• Pattern: [Background info] + 는데요 + [suggestion/question]
• Example: 시간이 있는데요, 같이 점심 먹을래요? → I have time, so would you like to have lunch together?
• Background + Additional Info (like "and"):
• Pattern: [Background info] + 는데요 + [related information]
• Example: 새로운 카페를 발견했는데요, 커피가 맛있어요. (I discovered a new cafe, and the coffee is delicious.)
• To show emotions when things turn out differently
• 우와, 이거 진짜 맛있는데요! → Wow, this is really good!
• 사람이 생각보다 없는데요. → There aren’t as many people as I thought…
• 그건 좀 실망인데요…→ hat’s kind of disappointing…
• To show disagreement politely
• A: 이거 5천 원이죠? → This is 5,000 won, right?
  B: 아니요, 3천 원인데요. → No, it's actually 3,000 won.

• 💡 오프라인 언어 교환 프로그램에 가 봤는데요, 생각보다 너무 재밌었어요!
→ I went to my first in-person language exchange yesterday — and it was way more fun than I expected!
(Background + Additional Info)

9. ~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.

• 💡저희 팀은 총 4명이었는데, 저와 제 친구, 그리고 한국인 두 명이었어요.→ There were four of us in our group — me, my friend, and two Koreans

• 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…

10. ~아서 / ~어서 / ~ 해서 / ~ (이)라서

• Reason Connector & Sequence Connector

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

• 💡 케미가 잘 맞아서, 단순히 언어 교환을 넘어서 진짜 친구가 되었어요.
→ Since we totally clicked, we went beyond just language exchange and then became real friends.

• 배가 아파서 병원에 갔어요. → My stomach hurt, so I went to the hospital.

• 늦어서 미안해요. → I’m sorry because I’m late.

• 피곤해서 일찍 잤어요. → I was tired, so I went to bed early.

• 간호사라서 바빠요. → I’m busy because I’m a nurse.

• 학생이라서 바빠요. → I’m busy because I’m a student.

• 맛있게 요리해서 먹었어요 → I cooked a delicious meal and ate it

• 도서관에 가서 책을 보았어요 → I went to the library and read a book.

11. ~것 같은 느낌이 들다

• "I have a feeling that..." / "It feels like..." / "I get the sense that...”

• Express a subjective impression, intuition, or gut feeling about something

• ‘~ 것 같다’ vs ‘~것 같은 느낌이 들다’
• “~것 같다” means “I think / It seems like…” — a general assumption.
• “~것 같은 느낌이 들다” adds a personal feeling or impression, like “I get the feeling that…”

• 💡 진짜 친구가 될 수 있을 것 같은 느낌이 들었어요.

• Verb phrase + Noun Modifier + 것 같은 느낌이 들다

• Base form: ~ 것 같은 느낌이 들다
Polite form (present tense): ~ 것 같은 느낌이 들어요
Polite form (past tense): ~ 것 같은 느낌이 들었어요.

• 성공할 것 같은 느낌이 들어요 → I have a feeling that it will succeed.

• 되는 것 같은 느낌이 들어요 → I have a feeling it is working out.

• 좋은 사람인 것 같은 느낌이 들어요. → I have a feeling he/she is a good person.

• 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.

12. ~기로 하다

• ~기로 했어요: It is used to express a decision that has been made — usually by the speaker or together with someone else.

• 💡 가기로 했어요: decided to go

• Verb stem + 기로 하다

• Base form: Verb stem + 기로 하다

• Polite form (present tense): Verb stem + 기로 해요 → decide to do (something)

• Polite form (past tense): Verb stem + 기로 했어요. → decided to do (something)

• 운동하기로 했어요. → I decided to exercise.

• 자기로 했어요. → I decided to sleep.

13. ~아/어 지다

• The pattern “아/어지다” is used to express a change of state.
It means that something becomes a certain condition.

• In English, it often translates to:
→ “get ~” or “become ~”

• 💡 한국 생활이 더 재밌어질 거예요. → Life in Korea will become more fun

• 날씨가 추워졌어요. The weather became cold.

• 일이 바빠졌어요. Work got busy.

• ~아/어지다 only works with descriptive verbs (adjectives), not action verbs to show the change of state.

• For some action verbs, ~아/어지다 can be used, but it means passive voice.

• Example:
• TV가 자동으로 켜졌어요. → The TV turned on automatically
• 불이 꺼졌어요 → The light was turned off.

14. ~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 ‘ㄹ’ to ‘재밌어질’?
We add ‘ㄹ’ to ‘재밌어질’ because it's the future noun modifier form of the verb ‘재밌어지다’, meaning “that will become more fun.”

• 💡 재밌어질 것 같아요 → I think it will get more fun

• Verb stem + 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.

🌸 Extra Cultural or Language Notes