DAY 2: Thinking About Getting a Second Dog? Learn How to Talk About Pets in Korean!

🌸 What You’ll Learn

🌸 10 Key Korean Sentences

🌸 Key Vocabulary & Expressions

• 강아지: puppy

• 고양이: cat

• 키우다: to raise/keep (pets)

• 없다: to not have / to not exist

• 저희: we / our (humble version of 우리)

• 말티즈: Maltese (dog breed)

• 이다 vs 있다
• 이다: to be - identity/definition
• 있다: to exist/to have/there is/there are

• 이제: now / from now on / not anymore (It often contrasts the present with the past)

• 살: age counter (Just like “years old” in English)

• 되다: to become

• 유기견 센터: animal shelter (literally "abandoned dog center")

• 입양하다: to adopt

• 낯설어하다: to be shy/wary of strangers

• 완전히: completely/totally

• 산책하다: to take a walk

• 심심해하다: to be bored/feel lonely

• 외롭다: to be lonely

• 더 vs 덜:
• 더: more
• 덜: less

• 생기다: to appear / to happen / to be formed

• 요즘: these days / lately

• 입양 센터: adoption center

• 자주: often / frequently

• 들어가 보다: to try going in (and checking something out)

🌸 Grammar Breakdown

1. ~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.

• 💡고양이도 좋아하는데, → I like cats too, but

• 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…

2. ~ㄹ(을) + Noun

• ~ㄹ(을) + Noun: Something/someone that will ~" or "to ~ (something)

• Use: This pattern turns a verb into a description of a noun — usually something that will happen in the future, or something the speaker intends to do.

• 💡 키울 기회 → a chance to raise

• ~ㄹ(을) is called a noun modifier. Please see the table below for more details.

• 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. ~ 때

• “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.

• 💡 1살 때 → at the time of age 1 (when he was 1 year old)

• 💡 입양했을 땐 → when I adopted him

• 시험 때 항상 긴장돼요.

• 방학 때 여행 갔어요.
→ I traveled during vacation.

• 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.

4. ~ (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.

• 💡 낯설어하면서 밥도 잘 안 먹었는데 : while he seemed shy, he didn’t eat well

• 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.

5. ~(으)러

• Purpose Connector

• Use ~(으)러 to show the purpose of movement.

• It means “in order to do something” or “to (do something)” when going somewhere with a goal.

• 💡 산책하러 가다 → go to take a walk

• 친구를 만나러 나갔어요. (만나 + 러)
→ I went out to meet a friend.

• 서울에 놀러 왔어요 (놀 + 러)
→ I came to Seoul to hang out.

• 손을 씻으러 가요. (씻 + 으러)
→ I'm going to wash my hands.

6. ~(으)면

• Condition Connector

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

• 💡 혼자 있으면 → if he is alone

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

• 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.

7. ~아/어/해 하다

• ~아/어/해 하다 : to seem to feel / to show (emotion)

• Use ~아/어 하다 to express how someone else feels based on what you observe.

• You can’t feel their emotion directly, so this form lets you describe their emotional state indirectly.
⚠️ This pattern is only used with emotion-related adjective verb.
You use the original adjective verb to talk about your own feelings,
but you use ~아/어 하다 to describe someone else’s feelings you observe.

• 💡 Max가 심심해하다 → Max seems to get bored

• 친구가 아파해서 병원에 데려갔어요.
→ My friend seemed to be in pain, so I took them to the hospital.

• 아이들이 기뻐해요.
→ The kids look happy.

• 강아지가 무서워해요.
→ The dog seems scared.

8. ~것 같다

• Action verb stem + 는 + 것 같다” is used to say “It seems like (someone) is doing something” or “It looks like (something) is happening.”

• 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 ‘는’ to ‘심심해하’?
• In the example above, we’re describing what Max is doing or feeling right now, so you need the present tense modifier ‘~는’.

• 💡 Max가 심심해하는 것 같다. → It seems like Max is bored.

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

• 비가 오는 것 같아요. → It looks like it’s raining.

• 친구가 자는 것 같아요. → It seems like my friend is sleeping.

• 엄마가 요리하는 것 같아요. → It looks like Mom is cooking.

• 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.

9. ~아서 / ~어서 / ~ 해서 / ~ (이)라서

• Reason Connector

• Use ~아서 / ~어서 / ~해서 / ~이라서 to express reason or cause.

• It means “because…”, “so…”, or “since…” in English.

• 💡 Max가 심심해 하는 것 같아서 → Because it seems like Max is bored

• 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.

10. ~ㄹ/을까 생각 중이다

• ~ㄹ/을까 생각 중이다 → (someone) is thinking about whether (someone) should do (something)

• Use this when you’re still deciding or not sure what to do yet.

• 💡 입양할까 생각 중이에요. → I’m thinking about whether I should adopt one.

• 한국에 갈까 생각 중이에요.
→ I’m thinking whether I should go to Korea

• 친구에게 연락할까 생각 중이에요.
→ I’m thinking whether I should contact my friend.

• 이걸 살까 생각 중이에요.
→ I'm thinking about buying this.
 

11. ~고 있다

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

• 💡 들어가 보고 있어요. → I’ve been checking (it) out / I'm checking it out

• 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.

🌸 Extra Cultural or Language Notes