The grammar that we’ll be checking out today is -기는커녕. This form is interchangeable with -은/는 고사하고, so I will write all examples using both -기는커녕 and -은/는 고사하고.
Function:
This grammar has two meanings. The first is used when you want to show the extent to which something is difficult to achieve or unlikely to happen by comparing two actions or conditions, neither of which are achieved. The preceding clause contains the more difficult to achieve of the two conditions, and the antecedent clause contains something that is easier to achieve but still is not done.
The second meaning is used when you want to express an outcome or situation opposite or different from what the preceding clause leads you to expect.
Both meanings of -기는커녕 can be translated to English as “never mind…” or “let alone…”. This expression is only used for negative meanings.
Usage:
-기는커녕’s usage is pretty simple! Just add -기는커녕 to action and descriptive verbs and -은/는커녕 to nouns. Their equivalents using the -은/는 고사하고 form are -기는 고사하고 for action and descriptive verbs and -은/는 고사하고 for nouns.
MEANING 1:
Action verbs: -기는커녕 / -기는 고사하고 /-는 것은 고사하고
오늘 아침 하도 바빠서 아침을 먹기는커녕(먹기는 고사하고) 물조차 마시지 못했어요. (I was so busy this morning that I couldn’t even drink water, never mind eating breakfast.)
요즘 동화 씨의 불면증이 심해져서 잠을 푹 자기는커녕(자기는 고사하고) 10분도 못 자요. (Lately Donghwa’s insomnia has gotten worse so he can’t even sleep for ten minutes, never mind sleeping sufficiently.)
Descriptive verbs: -기는커녕’s first meaning does not seem to work with descriptive verbs! I racked my brains for a while, then asked my Korean friends to help me out. All of the examples they gave me fell pretty squarely in the bounds of meaning 2.
Nouns: -은/는커녕 / -은/는 고사하고
그녀는 하도 가난해서 새 옷은커녕 밥도 못 사요. (That lady is so poor that she can’t even buy food, never mind new clothes.)
사교성이 부족한 그 남자는 애인은커녕(애인은 고사하고) 친구도 사귈 수 없어요. (That man with lacking social competence can’t even make friends, never mind finding a date.)
MEANING 2:
Action verb:
채원 씨는 요리를 잘한다고 했는데 요리하기는커녕(요리하기는 고사하고) 물조차 끓이는 방법을 모르는 것 같아요. (Chaewon says that she’s good at cooking but it seems she doesn’t even know how to boil water, never mind cooking.)
Descriptive verb:
-기는커녕 / -기는 고사하고 / -은/는 것은 고사하고 — 그는 팬이 엄청 많다고 자랑했는데 팬이 많기는커녕(많기는 고사하고) 팬카페에 가입한 사람은 7 명밖에 없었어요. (He bragged that he has a ton of fans, but there were only seven people registered on his fan site, never mind a lot of fans.)
Noun: 그녀의 생일이었는데 남편한테 선물은커녕(선물은 고사하고) 이혼서류를 받았어요. (It was her birthday but she got divorce papers from her husband, never mind a gift.)
Happy studying~
Picture from cubicle in a public bathroom. My least favourite thing about living in korea is that in many bathrooms people are meant to put used toilet paper in bins instead of into the toilet. In most places its not really bad, but some bathrooms smell bad, have overflowing bins or are quite dirty. You have to get used to that though. Look out for signs in the cubicles which tell you where you’re supposed to throw away the paper.
Also be aware that lots of public bathrooms dont have toilet paper at all, so it’s worth carrying around tissues with you or go to subway stations or department stores for modern, clean and well stocked bathrooms. 🙂
벚꽃이 없는 곳에 사는 사람들은 모두가 벚꽃을 보고 싶은 꿈이 있을 것 같아요. 저도 그랬고 꽃을 많이 좋아하니까 한국에 와서 꼭 벚꽃축제를 놓치고 싶지 않았어요. 사실 요새 한국에 여행 많이 가고 싶지만 돈도 시간도 부족해서 아직 못 갈 줄 알았어요. 어느 날, 제 친구와 함께 커피 한 잔 하면서 이야기하다가 친구가 투어버스타고 나들이 가자고 제안을 했어요.
I think pretty much anyone who lives somewhere that doesn’t have cherry blossoms dreams of seeing them someday. I sure did, and I like all flowers, so I definitely couldn’t miss out on the cherry blossom festivals now that I’m in Korea. Recently I’ve been wanting to travel a lot but haven’t had either the time or the money, so I didn’t think I’d be able to go anywhere. But then, whilst I told her this over coffee, my friend suggested we go on a day trip by tourbus.
So your boss is forcing you to do a job you don’t want to do, or your mom made you eat your vegetables, and you want to complain about it. LET’S LEARN HOW TO TALK ABOUT IT.
억지로 + (동사/Verb) – To do unwillingly / be forced to do sth 선생님이 농담하셨을때 억지로 웃었어요. – When my teacher told a joke I forced a smile. 입맛이 없지만 엄마가 저녁을 만드셔서 억지로 먹었어요. I had no appetite, but I had to eat because my mom cooked dinner.
It can also mean physically forced (clothes, objects, etc.) 억지로 문을 열려다가 문고리가 고장났어요. – I forced the door open and the handle broke off.
마지못해 + (동사/Verb) – To reluctantly do sth 안 친한 친구의 부탁을 마지못해 들어줬어요. – I unwillingly did a favor for my friend that I’m not very close with. 좋으면서 마지못해 미팅에 나가는 척 하지마. – Stop pretending like you don’t want to go to meeting (group blind date)
울며 겨자 먹기로 + (동사/Verb) – To bite the bullet or grin and bear it (literally translated means to eat mustard and cry) 울며 겨자 먹기로 싼 값에 집을 내놓았어요. – I bit the bullet and put my house up for cheap 표가 다 팔려서 울며 겨자 먹기로 암표를 샀어요. – The tickets sold out so I bit the bullet and bought a scalper’s ticket.
The most commonly used phrase is 억지로~, but these are all important pieces of grammar. They are all very similar, but are used in different situations. 마지못해~ is the least serious of the three, and 울며…~ is the most serious.
One common phrase I’ll hear from friends is “마지못하는 척 하지마” when I’m pretending like I don’t want the last slice of pizza, I always want the last slice of pizza.
This phrase is a useful one for anyone who, like me, have a habit of making grand resolutions (whether or not those resolutions are followed through on is another matter).
입버릇 (literally, “mouth habit”) on its own loosely translates to “a habit of saying”. It refers to a phrase or words one often says. Personally speaking, my 입버릇 in Korean would be starting off almost every sentence with the word 그냥. It can also refer to a way of speaking. 입버릇이 나쁘다 would mean “a bad way of speaking”, or “a foul mouth”.
Coupled with the indirect speech grammar -겠다고, it is also used in reference to someone’s resolution. Specifically a resolution that has been stated so often to the point that it has become almost a habit to say. For example, I have a habit after a book buying splurge to declare that I’m not going to buy any more books. After hearing this for the thousandth time, you could say time, “ㅇㅇ씨는 책이 안 사겠다고 입버릇처럼 말하는데 진짜 안 사겠어요?” (”You keep saying that you’re not going to buy any more books, but are you really?”).
자기는 나중에 커서 대통령이 되겠다고 입버릇처럼 말했다. You used to always say that you would become president when you were older.
성공하겠다고 입버릇처럼 말만 하지 말고 구체적인 계획을 실천하세요. Don’t just keep saying that you’re going to be successful—put a concrete plan into action.
제 친구는 내년에 결혼하겠다고 입버릇처럼 말하더니 진짜 결혼했어요.My friend said that she was determined to get married next year, and now she’s really married.
남편은 담배를 귾겠다고 입버릇처럼 말했는데 오히려 더 피워요. My husband kept saying that he would quit smoking, but instead he’s started smoking more.
*Note that 입버릇처럼 can be used with -다고/-(ㄴ)는다고/-(이)라고 forms of indirect speech as well to point out something that is or has been repeatedly stated.
유진 씨는 키가 큰 남자가 이상형이라고 입버릇처럼 말했는데 유진 씨보다 키가 작은 남자와 결혼했다. Yoo-jin always said that her ideal type is tall men, but she married a man shorter than herself.
어머니는 내가 할아버지를 닮았다고 입버릇처럼 말했어요. My mother always said that I look like my grandfather.
I decided to buy a bike to ride to and from work, so last weekend my boyfriend and I walked up to this shop (carrying his bike) and rode home together along the short stretch of river. The bike was relatively cheap, only 150,000 won, and the man who sold it to me was very helpful and friendly.
출, 퇴근을 외한 자전거를 사기로 해서, 지난번 주말에 (남친의 자전거 가져 가면서) 자전거가게까지 산책하고 원천리천을 따라 집으로 돌아왔어요. 자전거가 저렴하고 예쁘고 가게 주인 아저씨도 친절하셔서 기뻤어요.
Read the rest of the post about 광교호수공원 and see pictures on Naver blog
거시기 = 명칭이 기억나지 않는 물건/이름이 생각나지 않는 사람(Whatchamacallit, thingy, thingamajig, thingummy, what’s-his/her-name, so-and-so)
Sutdy-Korean 