KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄴ 척하다
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄴ 척하다”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 5)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 본 척하다 | bon cheokada |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽은 척하다 | ilgeun cheokada |
| 하다 | to do | 한 척하다 | han cheokada |
| 살다 | to live | 산 척하다 | san cheokada |
What changes
- After a stem ending in a vowel, ㄴ is added to the last syllable (보 → 본). After a stem ending in a consonant, 은 is added (읽 → 읽은). A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ and takes ㄴ (살 → 산), and 하 becomes 한.
Explanation
동생은 숙제를 다 안 했는데 다 한 척했어요.
“-(으)ㄴ 척하다” means “to pretend to have done ~” and is used when someone deliberately makes things look different from the facts. Use “-(으)ㄴ 척” for a past action or an adjective and “-는 척” for a present action. The sentence means “My younger sibling hadn’t finished the homework but pretended to have finished it.”
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 동생은 숙제를 다 안 했는데 다 한 척했어요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 동생은 | ||
| 동 | ㄷ+ㅗ+ㅇ | dong |
| 생 | ㅅ+ㅐ+ㅇ | saeng |
| 은 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄴ | eun |
| 숙제를 | ||
| 숙 | ㅅ+ㅜ+ㄱ | suk |
| 제 | ㅈ+ㅔ | [쩨] je |
| 를 | ㄹ+ㅡ+ㄹ | reul |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | da |
| 안 | ㅇ+ㅏ+ㄴ | an |
| 했는데 | ||
| 했 | ㅎ+ㅐ+ㅆ | [핸] haen |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 데 | ㄷ+ㅔ | de |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | da |
| 한 | ㅎ+ㅏ+ㄴ | han |
| 척했어요 | ||
| 척 | ㅊ+ㅓ+ㄱ | [처] cheo |
| 했 | ㅎ+ㅐ+ㅆ | [캐] kae |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Tensing: after a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ become tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ). 숙제 → [숙쩨]
- Nasalization: a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ becomes ㅇ, ㄴ or ㅁ before ㄴ or ㅁ (and a ㄹ after ㅁ or ㅇ becomes ㄴ). 했는데 → [핸는데]
- Aspiration: ㅎ next to ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ or ㅈ blends with it into ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ or ㅊ. 척했어 → [처캐써]
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 했어 → [해써]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 동생 | noun | younger sibling | TOPIK level 1 |
| 안 | adverb | not (negation) | TOPIK level 1 |
| 하다 | verb | to do | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 동생은 숙제를 다 안 했는데 다 한 ____했어요.
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Answer: 동생은 숙제를 다 안 했는데 다 한 척했어요.
Question 2 Which is the correct form of 보다 + -(으)ㄴ 척하다?
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Answer: 본 척하다
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -(으)ㄴ 척하다?
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Answer: 읽은 척하다
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