KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄴ 듯이
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄴ 듯이”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 6)
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 듯이 | bon deusi |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽은 듯이 | ilgeun deusi |
| 하다 | to do | 한 듯이 | han deusi |
| 살다 | to live | 산 듯이 | san deusi |
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
그는 아무 일도 없었던 듯이 태연하게 웃었다.
“-(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 듯이” means “as if ~ / just like ~” and describes acting as though something were so, even if it isn’t. The sentence means “He smiled calmly, as if nothing had happened.” “-(으)ㄴ 채” means “while remaining in the state of ~” and has no “as if” sense; “없었던 채” is not natural either.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 그는 아무 일도 없었던 듯이 태연하게 웃었다.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 그는 | ||
| 그 | ㄱ+ㅡ | geu |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 아무 | ||
| 아 | ㅇ+ㅏ | a |
| 무 | ㅁ+ㅜ | mu |
| 일도 | ||
| 일 | ㅇ+ㅣ+ㄹ | il |
| 도 | ㄷ+ㅗ | do |
| 없었던 | ||
| 없 | ㅇ+ㅓ+ㅄ | [업] eop |
| 었 | ㅇ+ㅓ+ㅆ | [썯] seot |
| 던 | ㄷ+ㅓ+ㄴ | [떤] deon |
| 듯이 | ||
| 듯 | ㄷ+ㅡ+ㅅ | [드] deu |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [시] si |
| 태연하게 | ||
| 태 | ㅌ+ㅐ | tae |
| 연 | ㅇ+ㅕ+ㄴ | yeon |
| 하 | ㅎ+ㅏ | ha |
| 게 | ㄱ+ㅔ | ge |
| 웃었다 | ||
| 웃 | ㅇ+ㅜ+ㅅ | [우] u |
| 었 | ㅇ+ㅓ+ㅆ | [섣] seot |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | [따] da |
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
- 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. 없었던 → [업썯떤]
- Tensing: after a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ become tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ). 었던 → [얻떤]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -다. Common in proverbs, writing and the news, but not how you normally speak to the person in front of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 없다 | adjective | to not exist, to not have | TOPIK level 1 |
| 웃다 | verb | to laugh, to smile | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 그는 아무 일도 없었던 ____ 태연하게 웃었다.
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Answer: 그는 아무 일도 없었던 듯이 태연하게 웃었다.
Question 2 Which is the correct form of 보다 + -(으)ㄴ 듯이?
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Answer: 본 듯이
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -(으)ㄴ 듯이?
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Answer: 읽은 듯이
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