KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄴ/는 척하다
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄴ/는 척하다”: How to Use It (TOPIK 3)
How to attach it
The ending differs for verbs and adjectives, so the table shows both. Compare how each word changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch (verb) | 보는 척하다 | boneun cheokada |
| 읽다 | to read (verb) | 읽는 척하다 | ingneun cheokada |
| 크다 | big (adjective) | 큰 척하다 | keun cheokada |
| 좋다 | good, nice (adjective) | 좋은 척하다 | joeun cheokada |
What changes
- For verbs, -는 attaches directly to the stem (읽 → 읽는). A stem ending in ㄹ drops the ㄹ first (살 → 사는).
- For adjectives, the present-tense form is -(으)ㄴ: ㄴ after a vowel (크 → 큰) and 은 after a consonant (좋 → 좋은).
Explanation
그는 다 알면서도 아무것도 모르는 척했어요.
“-(으)ㄴ/는 척하다” means “to pretend to ~” and is used when someone acts differently from reality. Use “-는 척” for present-tense verbs and “-(으)ㄴ 척” for adjectives and the past. The sentence means “Although he knew everything, he pretended not to know anything.” Unlike “-(으)ㄴ 것 같다” (it seems that), which is a guess, this pattern describes a deliberate act.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 그는 다 알면서도 아무것도 모르는 척했어요.
Said aloud, it sounds like [그는 다 알면서도 아무걷또 모르는 처캐써요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 그는 | ||
| 그 | ㄱ+ㅡ | geu |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | da |
| 알면서도 | ||
| 알 | ㅇ+ㅏ+ㄹ | al |
| 면 | ㅁ+ㅕ+ㄴ | myeon |
| 서 | ㅅ+ㅓ | seo |
| 도 | ㄷ+ㅗ | do |
| 아무것도 | ||
| 아 | ㅇ+ㅏ | a |
| 무 | ㅁ+ㅜ | mu |
| 것 | ㄱ+ㅓ+ㅅ | [걷] geot |
| 도 | ㄷ+ㅗ | [또] do |
| 모르는 | ||
| 모 | ㅁ+ㅗ | mo |
| 르 | ㄹ+ㅡ | reu |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 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). 것도 → [걷또]
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 알다 | verb | to know | TOPIK level 1 |
| 모르다 | verb | to not know | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 그는 다 알면서도 아무것도 모르는 ____했어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 그는 다 알면서도 아무것도 모르는 척했어요.
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