KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -기는커녕
Korean Grammar “-기는커녕”: 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 | 보기는커녕 | bogineunkeonyeong |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽기는커녕 | ikgineunkeonyeong |
| 하다 | to do | 하기는커녕 | hagineunkeonyeong |
| 살다 | to live | 살기는커녕 | salgineunkeonyeong |
What changes
- This ending attaches directly to the stem. Nothing changes, whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant.
Explanation
칭찬을 받기는커녕 오히려 꾸중만 들었어요.
“-기는커녕” means “far from ~ / let alone ~”: it flatly denies the first clause and states the opposite. With nouns, use “은/는커녕.” The sentence means “Far from being praised, I only got scolded.” “-는데도” (“even though”) is a simple concession and lacks this strong negation.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 칭찬을 받기는커녕 오히려 꾸중만 들었어요.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 칭찬을 | ||
| 칭 | ㅊ+ㅣ+ㅇ | ching |
| 찬 | ㅊ+ㅏ+ㄴ | [차] cha |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [늘] neul |
| 받기는커녕 | ||
| 받 | ㅂ+ㅏ+ㄷ | bat |
| 기 | ㄱ+ㅣ | [끼] gi |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 커 | ㅋ+ㅓ | keo |
| 녕 | ㄴ+ㅕ+ㅇ | nyeong |
| 오히려 | ||
| 오 | ㅇ+ㅗ | o |
| 히 | ㅎ+ㅣ | hi |
| 려 | ㄹ+ㅕ | ryeo |
| 꾸중만 | ||
| 꾸 | ㄲ+ㅜ | kku |
| 중 | ㅈ+ㅜ+ㅇ | jung |
| 만 | ㅁ+ㅏ+ㄴ | man |
| 들었어요 | ||
| 들 | ㄷ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [드] deu |
| 었 | ㅇ+ㅓ+ㅆ | [러] reo |
| 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
- 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. 찬을 → [차늘]
- Tensing: after a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ become tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ). 받기 → [받끼]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 받다 | verb | to receive | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 칭찬을 받기____ 오히려 꾸중만 들었어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 칭찬을 받기는커녕 오히려 꾸중만 들었어요.
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