A2 · 初中級 チャプター 4

Describing People and Things

3 トータルルール
31 例文
5 分
このチャプターのルール クイック練習

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Transform simple sentences into vivid, descriptive stories by modifying nouns with verbs across all three tenses.

  • Connect present actions to nouns using the 는 modifier.
  • Describe completed experiences using the ㄴ/은 past modifier.
  • Express future plans or intentions using the -(으)ㄹ modifier.
Paint vivid pictures with your Korean words.

学べること

You've already built a solid foundation in Korean, and now it's time to add some serious color to your conversations! This chapter is your secret weapon for transforming simple statements into rich, detailed descriptions of people and things. Forget just saying 'I ate food'; imagine saying 'the delicious food I ate yesterday'! We'll embark on a clear journey: first, you'll learn how to use 는 to turn any verb into a present-tense adjective, letting you describe 'the student who is studying' or 'the movie that is playing.' Next, we'll dive into the past with ㄴ/은, a super useful tool for talking about completed actions that define a noun – think 'the friend I met' or 'the song I heard.' Finally, we'll tackle the future using -(으)ㄹ, opening up possibilities to describe 'the book to read' or 'the place we'll go.' These structures are absolutely vital for natural Korean speech. Whether you're excitedly recounting a past event, pointing out something happening right now, or planning for the future, you'll use these modifiers constantly. By the end of this chapter, you won't just understand basic sentences; you'll be able to paint vivid pictures with your words, making your Korean more precise, expressive, and truly engaging. Get ready to elevate your storytelling!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Create complex noun phrases like 'the book I read' or 'the movie I will watch'.

チャプターガイド

Overview

You've built a fantastic foundation in Korean grammar, and now it's time to add vibrant detail to your conversations! This chapter is your key to transforming simple statements into rich, detailed descriptions of people and things. At the A2 Korean level, mastering these structures is vital for sounding more natural and expressing yourself with greater precision.
Forget just saying I ate food; imagine saying
the delicious food I ate yesterday
! We'll embark on a clear journey: first, you'll learn how to use 는 to turn any verb into a present-tense adjective, letting you describe 'the student who is studying' or 'the movie that is playing.' Next, we'll dive into the past with ㄴ/은, a super useful tool for talking about completed actions that define a noun – think 'the friend I met' or 'the song I heard.' Finally, we'll tackle the future using -(으)ㄹ, opening up possibilities to describe 'the book to read' or 'the place we'll go.' These Korean noun modifiers are absolutely essential for natural speech. By the end of this chapter, you won't just understand basic sentences; you'll be able to paint vivid pictures with your words, making your Korean more expressive and truly engaging.

How This Grammar Works

This chapter focuses on a fundamental aspect of Korean grammar: turning verbs into adjectives to modify nouns. This allows you to describe a noun based on an action it performs, performed, or will perform. We'll cover three main forms, each indicating a different tense.
First, for describing nouns based on actions happening *now* or habitually, we use 는. You attach 는 directly to the verb stem.
  • Verbs ending in a consonant or vowel: verb stem + 는
  • Example: 먹다 (to eat) → 먹는 음식 (the food that is being eaten / the food one eats)
  • Example: 공부하다 (to study) → 공부하는 학생 (the student who is studying)
Next, to describe nouns based on *past* actions, we use ㄴ/은. The choice depends on the verb stem's final sound.
  • Verbs ending in a vowel: verb stem + ㄴ
  • Example: 가다 (to go) → 간 곳 (the place one went)
  • Verbs ending in a consonant: verb stem + 은
  • Example: 먹다 (to eat) → 먹은 음식 (the food that was eaten / the food one ate)
  • Example: 읽다 (to read) → 읽은 책 (the book one read)
Finally, for *future* actions or intentions, we use -(으)ㄹ. Again, the choice depends on the verb stem's final sound.
  • Verbs ending in a vowel or ㄹ: verb stem + ㄹ
  • Example: 가다 (to go) → 갈 곳 (the place one will go)
  • Example: 만들다 (to make) → 만들 음식 (the food to make)
  • Verbs ending in a consonant (not ㄹ): verb stem + 을
  • Example: 읽다 (to read) → 읽을 책 (the book to read)
  • Example: 먹다 (to eat) → 먹을 음식 (the food to eat)
These Korean noun modifiers are powerful tools that transform simple verbs into descriptive phrases, letting you craft more complex and nuanced sentences at the A2 Korean level and beyond.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: «어제 먹는 음식 어땠어요?» (How was the food eating yesterday?)
✓ Correct: «어제 먹은 음식 어땠어요?» (How was the food you ate yesterday?)
*Explanation:* 는 is used for present tense actions (e.g., the food that is being eaten). For past actions, you must use ㄴ/은. Here, yesterday clearly indicates past tense, so 먹은 is correct.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: «읽은 책을 살 거예요.» (I will buy the book that read.)
✓ Correct: «읽을 책을 살 거예요.» (I will buy the book to read.)
*Explanation:* 은 indicates a completed action (the book *I read*). If you mean a book you *will* read in the future, you need to use the future noun modifier -(으)ㄹ.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: «만들을 케이크» (The cake to make)
✓ Correct: «만들 케이크» (The cake to make)
*Explanation:* Verbs ending in ㄹ (like 만들다) drop the ㄹ before adding -(으)ㄹ. So, 만들 + ㄹ becomes 만들. This is a common irregular conjugation for Korean verbs.

Real Conversations

A

A

지금 보는 영화 재미있어요? (Is the movie you are watching now interesting?)
B

B

네, 정말 제가 좋아하는 배우가 나오는 영화예요. (Yes, it's a movie starring an actor I really like.)
A

A

어제 만난 친구랑 뭐 했어요? (What did you do with the friend you met yesterday?)
B

B

같이 맛있는 음식을 먹었어요. (We ate delicious food together.)
A

A

주말에 같이 갈 곳 있어요? (Is there a place we can go together this weekend?)
B

B

네, 공원에 가서 자전거를 탈 거예요. (Yes, we'll go to the park and ride bikes.)

Quick FAQ

Q

Can I use these modifiers with adjectives?

No, these specific Korean noun modifiers (는, ㄴ/은, -(으)ㄹ) are exclusively for verbs. Adjectives (descriptive verbs) use different forms like -(으)ㄴ (e.g., 예쁜 꽃 - pretty flower).

Q

What's the difference between 는 and -(으)ㄴ?

는 is for action verbs in the present tense (e.g., 먹는 사람 - the person eating). -(으)ㄴ is for descriptive adjectives (e.g., 작은 집 - small house) or for past tense action verbs (e.g., 먹은 음식 - the food eaten).

Q

Are there irregular verbs to watch out for with ㄴ/은 and -(으)ㄹ?

Yes! Just like with other conjugations, verbs ending in ㅂ (e.g., 돕다 → 도운 사람, 도울 사람) and ㄷ (e.g., 듣다 → 들은 이야기, 들을 이야기) will follow their specific irregular rules when these endings are attached.

Q

Why is this Korean grammar A2 level?

These noun modifiers are crucial for creating more complex and natural sentences beyond basic subject-verb-object structures, making them essential for intermediate learners to express nuanced ideas and participate in more sophisticated conversations.

Cultural Context

These Korean noun modifiers are incredibly common and fundamental to daily Korean communication. Unlike English, where relative clauses often follow the noun (
the person *who is studying*
), Korean consistently places these descriptive clauses *before* the noun (*studying* person). This makes sentences more concise and efficient.
You'll hear and use these patterns constantly when describing experiences, making plans, or simply pointing things out in conversation, news, and literature. Mastering them will significantly enhance your ability to understand and produce fluent, natural-sounding Korean.

重要な例文 (4)

1

내가 어제 읽은 책은 정말 재미있었어요.

私が昨日読んだ本は本当に面白かったです。

過去のことを説明する：連体形 (ㄴ/은)
2

인스타에 올린 사진 봤어?

インスタにアップした写真、見た？

過去のことを説明する：連体形 (ㄴ/은)
3

내일 입을 옷을 골랐어요.

明日着る服を選びました。

韓国語の未来連体形：～する予定の、～するための (-(으)ㄹ)
4

이게 제가 마실 커피예요?

これが私が飲むコーヒーですか？

韓国語の未来連体形：～する予定の、～するための (-(으)ㄹ)

ヒントとコツ (3)

⚠️

形容詞には使えません！

形容詞（きれいだ、小さいなど）には «는» を使いません。例えば «예쁜 사람» と言います。 «예쁘는» は間違いなので注意！
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 動词で名詞を説明する (는)
⚠️

形容詞には使わないで！

形容詞に «ㄴ/은» を付けると「今の状態」になります。例えば «예쁜» は「きれいな（今）」という意味。過去の状態を言いたいときは別の形を使うので注意してね。 «예뻤던» のように使い分けます。
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去のことを説明する：連体形 (ㄴ/은)
💡

「運命」を決めるルール

その名詞の「未来の使い道」を決めると考えてみて。例えば、ただの椅子を「座るための椅子」と呼ぶなら «앉을 의자» と言って、その椅子の目的を定義してあげるんです。
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 韓国語の未来連体形：～する予定の、～するための (-(으)ㄹ)

重要な語彙 (5)

먹다 (meokda) to eat 읽다 (ikda) to read 만나다 (mannada) to meet 영화 (yeonghwa) movie 친구 (chingu) friend

Real-World Preview

coffee

Planning the Weekend

Review Summary

  • Verb stem + 는 + Noun
  • Verb stem + (으)ㄴ + Noun
  • Verb stem + (으)ㄹ + Noun

よくある間違い

Using the present modifier for past events. Use the past modifier ㄴ/은 for completed actions.

Wrong: 먹는 음식 (meogneun eumsik) used for yesterday's food.
正解: 먹은 음식 (meogeun eumsik)

Forgetting to add the modifier. You must add the correct ending to the verb stem before the noun.

Wrong: 가다 영화 (gada yeonghwa)
正解: 갈 영화 (gal yeonghwa)

Mixing up present and past modifiers. If the movie is finished, use the past form.

Wrong: 보는 영화 (boneun yeonghwa) for a movie I saw last week.
正解: 본 영화 (bon yeonghwa)

Next Steps

You have done a fantastic job! Keep practicing these modifiers, and you'll see your Korean skills flourish.

Write 5 sentences describing objects in your room using these modifiers.

Continue to: Talking About Time and Habits

クイック練習 (3)

「見る（보다）」を正しい過去連体形にして、空欄を埋めてください。

어제 ___ 영화 제목이 뭐예요?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 본
「昨日（어제）」のことなので過去形を使います。「보다」は母音で終わるので「ㄴ」を付けます。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去のことを説明する：連体形 (ㄴ/은)

「私が作ったキンパ」という表現として正しいものはどれですか？

正しい翻訳を選んでください：

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 내가 만든 김밥
「만들다」はㄹ変則の動詞です。「ㄹ」を消してから「ㄴ」を付けるのが正解です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去のことを説明する：連体形 (ㄴ/은)

間違いを見つけて、正しい文章を選んでください。

Find and fix the mistake:

내가 아침에 먹는 빵이 맛없었어요.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 내가 아침에 먹은 빵이 맛없었어요.
「朝に食べた」という過去の動作なので、「먹는（食べている）」を「먹은（食べた）」に直す必要があります。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去のことを説明する：連体形 (ㄴ/은)

Score: /3

よくある質問 (6)

いいえ、「슬프다」は形容詞なので使えません。形容詞用の «슬픈» を使いましょう。 «는» は動詞専用です。
「먹는 사람」は広く「食べている人」ですが、「먹는 중인 사람」は「今まさに食べている最中」を強調します。
いいえ、形容詞に «ㄴ/은» を使うと「現在」の意味になります。例えば「大きかった家」と言いたいなら «컸던 집» のように別の形を使います。
「ㄴ/은」は単に完了した過去の動作を表します。一方で «-던» は、過去に繰り返していた習慣や、中断された動作というニュアンスが含まれます。
はい！確実な予定でも、単なる希望でも大丈夫です。名詞に対してその動作が「未来」のことなら -(으)ㄹ を使います。例えば «내일 갈 학교»（明日行く学校）のように言えます。
«할 일» は特に「やるべき仕事」や「タスク」を指します。«할 것» はもっと広く「すること・もの」全般を指す便利な言葉です。
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