Let's dive deep into Korean grammar. Today I'll show you what Korean endings are and various types of endings. You probably know some or many endings already. This post is to help you organize & understand them better.
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1. Korean Endings
Korean verbs and adjectives can come at the end of the sentence. So, they are called predicates(용언). Their basic forms always end with 다. To use them in talking or writing, you must change (=conjugate) them using the various endings!
Depending on what you add to these, you can show different tenses, tones, politeness, and so on! We call these endings, 어미 (語尾) [eo-mi].
Here is the chart you can see the types of endings at once! Depending on where the ending is located, we can divide it into two parts; 선어말 어미(pre-final ending) and 어말 어미(final ending). I'll show you the details from now on.
2 Pre-final Endings
A pre-final ending is positioned between the verb/adjective stem and the final ending. That is why it is called the pre-final ending. So, this grammar is often marked with hyphens front and back like "-었-."
Pre-final endings play an important role in specifying or emphasizing the meaning of the sentence. The most common pre-final endings include those that indicate tense, politeness, and guesswork or intention. Here are some representative pre-final endings.
Tense Pre-final Endings
You can attach the pre-final to show the tense in Korean. There is no pre-final for the present tense.
① Past tense: -았/었-
먹었어요. I ate.
② Future tense: -겠-
먹겠어요. I'll eat.
겠 also can show the guess or intention.
Politeness pre-final
-시- is the pre-final that can show the politeness to the sentence's subject. This is attached to verbs or adjectives to show respect for the subject. It is used when speaking about someone of higher status or someone you respect. This pre-final comes before the tense.
시+past tense: 가셨어요 = 가+시+었+어요
아버지께서 회사에 가셨어요. My dad went to his work.
3. Final Endings
A final ending is called 어말어미 (語末語尾) [eo-mal-eo-mi]in Korean. These endings are added to the end of verbs or adjectives. That is why it is called the "final" ending. You'll understand the location better if you compare it with the pre-final ending.
어말어미(final endings) are used to express different grammatical meanings. They play a crucial role in showing a sentence's mood, tone, or intention. Generally, final endings can be divided into two groups: sentence-closing endings (종결어미) and non-closing endings (비종결어미).
1. 종결어미 sentence-final endings
종결어미 is called sentene-closing endings or sentence-final endings. They are used to complete a sentence, marking the end of the speaker's statement. These endings allow the speaker to express different types of sentences, such as declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences.
There are various endings depending on the tones. If you want to learn the details about it, please click here to read my other free lesson. For here, take a look where they are located.
① Declarative endings (statement): 습니다, 어요, 어
I eat.
밥을 먹습니다.
밥을 먹어요.
밥을 먹어.
② Interrofative endings (question): 습니까?, 어요?, 어?
Do you read?
책을 읽습니까?
책을 읽어요?
책을 읽어?
③ Imperative endings (command): 으십시오, 으세요, 어
Please sit.
앉으십시오.
앉으세요.
앉아.
④ Propositive endings (suggest): 으십시다, 어요, 자.
Let's study.
공부합시다.
공부해요.
공부하자.
As you see, they are coming at the end of the words and they are used to come with the puncuations as they close the sentence.
2. 비종결 어미 Non-final Endings
비종결어미 is called a non-closing ending or non-final ending. They are used when the sentence does not end, but instead, leads into another clause or sentence. These endings help connect sentences or create subordinate clauses, allowing for a more complex sentence structure.
As you see 고 is attached to the end of the adjective 춥다(to be cold)'s stem;춥. It is attached to the end, so it is the final ending. However, it doesn't end the sentence. Instead, it connects the other word 비가 오다 with 춥다. That is why it is called a non-closing final ending.
비종결어미 has two types. One is 연결어미(connective ending) and the other is 전성어미(transformative ending).
A. 연결어미
연결어미 is called a connective ending or conjunctive ending. Hence the name is used to connect two clauses or sentences. Here, I'll show you some representative ones.
비가 와서 산에 안 갔어요. I didn't go to the mountain because it rained.
② And: 고
비가 오고 추워요. It's raining and cold.
③ Or: 거나
저는 주말에 영화를 보거나 등산을 가요. On weekends, I watch a movie or go hiking.
B. 전성어미
전성어미 is called a transformative ending. It changes a verb or an adjective into another part of speech like a noun, or a modifier for a noun, or an adverb.
① Nominalization Ending: 기
요리하다(to cook): 요리하기는 재미있어요. Cooking is fun.
② Adnominal Ending (modifiers): 은, 는
저기 요리하는 사람은 제 아빠예요. A person who cooks over there is my dad.
③ Adverbial Ending: 게
예쁘다(to be pretty): 꽃이 예쁘게 피었어요. The flowers are blooming beautifully.
In summary, sentence-final endings are used to conclude sentences, while non-final endings help extend or link sentences, both serving essential roles in Korean grammar.
4. Wrap-up
Understanding Korean endings is essential to mastering the language's sentence structure. Whether it's the pre-final endings that indicate tense or politeness, or the final endings that define sentence mood and closure, each plays a crucial role in conveying meaning.
Additionally, non-final endings help build more complex sentences by connecting ideas or transforming verbs and adjectives into different parts of speech. By learning these various endings, you’ll gain deeper insight into Korean grammar, making your language-learning journey much smoother.