korean grammar: -다/-다가 1

In the last post I wrote about the ending -에다(가)ae-da-ga attaching to nouns to show that something has changed place, or has been transferred, in order to emphasize that it is a new place.

This ending -다(가)-da-ga can also be attached to verbs to show that there is a change of action. When you tell a story often, the action shifts from one event to another. The final event is the more iportant one.

• 집에 가다가 넘어졌어요jip-e ga-da-ga neom-eo-jeoss-eo-yo -> He was on his way home when he fell over
• 숙제 하다가 잠들었어요sur-je ha-da-ga jam-deul-eoss-eo-yo -> I was doing my homework when I fell asleep
• 납동생이 담배 다녀 가다가 선생님한테 잡혔어요nam-dong-seng-i dam-pe dan-yeo ga-da-ga seon-seng-nim-han-tae jap-hyeoss-eo-yo -> My little brother was going around with cigarettes when he was caught by his teacher

The important thing to remember about this ending that the first action is not complete, it was ongoing when you did something else. Often it can be translated as I was...-ing when I... But remember that the subject has to be the same:

• 비 오다가 일어났어요bi o-da-ga ir-eo-nass-eo-yo / It was raining when I woke up THIS IS WRONG!!!!
but you can say
• 잠 자다가 일어났어요jam ja-da-ga ir-eo-nass-eo-yo / I was sleeping when I woke up The subjects are the same

Just as with -에다(가)ae-da-ga on nouns, -에다(가)ae-da-ga on verbs, shows that there is a shift from one thing to another, but rather than it being in space, it is in action.

And finally translate it as "I was...-ing when I..." but please remember it doesn't mean this exactly. Just remember that it means a shift and a move from one thing to another.

korean grammar: 에다/에다가

This ending can be seen as an extension of 에-ae. 에-ae is used to indicate a location, either one where you are now, or where you are going, or where you are putting something:

• 집에 있어요jip-ae iss-eo-yo ->Im at home
• 집에 가어요jip-ae ga-yo -> I'm going home
• 가방을 집에 두고 놓았어요ga-bang-eul jip-ae du-go no-ass-eo-yo ->I put my bag in the house

In the first example it indicates place, so there is no movement. In the second you are moving yourself to one place. But in third sentence you move something from one place to another. It's here that you can add 에다(가)-ae-da-ga to the 에-ae.

If you want to stress that you have transferred something from on place to another, rather than just put it somewhere different, you use -다(가)da-ga. So for third example you're kind of saying "the bag was outside, but I put it inside the house".

• 김치 냉장고에다 놓았어요kim-chi neng-jang-go-ae-da sd-ass-eo-yo ->I put the kimchi into the fridge
• 책을 책상 위에다가 놓았어요chek-eul chek-sang wi-ae-da-ga noa-ass-eo-yo ->I put the book on the top of the table
• 책에다가 번호를 적어 놓았어요chek-ae-da-ga beon-ho-reul jeok-eo no-ass-eo-yo ->I wrote the number down into the book

This ending really stresses there is a change of place to a new, clearly defined place. It's grammatical name is the "transferentative" and is also found on verbs, doing pretty much the same thing.

Useful Korean phrases: (으)나 마나

In Korea people are very considerate so when you're meeting Korean friends it can take a long time to decide where to go and what to do, because they don't want to offend you. Of course you don't want to offend them but you don't know about Korea as much as they do so a very useful phrase to say is "it doesn't matter" or "it makes no difference" "it's the same" and even "I don't mind" if they suggest something.

In Korean it's the form -(으)나 마나-eu-na mana And it attaches to the stem of the verb like this 먹다meog-da -> 먹으나 마나meog-eu-na mana or 보다bo-da -> 보나 마나bo-na ma-na. You can either finish the sentence with this form by adding -요-yoor say make a little comment after it (look at the examples below):

• 먼저 은행 가나 마나요meon-jeo eun-heng ga-na ma-na-yo -> It doesn't matter if you we go to the bank first
• 일어나나 마나요i-reo-na ma-na-yo -> It makes no difference if I wake up or don't wake up
• 내일 오나 마나 또같아요ne-il ona mana ddo-gat-a-yo -> It's the same if you come tomorrow or not.
• 어머니 말 들으나 마나 애들은 숙제 안해요eo-meo-ni mal teu-reu-na ma-na e-deul-eun suk-jae an-he-yo -> If doesn't make any difference if they listen to their mum, the children don't do their homework
• 약 먹으나 마나 계속 앞아요yak meog-eu-na mana a-pa-yo -> It makes no difference if I take medicine or not, I'm still sick

When you want to use this, just practise answering a suggestion like "let's go to the bank first?" or "is it ok if we go to the bank first?". Then when you're comfortable with the meaning, you can try making longer sentences

As a final note the ending -나-na actually means "or". The verb 말다malda means "to not do", so a more literal translation could be "either if we do something or don't it it's the same".

-뜨리다 make something fall / go down / break

As with 맞다 no one ever taught me that -뜨리다ddeu-ri-da can be put on the end of lots of words and generally has an overal meaning which is: to make something fall, go down, even explode or break. It doesn't appear in the dictionary on its's own.

Just note, that the word that precedes -뜨리다ddeu-ri-da must be put in it's 아/어/여 form (look at the examples below).

• 터지다teo-ji-da / explode->터뜨리다teo-ddeu-rida/make something explode, let off
• 떨어지다ddeo-reo-jida / fall down->떨어뜨리다ddeo-reo-ddeu-rida / make fall down/drop
• 무너지다mun-eo-jida / collapse->무너뜨리다mu-neo-ddeu-rida / make collapse
• 넘어지다neom-eo-jida / fall over->넘어뜨리다neom-eo-ddeu-rida / make fall over
• 늘어지다neu-reo-jida / hang down->늘어뜨리다neu-reo-ddeu-rida / make hang down

Here are some examples which I have got from 100% non-textbook authentic Koreans sources

• 젓가락 떨어뜨렸어요jeot-ka-rak ddeo-reo-ddeu-ryeoss-eo-yo->I dropped my chopsticks!
• 폭죽 터뜨리다pok-juk teo-ddeu-ri-da->Let off fireworks (bangers)
• 다리를 무너뜨린 범인...da-ri-reul mu-neo-ddeu-rin beom-in->The criminals who made the bridge collapse...

There are many other words with the ending -뜨리다ddeu-ri-da, but now you know the pattern, when you come across new words it'll be much easier!