Click on the English word to see information and examples of that word in use. Use these sentences to give yourself a feel for how each word can be used, and maybe even to expose yourself to the grammar that you will be learning shortly.
A PDF file neatly presenting these words and extra information can be found here.
Common Usages:
이삿짐 = one’s items that need to be moved from place to place when moving
짐을 싣다 = to load baggage
짐을 보내다/부치다 = to “send” baggage (commonly when checking a bag at the airport)
짐을 풀다 = to unpack a baggage
Examples:
짐을 그냥 트렁크에 실어요 = Just put/load the suitcases/luggage in the trunk
짐을 선반 위에 올렸어요 = I put my suitcase on the shelf
기차역에서 짐을 보관하면 보관료를 내야 해요
= If you store your luggage in the train station, you need to pay a storage fee
부치는 짐이 20kg를 초과하면 추가요금을 내야 해요
= If the baggage you are sending exceeds 20 kg, you will have to pay an additional fee
Examples:
운동을 할 때 무릎을 살짝 굽히고 운동을 하면 부상을 예방할 수 있어요
= When you exercise, if you bend your knees a little bit, you can prevent injury
오늘 고속도로에서 발생한 사고로 인해 부상자가 속출하고 있습니다
= Due to the accident today on the highway, the number of injured people is going up
저의 남편의 사고로 인한 부상으로 죽을 때까지 제가 남편을 계속 간호하게 되었어요
= Due to my husband’s injury from his accident, I ended up having to take care of (be a nurse for) him until he died
부상자 = an injured person, a person who suffers a loss
Common Usages:
부상자 속출 = for the number of injured people to go up
Examples:
오늘 고속도로에서 발생한 사고로 인해 부상자가 속출하고 있습니다
= Due to the accident today on the highway, the number of injured people is going up
국적과 상관없이 부상자들은 모두 동등하게 치료를 받아야 돼요
= Regardless of nationality, all injured people need to receive fair treatment
Common Usages:
소화제 = digestion medicine
소화불량 = indigestion
소화기관 = digestive organs
소화가 잘 되다 = for something to digest well
소화가 잘 안 되다 = for something to not digest well
Examples:
바나나를 먹으면 소화가 잘 돼서 바로 화장실에 가요
= When you eat bananas, they digest well so you go to the bathroom immediately
저는 밀가루를 먹으면 소화가 잘 안 돼서 소화제를 먹어야 돼요
= When I eat flour, it doesn’t digest well, so I need to eat digestive medicine
Notes: 이불 and 담요 are both “blankets.” A 담요 would normally be found in a living room, maybe hung over a sofa. A 이불 is usually used in bed.
Common Usages:
무릎 담요 = a little blanket used to just cover your knees when sitting
Examples:
담요에 왜 이렇게 먼지가 많아요? = Why is there so much dust on the blanket?
잔디밭에 담요를 펴고 모여 앉았어요 = We unfolded a blanket on the grass and all sat on it
담요를 주거나 따뜻한 잠옷을 주거나 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if you give me a blanket or warm pajamas
Common Usages:
동식물 = plants and animals
식물원 = botanical garden (plant museum)
식물인간 = a person in a vegetative state
식물 세포 = plant cell
식물성 기름 = vegetable oil
Examples:
생물은 식물과 동물로 나눌 수 있어요 = You can divide living things into plants and animals
그늘에 의해 이 식물은 빨리 죽었어요 = The plant died quickly because of the shade
통조림 음식을 먹을 때는 안에 있는 음식물을 꺼내서 바로 먹는 게 좋아요 = When you eat canned foods, it is best if you take the food in the can out and eat it right away
Common Usages:
반값 할인 = half price discount
파격 할인 = huge discount/sale
시즌 할인 = season discount/sale
Examples:
도매시장에서 아저씨가 우리에게도 할인을 해 줬어요
= At the wholesale market, the man gave a discount to us too
마을버스를 탈 때 첫차를 타면 할인을 받아요
= When riding the village bus, there’s a discount for taking the first bus
소고기가 마트에서 할인하기에 많이 사 왔어요
= Beef was on sale at the supermarket, so I bought a lot of it
할인을 얼마나 해 줄지 상관없이 저는 그것을 안 살 거예요
= It doesn’t matter how much of a discount you give me, I’m not going to buy it
내일 백화점에서 몇몇 브랜드가 반값할인을 할 예정이니 꼭 가서 쇼핑을 해야 해요
= I need to go shopping in the department store tomorrow because some of the brands are scheduled to have a half-price discount
Common Usages:
드넓은 광야 = (really) wild-open wilderness
Examples:
몽골에는 드넓은 광야가 많아요
= There are many wild-open wildernesses in Mongolia
가출하면 광야를 빼고 제가 어디 가든지 상관없어요
= When I run away from home, other than the wilderness, it doesn’t matter where I go
대서양에서 태평양까지 운전하려면 수천 킬로의 광야를 통과해야 돼요
= If you want to drive from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, you need to pass through thousands of kilometers of wilderness
Notes: Most people in Korea live in Seoul. However, most have their main “family” house in the 시골. This is usually the house that was passed down from generation to generation to the oldest son. Relatives meet at that house in the 시골 for major holidays like 추석 and 설날.
Common Usages:
시골 사람 = country man
시골 인심 = the warmness of the countryside
시골에 내려가다 = to go down to the countryside (Seoul is in the northern part of South Korea, so people almost always need to go south in order to get to the 시골)
Examples:
이번 추석 때 시골에 내려갈 거예요
= This Chuseok, we will go down to the countryside
저는 시골에 정기적으로 내려가요
= I go down to the country side at regular, set time intervals
우리 아들이 시골로 이사할 것에 대해 신경 안 쓴다고 했어요
= Our son said she doesn’t care if we move to the countryside
시골에서 사는 것이 아주 평화로운 것 같아요
= It seems like living in the country is very peaceful
Common Usages:
운전면허를 따다 = to get a driver’s license
운전면허필기시험 = written driving test
1종 운전면허 = first class drivers licence (to allow you to drive certain cars)
2종 운전면허 = second class drivers licence (to allow you to drive certain cars)
Examples:
저는 운전면허를 16살 때 땄어요
= I got my driver’s license when I was 16 years old
내일 운전면허필기시험이 있어서 오늘 열심히 공부해야 돼요
= Tomorrow I have to write the written driving test, so I need to study hard
대중교통이 편리해서 요즘 젊은 사람들 중에 운전면허가 없는 사람들이 많아요
= These days mass transportation is so convenient, that among young people there are many that don’t have their driver’s license
Common Usages:
뒤집어 입다 = to wear backwards or to wear inside out
Examples:
3분 있다가 돈까스를 뒤집어 주세요 = Please turn over/flip the 돈까스 after three minutes
그 셔츠를 뒤집어 입어도 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if you wear that shirt inside-out
오늘 아침에 정신이 없어서 셔츠를 뒤집어 입었어요 = This morning I was so out of it that I put my shirt on inside out
Notes: Korean people use this for more than just something that gets swollen due to infection. You will often hear people say that their face or other body part is swollen simply from eating the wrong food.
Common Usages:
손발이 붓다 = for one’s hands/feet to be swollen
Examples:
라면을 먹고 바로 자면 다음날에 얼굴이 부어요
= If you eat Ramen and go to sleep right away, the next day your face will be swollen
이 약을 먹으면 부작용으로 손발이 부을 수도 있어요
= If you take this medicine, your hands and feet could get swollen as a side effect
You can use 상관없다 as an answer to a question to indicate that it doesn’t matter:
Person 1: 짐을 어디에 둬야 돼요? = Where should I put the/my luggage?
Person 2: 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter/I don’t care
상관없다 can be used to predicate a sentence if you want to indicate the thing that doesn’t matter:
네가 배고파도 상관없어 = It doesn’t matter if you are hungry
You can create more complicated sentences by indicating that it doesn’t matter when/who/where something happens:
우리가 어디 갈지 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter where we go
You can use ~든지 before 상관없다 as well:
우리가 어디 가든지 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter where we go
You can use ~거나 to create an “either or” situation:
내일 주식이 떨어지거나 오르거나 상관없어요
= It doesn’t matter if the stocks drop or go up tomorrow
Examples:
추위와 상관없이 저는 밖에 나갈 거예요
= Regardless of the cold, I am going outside
날씨와 상관없이 우리는 지금 가야 돼요
= Regardless of the weather, we need to go now
통증과 상관없이 곧 일어나야 될 거예요
= Regardless of the pain, you will have to get up soon
저의 건강과 상관없이 저의 여자 친구를 만나고 싶어요
= Regardless of my health, I want to meet my girlfriend
운과 상관없이 모든 것을 열심히 하면 잘 될 거에요
= Regardless of luck, everything will be fine if you try (do it) hard
국적과 상관없이 부상자들은 모두 동등하게 치료를 받아야 돼요
= Regardless of nationality, all injured people need to receive fair treatment
학생들의 불량한 태도와 상관없이 제가 선생님이라 수업을 계속 해야 돼요
= Regardless of the students’ bad attitude, I am a teacher, so I need to keep doing class
For help memorizing these words, try using our mobile app.
There are 625 vocabulary entries in Unit 3. All entries are linked to an audio file.
You can download all of these files in one package here.
Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn how to use the word “상관없다” in sentences, both as a word that can be placed at the end of a sentence (like any other verb/adjective) and as an adverb than can be placed in the middle of a sentence. In order to use this word, you will draw from previous grammatical principles that you have learned in previous lessons (~는지, 아/어도), and learn a new one as well (~든). Let’s get started.
It doesn’t matter if…: 상관없다
The word “상관” literally translates to “relation,” and by saying “상관없다,” you are in a way indicating that there is no relation between two things. The most common way you will see/hear this being used is by itself to indicate that something “doesn’t matter” or “is irrelevant.” For example:
Person 1: 내일 언제 가고 싶어요? = When do you want to go tomorrow?
Person 2: 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter/I don’t care
Person 1: 짐을 어디에 둬야 돼요? = Where should I put the/my luggage?
Person 2: 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter/I don’t care
상관없다 can be used to predicate a sentence to say things like:
It doesn’t matter if you are hungry (it is irrelevant if you are hungry)
It doesn’t matter if we go there (it is irrelevant if we go there)
It doesn’t matter if it is expensive (it is irrelevant if it is expensive)
When predicating a sentence with 상관없다, it is common to attach “~아/어도” (which you learned about in Lesson 49) to the clause that is “irrelevant.” For example:
네가 배고파도 상관없어 = It doesn’t matter if you are hungry 우리는 거기에 가도 상관없어 = It doesn’t matter if we go there 그게 비싸도 상관없어 = It doesn’t matter if it is expensive
Some more examples:
그것을 먹어도 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if you eat that 발이 부어 있어도 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if your foot is swollen 선물을 안 사도 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if you don’t buy a present 할인을 안 받아도 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if I don’t get a discount 시골에서 살아도 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if I live in the countryside 맨발로 들어와도 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if you come in barefoot 그 셔츠를 뒤집어 입어도 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if you wear that shirt inside-out 고기 원산지를 표기하지 않아도 상관없어요 = It doesn’t matter if you don’t mark where the meat comes from
There might be situations where you might want to include a question word to make the sentence a little bit more complex. For example, to say:
It doesn’t matter when we go
It doesn’t matter where we go
It doesn’t matter who I go with
If you want to use question words like this in your sentence, it is unnatural to attach ~아/어도 to the clause prior to 상관없다. One way you can do this is to use ~는지, which you learned about in Lesson 30. For example:
Another option is to attach ~든지, which isn’t introduced as a grammatical principle until Lesson 106. There is no need to jump ahead to Lesson 106 at this point. I will mention ~든지 briefly here, but you will dive deep into the specific meaning of ~든지 in Lesson 106. When used to separate two clauses (as you will see in Lesson 106), it generally translates to “whether.” Forget about that for now, and just see how it can be used in this lesson with 상관없다.
The three sentences above can also be written like this:
In Lesson 58 you learned about ~거나 and how it typically translates to “or.” That being said, I made a distinction between using ~거나 once in a sentence, and using it twice (I encourage you to go back and read this observation I made). It is common to add ~거나 to two options within a sentence and then followed by “상관없다.” The whole sentence can mean that it doesn’t matter if “one or the other” occurs. For example:
You can use 상관없이 as an adverb to create the meaning of “regardless of…” The easiest and most common way this is done is by saying “regardless of (noun).” In order to do this, you should attach ~와/과/하고/랑/이랑 to the noun 상관없이 is placed before. For example:
추위와 상관없이 = regardless of the cold
날씨와 상관없이 = regardless of the weather
통증과 상관없이 = regardless of the pain
저의 건강과 상관없이 = regardless of my health
운과 상관없이 = regardless of luck
국적과 상관없이 = regardless of nationality
These compositions can then go into sentences. For example:
Whenever I learned a new grammatical principle or word, I always tried to apply it to complicated sentences. When I first learned about 상관없이, I tried to apply it to sentences like this:
– Regardless of how much money I have, I need to buy an expensive present for my girlfriend
– Regardless of how much you love me, I have to break up with you
Here, an entire clauses precedes 상관없이 – not just a noun. To translate this, it is possible to use ~는지 like the sentences with 상관없다. For example:
You might be thinking here “what about if I use ~아/어도” or ~든지. The thing is, when you use ~아/어도 or ~든지 in the middle of two clauses, they themselves have the meaning of “regardless of” or “whether.” Therefore, including the adverb “상관없이” in a clause that is already separated by ~아/어도 or ~든지 is redundant. For example, the following sentences don’t need “상관없이” because this meaning is already implied:
At this point, I would like to introduce you to another grammatical principle that is commonly (and naturally) used to have a similar meaning.
Despite: ~ㅁ/음에 불구하고
Another word that functions to have a similar meaning in sentences as 상관없다 is 불구하다. You will rarely see it by itself as it is almost exclusively used in the middle of sentences.
Just like 상관없다, it can be used after a simple noun. When it is used like this ~에도 is typically attached to the noun that precedes it. The typical translation for this in English is “despite” which can essentially be seen as the same as “regardless of.” The only distinction I can make (in meaning) is that ~에도 불구하고 is more likely to be used with some sort of difficult hardship – whereas 상관없다 is more likely to be used in any general situation. For example:
날씨와 상관없이 = Regardless of the weather
날씨에도 불구하고 = Despite the weather
통증과 상관없이 = Regardless of the pain
통증에도 불구하고 = Despite the pain
When used after a verb or adjective ~ㅁ/음 (which you learned about in Lesson 29) is used to change the verb or adjective into a noun. Following this, ~에도 is usually attached to the newly created noun. Also notice that the verb or adjective can be conjugated to the past tense before ~에도 is attached to it. For example:
Although common and useful, 불구하다 (and ~ㅁ/음에도 불구하다) is most commonly used in written Korean. It is not completely unreasonable to hear this or to say this, but you are more likely to see this in some form of writing.
That’s it for this lesson!
There are 1200 example sentences in Unit 3.
All entries are linked to an audio file. You can download all of these files in one package here.