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Vocabulary
Nouns:
얘 = this kid
Examples:
얘는 정말 똑똑해요
= This kid is really smart
얘가 어디 가느냐고 물어봤어요
= They asked where this kid was going
질 = quality
Common Usages:
품질 = quality of a product
삶의 질 = quality of life
수면의 질 = quality of sleep
Examples:
제가 이 제품의 품질을 보증합니다
= I guarantee the quality of this product
과도한 업무량은 직장 생활의 질을 저하시킬 수 있어요
= Excessive workload can deteriorate the quality of work life
매순간을 소중히 여기느냐 대충 사느냐가 삶의 질을 결정해요
= Whether you cherish or just simply live each moment determines the quality of life
내일은 대학 생활의 질을 결정하는 아주 중요한 수강신청을 하는 날이에요
= Tomorrow is the day that can determine one’s university lifestyle quality – the day of choosing one’s courses
약물 = medical products, medical drug
Common Usages:
약물 중독 = drug addiction
약물 치료 = drug treatment
약물과다복용 = drug overdose
Examples:
그 사람은 약물을 복용 중이에요
= That person is taking medication
이 약물이 효과적으로 작용하느냐가 치료의 성공 여부를 좌우해요
= Whether this medicine acts effectively will determine the success of the treatment
손끝 = fingertip
Examples:
여자가 손끝으로 꽃잎을 만졌어요
= The girl touched the petal with her fingertips
손끝이 따뜻하냐 차가우냐가 문제예요
= The issue is whether the fingertips are warm or cold
입속 = inside a mouth
Examples:
입속에 뭐가 있느냐고 묻는 아이가 있었어요
= There was a kid asking what’s inside my mouth
입속이 깨끗하냐 더러우냐를 확인해야 해요
= We need to check whether the inside of the mouth is clean or dirty
앞길 = road ahead, future
Common Usages:
앞길이 창창하다 = to have a bright future
앞길을 막다 = to prevent/block someone from being successful
Examples:
네 앞길에 행운이 가득하길 바란다
= I hope your future is full of luck
이놈 = this guy
Examples:
이놈이 또 장난을 쳤어
= This guy messed around again
이놈이 정말 악하냐 아니냐를 판단하기 어려워요
= It’s hard to judge whether this guy is truly evil or not
술잔 = alcohol cup
Common Usages:
술잔을 기울이다 = to tilt a glass (to drink alcohol)
Examples:
친구가 조용히 술잔을 들었다
= My friend quietly raised his glass
술잔을 비우느냐 남기느냐가 그의 결심을 보여 줄 것이에요
= Whether he empties or leaves the alcohol cup will show his determination
박자 = beat in music
Common Usages:
엇박자 = off-beat
박자를 맞추다 = to keep in rhythm, to keep a beat
Examples:
박자에 맞춰 춤을 춰요
= Dance to the beat
이 박자가 맞느냐 틀리느냐 가 중요해요
= Whether this beat is right or wrong is important
그 음악은 특이한 리듬으로 인해 엇박자가 돋보였어요
= The music stood out with its unique rhythm and off-beat
소통 = communication
Common Usages:
의사소통 = communication
원활한 소통 = smooth communication
소통 불가 = for it to not be allowed to to communicate
Examples:
성공적인 마무리를 위해서는 더 적극적인 소통을 해야 돼요
= For a successful conclusion, we need to communicate more actively
물기 = droplets of water
Examples:
물기가 아직 남아 있느냐 없느냐가 문제예요
= The issue is whether there are still droplets left or not
물기가 아직 남아 있느냐 없느냐는 문제가 아니예요
= It’s not a problem whether or not there are still droplets left
매분 = each minute
아이와 함께 있는 매분이 소중해요
= Every minute together with my kid is precious
매순간 = each moment
Examples:
매순간을 즐기세요
= Enjoy every moment
매순간을 소중히 여기느냐 대충 사느냐가 삶의 질을 결정해요
= Whether you cherish or just simply live each moment determines the quality of life
팔짱 = for arm's to be intertwined
Common Usages:
팔짱을 끼다 = for one’s arms to be intertwined
Examples:
우리는 팔짱을 끼고 걸었어요
= We walked with our arms linked
팔짱을 끼느냐 풀느냐는 그의 태도에 달려 있어요
= Whether he intertwined his arms or let them loose depends on his attitude
몸짓 = gesture, motion
Common Usages:
손짓 몸짓 = body language
Examples:
그의 몸짓이 정말 우스웠어요
= His gestures were really funny
그 몸짓에 의미가 있느냐 없느냐를 확인해 봐야 해요
= We need to check whether that gesture has meaning or not
손길 = hand
Common Usages:
따뜻한 손길 = warm helping hand
Examples:
엄마의 따뜻한 손길이 위로가 되었어요
= Mom’s warm touch was comforting
손길이야말로 어려움에 처한 사람들에게 가장 큰 위로가 돼요
= A helping hand is truly the greatest comfort for those in difficulty
효과적 = effective
Examples:
이 방법이 더 효과적이에요
= This method is more effective
이 약물이 효과적으로 작용하느냐가 치료의 성공 여부를 좌우해요
= Whether this medicine acts effectively will determine the success of the treatment
Verbs:
작용하다 = to act on/effect
Common Usages:
반작용 = reverse effect
효과적으로 작용하다
Examples:
약이 빠르게 작용했어요
= The medicine acted quickly
이 약물이 효과적으로 작용하느냐가 치료의 성공 여부를 좌우해요
= Whether this medicine acts effectively will determine the success of the treatment
퇴임하다 = to retire
Common Usages:
퇴임식 = retirement party
Examples:
그 선생님은 올해 말에 퇴임할 예정이에요
= That teacher is planning to retire at the end of the year
그가 언제 퇴임하느냐를 궁금해하는 사람이 많아요
= Many people are curious about when he will retire
Adjectives:
악하다 = to be evil/bad/wicked
Common Usages:
악순환 = vicious circle
Examples:
그 남자가 마음이 악한 사람이에요
= That man is a wicked person
Adverbs and Other Words:
소중히 = preciously, with great care
Common Usages:
소중히 여기다 = to value / cherish
Examples:
친구는 선물을 소중히 간직했어요
= The friend cherished the gift
매순간을 소중히 여기느냐 대충 사느냐가 삶의 질을 결정해요
= Whether you cherish or just simply live each moment determines the quality of life
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Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn how to use a familiar grammatical principle, ~느냐 to create a more complex meaning than what you already have learned. Furthermore, you will learn to add ot ~느냐 to make it even more complex. Let’s get started!
~느냐: Whether or Not
In Lesson 53, you first learned about ~느냐 as a way to indicate an indirect quote of a question. That is, to indicate that one asks a question. For example:
입속에 뭐가 있느냐고 묻는 아이가 있었어요
= There was a kid asking what’s inside my mouth
얘가 어디 가느냐고 물어봤어요
= They asked where this kid was going
Questions by nature are speculative. The fundamental purpose of ~느냐 is to indicate speculation. The ability of ~느냐 to indicate speculation allows it to have more uses than just indicating that one asks a question. ~느냐 can be used to speculate “whether” something something occurs. For example:
그들이 모두 화해하느냐는 모두가 관심 있어 하는 주제예요
= The topic of whether they will all reconcile is something everyone is interested in
Here you see ~는 attached to ~느냐. This is to indicate that the entire speculation of “whether they reconcile or not” is itself the subject of the sentence. The use of a particle on ~느냐 is no different than when you saw ~고 attached to it when forming quoted questions. In the example sentences later (and in the next few lessons), you will see typical particles ~를, ~가 or ~에 attached to ~느냐 depending on its purpose in a sentence.
Very often, two opposite words are used with ~느냐 to indicate whether one is true, or the other. For example:
물기가 아직 남아 있느냐 없느냐는 문제가 아니예요
= It’s not a problem whether or not there are still droplets left
Below are many more examples:
술잔을 비우느냐 남기느냐가 그의 결심을 보여 줄 것이에요
= Whether he empties or leaves the alcohol cup will show his determination
매순간을 소중히 여기느냐 대충 사느냐가 삶의 질을 결정해요
= Whether you cherish or just simply live each moment determines the quality of life
이 약물이 효과적으로 작용하느냐가 치료의 성공 여부를 좌우해요
= Whether this medicine acts effectively will determine the success of the treatment
물기가 아직 남아 있느냐 없느냐가 문제예요
= The issue is whether there are still droplets left or not
그 몸짓에 의미가 있느냐 없느냐를 확인해 봐야 해요
= We need to check whether that gesture has meaning or not
그가 언제 퇴임하느냐를 궁금해하는 사람이 많아요
= Many people are curious about when he will retire
You saw in Lesson 53 that ~느냐 can’t be added to adjectives. This is true here as well. Instead, ~(으)냐 is added to adjectives. For example:
손끝이 따뜻하냐 차가우냐가 문제예요
= The issue is whether the fingertips are warm or cold
이 박자가 맞느냐 틀리느냐 가 중요해요
= Whether this beat is right or wrong is important
이놈이 정말 악하냐 아니냐를 판단하기 어려워요
= It’s hard to judge whether this guy is truly evil or not
입속이 깨끗하냐 더러우냐를 확인해야 해요
= We need to check whether the inside of the mouth is clean or dirty
That’s it for this lesson!