Korean noun modifiers: 는, (으)ㄴ and (으)ㄹ

Adjective + -(으)ㄴ before a noun

To describe a noun directly, change the adjective's ending to -(으)ㄴ and put it BEFORE the noun. 좋다 → 좋은 책 ('a good book'). 작다 → 작은 가방 ('a small bag'). 크다 → 큰 가방 ('a big bag'). This is different from the 좋아요 predicate form — here the adjective dresses the noun.

• 좋은 책

  a good book

• 큰 가방

  a big bag

-는: describing with a verb

A verb can describe a noun. It takes -는 and stands right in front of the noun, with the whole description before it.

• 한국어를 가르치는 사람이에요

  He's someone who teaches Korean

• 커피를 마시는 여자는 제 아내예요

  The woman (who is) drinking coffee is my wife.

• 저는 한국어를 배우는 학생이에요

  I'm a student who is learning Korean

• 웃는 남자가 제 남편이에요

  The man who is laughing is my husband

• 서울에 사는 친구가 있어요

  I have a friend who lives in Seoul

The thing I …

The same -는 can describe a noun that something is done TO. The doer stays inside the description and takes 이/가, not 은/는.

것: the thing that …

After a description, 것 means 'the thing that …' or 'what …'.

• 엄마가 만드는 김치가 맛있어요

  The kimchi Mom makes is delicious

• 이것은 제가 좋아하는 책이에요

  This is a book I like

• 그것은 제가 자주 보는 영화예요

  That's a movie I watch often

• 제가 사는 곳은 서울이에요

  The place where I live is Seoul.

-(으)ㄴ: the past description

When the action is finished, a verb takes -(으)ㄴ instead of -는. A vowel stem takes ㄴ; a consonant stem takes 은.

• 어제 받은 책이에요

  It's the book I received yesterday

• 제가 어제 부른 노래는 한국 노래예요

  The song I sang yesterday is a Korean song.

• 제 딸이 그린 그림이에요

  It's a picture my daughter drew

• 어제 만난 사람이에요

  It's the person I met yesterday

Who did it, and what

Put the doer inside the description with 이/가, then the past description, then the noun. ㄹ-stems drop ㄹ and take ㄴ.

• 제가 쓰는 핸드폰이에요

  It's the phone I use

• 한국에서 배운 노래예요

  It's a song I learned in Korea

• 제가 만든 빵이에요

  It's bread I made

• 이것은 제 아들이 그린 그림이에요

  This is a picture my son drew.

Three things to keep apart

1) Tense lives in the description: 제가 먹는 빵 = 'bread I eat'; 제가 먹은 빵 = 'bread I ate'. Never *먹었는. 2) Adjectives take -(으)ㄴ for the PRESENT: 작은 가방, 예쁜 옷, 더운 날 — never *작는. Only 있다/없다 take 는 (맛있는). 3) Who did it? Watch the particle: 친구를 만난 사람 = 'the person who met a friend'; 친구가 만난 사람 = 'the person a friend met'.

• 어제 예쁜 옷을 샀어요

  Yesterday I bought pretty clothes.

• 맛있는 빵을 파는 가게예요

  It's a store that sells delicious bread

• 어떤 사람이에요?

  What kind of person is he?

• 친구를 만난 사람이 누구예요?

  Who is the person who met your friend?

• 친구가 만든 빵이 맛있어요

  The bread my friend made is delicious

The third modifier: -(으)ㄹ

Verbs have three modifier endings. 는 is for now (하는 일, the work I do) and (으)ㄴ is for done (한 일, the work I did). The third, (으)ㄹ, is for what has not happened yet: 할 일 (the work I will do), 먹을 것 (something to eat). After a vowel stem add ㄹ, after a consonant stem add 을.

You've met it already: 수 and 때

(으)ㄹ already sits inside frames you may know. 먹을 수 있어요 is 먹을 + 수 (a way) + 있어요: 'there is a way to eat' = 'I can eat'. 한국에 갈 때 is 갈 + 때 (time): 'the time I go' = 'when I go'. 수 and 때 are nouns, and (으)ㄹ is what describes them.

• 내일 할 일이 많아요

  (I) have a lot to do tomorrow

• 제가 지은 이름이에요

  It's a name (I) came up with.

• 읽을 책이 없어요

  (I) don't have a book to read

• 마실 거 있어요?

  Is there anything to drink?

Check yourself

Questions from the course. Pick an answer to check it; nothing is saved.

1. 1.'a good book': pick the Korean.

   좋아요 책좋다 책좋은 책책 좋은

2. 2.'a big bag': pick the Korean.

   커요 가방큰 가방크다 가방가방 큰

3. 3.'a child who is laughing': pick the Korean.

   아이는 웃어요웃는 아이아이 웃는웃어요 아이

4. 4.'a friend who lives in Seoul': pick the Korean.

   서울에 살는 친구서울에 살은 친구서울에 사는 친구친구가 서울에 사는

5. 5.'someone I don't know': pick the Korean.

   제가 모르는 사람저를 모르는 사람제가 몰라요 사람제가 몰르는 사람